You know a trend has settled in for the long term when Marks & Spencer gets involved. This week, Britain’s favourite store launched… a handbag charm department! And I totally understand why.
For those among us who are defiantly not in Team Labubu but still love a little playful self-expression when we get dressed, the idea of hanging a fun, mood-boosting object from an everyday bag is irresistible.
Add in that this is M&S and guaranteed to be affordable, and it explains why our editor-in-chief, Jane Bruton, had bought the mini Hermès lookalike bag charm and a fluffy little teddy bear head within two minutes of hearing the news.
In fact, like phone charms, cute handbag charms are the most popular uplifting buy of the moment. Labubu cemented that, with Jellycat’s fluffy croissants, avocados and baguettes close behind.
But there’s a whole universe of bag charms out there. Every luxury brand on the planet offers them as their most accessibly priced product, and each has a mini icon of its own.
Coach is famous for its double cherry charms costing £95, but you can find M&S’s £12 and Accessorize’s £6 versions in our edit below. Prada’s iconic teddy charms sell for £590, while M&S’s are just £8. Hermès’ ‘Rodeo MM’ leather horse charm is £540, but there’s a leather horse charm in the Hugo Boss sale now for £19. And Anya Hindmarch takes her charm inspiration from everyday British household objects from Mr Muscle to Heinz ketchup, with prices starting from £120.
If you prefer your charms to have more swagger than cuteness, opt for dramatic beaded loops hung with smaller charms and swing them from your bag. Free People excels here, with loops starting from £32 for a triple strand dotted with trinkets.
As for me, my favourite bag charms come from String Ting, a female-owned business that make its charms by hand in the UK, and whose ‘Happy’ smiley charm, £44, and ‘Cherry Drop Jade Bag Charm’, £75, are elegant and playful enough to become my nod to the Labubu.