Sun, Sand & Something Chic: The Best Beach Bags Worth Packing This Season
There's a certain alchemy to the perfect beach bag. It needs to be roomy enough for a towel, sunscreen, and a dog-eared novel — but it also needs to look intentional, like the rest of your outfit didn't just happen to walk out of a very good resort wardrobe. Whether you're drawn to the tactile charm of a woven raffia tote, the sculptural appeal of a rope beach bag, or the kind of embellished medium beach bag that doubles as a dinner accessory, the right carryall is the detail that sets a truly considered look apart.
Consider this your guide to the most stylish beach bags for travel and beyond — the ones that earn their keep from morning swims through to sundowner cocktails.
The Case for Raffia — Always
If there's one material that has truly earned its permanent place in the summer wardrobe, it's raffia. Lightweight, naturally textured, and possessing a warmth that no synthetic can replicate, a raffia tote is the beach bag for travel that works equally well on a cobblestone street in Positano as it does on the sand.
KAYU has made an art form of the woven tote — each piece is handcrafted with the kind of artisanal detail that sits comfortably alongside the phrase expensive beach bags worth every cent. The Lotus Floral Embroidered Woven Raffia Tote is the standout: a generous medium beach bag size with floral embroidery that makes it feel less like a carryall and more like a collector's piece.
Harlow Raffia Crochet Shoulder Bag
Staud — $350.00
Christos Raffia Crochet Mini Tote
Staud — $325.00
And then there are the beaded bags — Staud's Tommy shoulder bag series is arguably the most talked-about beach accessory of the season. The SPF 0 and Spring Day colourways feel like wearable art: the kind of medium beach bag that you photograph before you use it, then can't imagine leaving home without.
Tommy SPF 0 Beaded Shoulder Bag
Staud — $350.00
Tommy Spring Day Beaded Shoulder Bag
Staud — $350.00
Explore the full Women's Designer Shoulder Bags collection →
When the Beach Bag Becomes a Statement Piece
Some bags are functional. Others are conversation-starters. Dolce & Gabbana's Floral Scarf Leather Trim Woven Tote is resolutely the latter. Woven with an intricate scarf-print textile and finished with supple leather trim, it belongs in the category of expensive beach bags that transcend the season entirely — a piece you'll carry long after the summer umbrella is packed away. This is the definition of investing in quality over quantity: one truly beautiful carryall that works at the beach, the market, and the dinner table.
At Lola Dré, we believe the best beach bag is the one you reach for every single day of your holiday — and then miss when you're back home. Invest in texture, invest in craft, and let your carryall do the talking.
Explore the full Women's Designer Bags collection →
