THE RAFFIA BAG

Solving summer dressing with just one bag. 

You might not feel it, but summer is happening. For those of us who dress better in October than in July (our dark, heavy dressing instinct isn’t a choice so much as a disposition, Dutch-brained, what can we say) the seasonal pivot is never entirely comfortable. Florals feel like a costume, and linen only starts making sense when summer is basically over. The all-black uniform that carried us through eight solid months suddenly looks like we missed a memo.

TOTEME Stripe jersey long-sleeve tee black/white, LOEWE black speed shield sunglasses, HAIGHT Mah bikini briefs (top here) and THE ROW Alma leather-trimmed raffia tote

We’ve been working on this. Last month it was The White Uniform, the one adjustment that made our winter wardrobe feel seasonally appropriate without requiring a personality transplant. This month: the raffia bag. Not because it’s everywhere (it is), but because it is one of the most effective single additions to a fall-person wardrobe. Same trousers. Same T-shirt. Same leather sandal you’ve had for a summer or two (or browse here for inspiration).

The Row Spring 2025, look 8. Find a pre-loved THE ROW Raffia Oregon tote at the end of this read, or try the SENSI STUDIO large straw tote in green (more colors available), or ETSY.

It was probably Look 8 from The Row Spring 2025 that put the raffia bag back on our radar. That, and these vintage New York street style images on WWD. The bag does the work. Nothing else needs to change.

In our previous newsletter Why I Bought Six The Row Bags (And Counting), Lara admitted that even her The Row addiction has limits. Spending €1k+ on a raffia bag is one step too far. She found her blue raffia bag for €60 at a random Sicilian shop on her Italy trip last week. Charon, however, did not close that raffia The Row chapter just yet. The shapes are unmatched, the quality speaks without flashy hardware or visible branding doing the talking for it. Like the Loretta raffia tote, the Lori canvas trimmed raffia bag and the Barn Small raffia tote. Raffia and straw weaving is one of the oldest craft traditions in the world, found in coastal culture from the South Pacific to the Mediterranean. Which is exactly why a well-made woven bag doesn’t feel like a seasonal impulse. It's the Alma leather-trimmed raffia tote that keeps lingering.

TOTEME Ribbed V-neck T-shirt, SKALL Sharon mid-rise straight-leg jeans, LIÉ STUDIO The Charlotte navy raffia tote (also in mini) and CHRISTEN double buckle sandals

Worth every weave

Lie Studio has its very own raffia bag collection, handcrafted by skilled artisans in Madagascar with locally sourced raffia. That origin story justifies the price and then some. We adopted the navy Charlotte raffia tote into our wardrobe immediately. So chic, and available in brown and mini too. The Hunting Season Zip leather-trimmed raffia clutch makes the case for a raffia evening bag convincingly. And while you’re there, the Lattice Basket tote and the Market woven fique tote are worth a look too.

Dragon Diffusion

An odd name for a great bag. Dragon Diffusion has been quietly around since 1985, built on a technique borrowed from traditional basketry and translated into leather (so not raffia). The straps are dyed with natural vegetable dyes and woven entirely by hand. Our picks: the Nantucket large tote, the Bamboo Triple Jump and the B Weave Small.

DRAGON DIFFUSION Nantucket large woven leather tote

Phoebe's bag

Phoebe Philo has a handwoven slope sling woven shoulder bag in black and natural in her current collection, but this section belongs to someone else. Designer Emily Dawn Long found a French magazine interview with Phoebe Philo from when she was 24, translated it into English, and made the bag Phoebe described in it. A Sri Lankan market raffia tote, tagged in blue electrical paint by a friend. Lara pre-ordered one. Around 30 pieces are still available.

Under €160

For affordable alternatives that don't look it, COS is pretty much always the answer. The handwoven brown straw tote (also in natural) and the sculpted tote from woven paper are the everyday workhorses. The black straw folded clutch is the occasion option that does more work than its price suggests. The black straw saltwater tote works against dark tailoring without trying. The closest thing to The Row Barn small tote is this Massimo Dutti brown mini raffia bucket, also in shopper size here. The Massimo Dutti raffia shoulder bag is the one you'll still be carrying in October.

TOTEME merino knit T-shirt dress (on sale), COS black straw folded clutch (also in natural), SAM SERIES double belt ring and CHRISTEN Helix leather thong sandals

Second weave

Because we couldn't help ourselves, a little treat: a list of top-notch pre-loved raffia bags for paid subscribers only.

The rest of this edit is for paid subscribers only. Join them here.