Women's straw bags: boho styles for summer

Woven straw, light tones and summer shapes. The pieces gathered here run from crossbody bags and openwork rectangles to crescent shapes and round models, in colours that go from pale beige to dark straw, with gold or silver threads and a few sky-blue touches. Most sit on the shoulder or across the body, which keeps your hands free on the sand and in town.

Straw runs on a short calendar. It turns up in spring, takes over July and August, then goes back in the wardrobe. The pieces gathered here follow that rhythm: pale, woven, often openwork, with the loose boho feel that suits a linen dress better than a winter coat. The shapes you can carry all year round sit in the wider women's bags section.

From the beach to the market: where straw bags work

Size wins on the sand. A round or rectangular model with short handles swallows a towel without losing its shape, and an openwork weave lets sand fall straight through, which is half the appeal of a straw beach bag. The crossbody format takes over in town, because browsing a market stall or settling on a café terrace is easier with both hands free. Then come the dressier days. For a garden lunch or a summer wedding, an embroidered or gold-threaded model reads better than a very rustic weave. The compact round basket, the one you carry on the forearm, has a category of its own: see the round woven baskets.

Straw or raffia: what actually changes

The two words are often used interchangeably, yet the fibres behave differently. Straw is stiffer, shows its weave and holds its shape on its own. Raffia comes from palm leaves, drapes more softly, and turns up in tight weaves or crochet work. What you will mostly find in this selection is woven straw; check the composition on the model you choose before you decide.

Trims: what tells one straw bag from another

Two bags can share the same weave and look nothing alike. Decoration does most of the work.

Straw bag trims and the effect each one creates
TrimWhere you see itEffect
Pom-pomsHanging from the handles or the flapHoliday mood, movement
MacraméKnotted cord across the front panelRaised texture
EmbroideryFloral or geometric thread motifsColour without extra bulk
LacePale insert on round modelsSofter, dressier
Gold or silver threadWoven through the strawEvening-ready shine
Faux-leather handlesWhere you hold itFirmer hold, less beachy

Keeping woven straw in good shape

Water and long hours in full sun are what straw dislikes. Caught in a shower? Let the bag dry flat in the open air, because a hairdryer or a radiator will buckle the weave. A barely damp cloth handles a surface mark; skip detergents, which dry the fibre out. Pad the bag with paper at the end of the season and store it in a fabric cover rather than a plastic bag, which traps moisture. Once autumn closes the straw season, bags in natural cork pick up where straw leaves off, on the same natural fibre and without the seasonal limit.

Straw bag questions

Which size for which day out?

Size pays off at the beach: a 30 to 40 cm round model takes a towel and a swimsuit. For everyday use, a 20 to 25 cm crossbody is enough for a phone, a purse and sunglasses. Something smaller, 15 to 20 cm and often embroidered, works for a wedding or a dressed-up lunch without getting in the way.

Does straw snag delicate fabrics?

With a tight weave, barely at all. With a loose weave, or where strands stand proud, silk and lace feel it first. Pick a model whose faux-leather handles take the friction if those are the fabrics you wear.

Will the straw yellow over time?

It can. Left in direct light between outings, straw loses its brightness and drifts towards a deeper, more golden tone. Stored flat, padded and away from the window, a straw bag keeps an even colour for several summers.