The Best Gucci Bags Through the Decades

The house of Gucci has been defining fashion and accessories since its inception in 1921 in Florence, Italy, when founder Guccio Gucci opened a luxury leather goods shop in the heart of Tuscany, inspired by his resumé as a bellhop with London’s high-end Savoy Hotel and working alongside the European railway company. His small workshop, filled with fine leather goods crafted by local artisans, quickly grew in popularity thanks to Mr. Gucci’s ingenuity, eye for design, and attention to time-honored details.

Over a century later, these values are still at the company’s core, while contemporary visionaries like Alessandro Michele and newly minted Creative Director Sabato De Sarno are putting their modern twist on the heritage classics. Amongst those designs, Gucci’s handbags continue to reign as one of the house’s most covetable categories.

Whether you’re embarking on your first designer bag purchase or looking to add to your collection, let our roundup of the best Gucci handbags guide you. Below, find seven of the most beloved styles the iconic house has had to offer over the past one-hundred-plus years. Each is a modern heirloom you’ll cherish and pass down through the generations.

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Gucci Bamboo 1947

Post-war Italy set the stage for creating one of the house’s oldest and most iconic handbags, the Bamboo 1947. Due to rationing limitations and a shortage of leather after World War II, founder Guccio Gucci ingeniously crafted a new handle shape, that of a curved U, made from bamboo. The sturdy rods were softened and bent over an open fire before being coated with lacquer and baked to achieve the golden, shiny finish—a technique still used in the house today. The bamboo handle was innovative, stylishly sitting atop a saddle bag-style pouch, and became an instant hit among celebrities and clientele alike. Today’s reinterpretation features removable crossbody straps that allow you to carry it in several ways. Several colors and material options range from heritage brown and black leather to a very luxe crocodile. The bag comes in regular, small, mini, and even super mini sizes, ranging from $3,500 to $52,000.

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Gucci Horsebit 1955

Two years after Gucci introduced the legendary loafer, the house created the Gucci Horsebit 1955 bag using the same signature, equine-inspired double-D ring hardware that has made the brand world-renowned. Craftsmanship and attention to detail have allowed this top-flap style to retain popularity since its release— cemented as a status symbol thanks to a fresh reissue by former Creative Director Alessandro Michele in 2020, and regularly worn by fashion It-girls like Alexa Chung and Sienna Miller. The reissue has retained many of the same qualities as the original archival bag. Updates include a new, adjustable strap—worn on the shoulder or crossbody style—and plenty of interchangeable hardware details: shoulder bags, top-handle totes, and the latest reinterpretation of the iconic Horsebit 1955 design. Prices run the gambit from $1,200 for the micro mini silhouettes in leather to $8,000 for exotic fabrications.

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Renamed in honor of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, the Jackie 1961 (previously the Constance) was a perennial favorite of the former First Lady throughout the 60’s and 70’s. She notoriously sported the hobo style in various forms, from sleek, leather versions on the streets of New York to vacation-ready raffia fabrications while sunning in Capri. The crescent-shaped shoulder bag is a minimalist favorite, designed with clean lines and a simple piston closure, signifying, again, the brand’s equestrian roots and heritage legacy. Former Creative Director Alessandro Michele brought this seemingly eternal handbag out of the archive in 2021, updating it with tantalizing colorways and splashy new accents, like polished, candy-colored shine iterations and silhouettes with longer, more versatile shoulder straps. The latest styles include every size imaginable— minis, small, medium, and large—and a vast range of colors and textures—from smooth grain leather to python snakeskin. Prices range from $1,750 for the superminis to $5,000 and upwards for larger sizes. The investment is steadfast, though—this is one classic you will never grow tired of using.  

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For a design house that defined leather goods and fashion throughout the 1970s, it’s no surprise that the Attache is another popular archival style hailing from 1975 and revisited by Alessandro Michele during his tenure with the brand. The Attache’s large, G-shaped closure gives this handbag its unique shape and namesake—the French translation of Attache is literally “hook.” Debuting in 2021 in the star-studded Hollywood Boulevard Love Parade show, the half-moon silhouette, trimmed with trademark striped webbing, brought the Attache back into the house’s modern-day repertoire. Fans like Jodie Turner-Smith and Jennifer Lopez have put this versatile bag on the map, and it’s not likely it’ll disappear any time soon. Choose from fabrications like the Gucci logo canvas bag, a crystal logo version, or plain leather. Pro tip: When not using your bag, fill it with tissue to retain its shape—prices for the Attache range from $2,690 for the small and $3,590 for larger sizes.

Gucci Diana 1991

The Diana 1991 handbag takes its name from another icon, none other than Diana, Princess of Wales. After its release in 1991, Lady Di was photographed with the tote on her arm throughout the decade, often styled alongside her signature athleisure looks or classic sportswear favorites. The ladylike shopper became adored by customers, too, for its roomy, practical interior and house-famous double bamboo handles, a nod back to the 1947 bag. Like many successors, The Diana saw its contemporary renaissance during Alessandro Michele’s design era and was relaunched by the house in 2021. Updates include removable, striped crossbody straps, neon bands (an ode to the original design, whose rubber bands held the handles in place), and an interlocking, double-G logo. New riffs on the iconic style bring it to life for a new generation. Minis to medium shoppers range from $1,750 to $8,200.

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Gucci Dionysus

During his time as Creative Director, Greek mythology was a major inspiration for Alessandro Michele’s otherworldly Gucci collections. The Dionysus, a style named for the god of wine-making, pleasure, and overall ecstasy, was first seen on the runway in 2015 and became the shape that launched a thousand handbags simultaneously. The bag swapped the House’s signature horse-bit and metal logo hardware for something entirely new—a double, tiger-head closure, signifying the designer’s close relationship and general inspiration by nature, a theme incorporated into every one of his whimsical collections. Before long, celebrities such as Beyoncé and Dakota Johnson carried the bag, catapulting it into a highly-coveted symbol of the present-day Gucci era. Still immensely popular, you can shop all of the reiterations, including the original, top-flap shoulder, handled silhouettes, and even mini bags (that start at just $990), all available in a medley of colors and fabrications.

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Gucci Blondie

Another style that made its grand entrance on the Love Parade runway in 2021 is the Blondie—defined by a very special logo. An oversized, rounded variation of the Interlocking G, seen in patent documents dating back to the 1971 archive, inspired the contemporary handbag line released under Alessandro Michele’s directorial period. Boldly sitting atop a vintage-inspired crossbody shape with effortless flair, the logo has been reworked into softer styles, rounding out the collection’s diverse silhouettes. You’ll find leather, suede, and supreme canvas fabrication in the core collection, with several unique colors and finishes, ensuring there is something for every personality and style preference. Shoulder bags start at $1,790, while top-handle silhouettes sit just under $4,000.

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