Louis Vuitton Handbags, From Monogram Classics to Minis

Louis Vuitton bags trace back to 1854, when the house began as a trunkmaker, and its early canvas codes still make me want to play with pattern. Damier arrived in 1888 and Monogram canvas in 1896, created by Georges Vuitton in tribute to his father, but it was only in the late 1950s, when Claude-Louis Vuitton developed a softer coated canvas, that Monogram could bend into a handbag.

 

So rather than sorting this edit by pattern, I have grouped it by style. Each shape below has its own history and its own job, from the Neverfull tote to the Petite Malle, and once you know what each one was made for, choosing gets much easier. Every bag here is pre-owned, which is where most of the archive shapes now live.

Sotheby's says the Neverfull was introduced in 2007 and became a classic almost at once, and it is widely thought to have been created to compete with Goyard. It is an open tote with side laces that cinch it in, and it has only ever come in three sizes, PM, MM and GM. That is the whole appeal: it holds a laptop, a sweater and lunch without looking like a work bag.

 

Here you get the plain Monogram GM, the Giant Monogram in kaki, the raffia By The Pool and the Since 1854 jacquard, the red Epi MM and the Damier MM, plus Empreinte leather versions for anyone who wants the shape without the canvas. What I would skip is the GM if you are petite; the MM sits better on the shoulder.

The OnTheGo was first introduced for Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2019 collection, and Sotheby's says it draws much of its inspiration from the Sac Plat. Where the Neverfull slouches, this one stands up on its own, with two sets of handles so you can carry it by hand or on the shoulder. The GM came first, the MM followed in February 2020 and the smaller PM after that.

 

I like the Reverse Monogram GM, the Giant Monogram in kaki beige and the black Epi MM, which is the quietest version I have seen. The Hamptons tufted jacquard and the denim jacquard are for people who want the shape to be the talking point. What I would skip is the GM as an everyday bag if you commute on foot, because it gets heavy when full.

The Speedy was introduced in 1930 as the Express, a scaled-down Keepall, and Farfetch says Audrey Hepburn personally requested a further miniaturized version, which became the Speedy 25. It is a zip-top barrel with two rolled handles, made in classic sizes of 25, 30, 35 and 40 centimeters, and since 2011 there has also been a Bandouliere version with a shoulder strap.

 

The Monogram 25 is where I would start, the Damier Bandouliere 25 adds the strap, and the Stephen Sprouse graffiti Speedy 30 is the collector's piece. The Soft Empreinte 30 is the grown-up leather take. What I would skip is the Mini HL or the Nano if you carry more than a phone and a card holder; they are charm-sized.

The Alma's shape goes back to the Squire, which Sotheby's says Gabrielle Chanel agreed to let the house produce in 1934, but its official birth date, under the name of the Place de l'Alma in Paris, was 1992. It is the structured dome with a zip around the top and two rolled handles, the most ladylike shape the house makes.

 

In 2010 Louis Vuitton launched the miniature Alma BB with a removable strap, and the ladder now runs from Nano and BB up through PM, MM and GM. The Monogram BB is the classic, the Damier PM is the easy everyday size, and the Electric Epi PM and ostrich BB show how well it takes leather. What I would skip is a pale Alma for daily use, because the rigid sides show every scuff.

Gaston-Louis Vuitton designed the Noe, and Sotheby's says the request for it came directly from a champagne producer who needed a bag strong enough for his bottles. The name is French for Noah. It is a soft drawstring bucket, and in 2017 Louis Vuitton introduced the NeoNoe, which is more structured and easier to get into. The Noe later came in Petit, BB and Nano sizes.

 

Here the Epi leather Noe and NeoNoe are the quiet versions, the Empreinte NeoNoes have the Monogram pressed into leather, and the Damier BB and By The Pool Nano are the fun ones. What I would skip is the full-size Noe if you hate digging for keys, which is exactly what the NeoNoe fixes.

Vogue France dates the Capucines to 2013, and the bag takes its name from the address of Louis Vuitton's first store on Rue Neuve-des-Capucines in Paris. It is a structured leather top-handle with a front flap carrying the LV initials, made for people who would rather not wear Monogram at all.

 

The MM is the classic, the Souple GM in rust is the slouchier version, and the Mini Capushell with mother of pearl is closer to jewellery than a bag. What I would skip is the larger sizes if you want a crossbody; the strap works best on the MM and below.

The Twist was first shown at Louis Vuitton's Cruise 2015 runway, and PurseBlog describes it as Nicolas Ghesquiere's reinterpretation of an archive clutch, the Epi Trapeze. Its signature is the LV lock that turns to close the flap, and it comes as the Twist Mini, PM, MM and a tote.

 

Epi leather is the classic finish, and the braided handle, chunky chain and raffia versions show how much the house plays with it. The One Handle PM in tan Taurillon is the one I would carry to dinner. What I would skip is the Twist if you need a bag that opens one-handed; the lock is part of the charm and also slower.

Softer shoulder bags are where Louis Vuitton relaxes. Mahina is perforated Monogram leather rather than printed canvas, and the Bella, Carmel, Hina and XL hobos show how soft it goes. The Loop, which Luxe Digital dates to 2022, is a half-moon baguette in the spirit of the old Looping, launched in 2002 and retired soon after, and the Croissant.

 

The Coussin, whose name is French for cushion, is puffy embossed lambskin, and the Artsy, Graceful and Very Hobo are the everyday versions. What I would skip is a soft hobo for a laptop; these are day bags, not commuters.

The small bags are the easiest way into the house. The Pochette Accessoires was first released in 1992 as a rectangular zipped pouch with a removable strap, and the Pochette Metis, introduced in 2012 as one of Marc Jacobs's last designs for the house, added a proper flap and a crossbody strap. The Micro Metis followed in 2022, and Sotheby's calls the Felicie Pochette the entry point to the house's crossbodies.

 

Here you get the classic Monogram Metis, the Damier mini Pochette Accessoires, the Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami collaborations, the Mini Dauphine and the New Wave Multi Pochette. The Trunks & Bags Pochette Mini, the Damier Azur Pochette Accessoires, the Empreinte Micro Metis and a red Epi Pochette add more small shapes in lighter and brighter finishes. What I would skip is a pochette as your only bag on a busy day; they hold a phone, cards and a lipstick, and that is all.

Nicolas Ghesquiere succeeded Marc Jacobs in 2014 and designed the Petite Malle, a small hard case modeled on the house's trunks, which Sotheby's calls the standout crossbody accessory of Fall/Winter 2014. It is the most literal link back to the trunkmaking history, with metal corners and a clasp.

 

The Damier and Monogram versions are the classics, the Souple is the softer take and the Trunkie carries the same idea into a canvas top-handle. What I would skip is the hard Petite Malle if you like to cram a bag full; the shell does not stretch.

Monogram Vernis was introduced in 1998 by Marc Jacobs, and it is patent leather embossed with the Monogram rather than printed canvas. The Cannes, Wynwood and Spring Street here are all Vernis, the latter two trimmed with canvas and Epi, and the red Alma BB shows the finish on a classic shape.

 

It reads glossy and a little Y2K, which is exactly why I like it with denim. What I would skip is pale Vernis bought pre-owned, because light patent can yellow and pick up colour transfer; the black and red ones age better.

Beyond the famous names, Louis Vuitton has decades of shapes that resale keeps alive. Epi leather, which the house launched in 1985, shows up on the Brea, and Damier, first created in 1888 and reintroduced in 1996 as Damier Ebene, is on the Westminster and the Riverside.

 

The Papillon is the barrel bag, the Cartouchiere the small cartridge crossbody, and the Pallas, Montaigne, Popincourt, Rivoli and Locky are the quieter top-handles. The Trouville in Monogram Multicolor and the Palm Springs backpack are the playful ones. What I would skip is chasing a discontinued shape for its name alone; buy the one whose proportions you would carry every week.

Choosing between Louis Vuitton bags is, for me, a question of shape before pattern. A Neverfull or OnTheGo makes the bag the largest block of colour in an outfit, a Speedy or Alma keeps everything neat, and a pochette or Petite Malle lets the bag be a small, deliberate accent.

 

The last four are the extra pre-owned finds I could not leave out: the Sprouse Roses Neverfull for anyone who loves the graffiti story, the Babylone tote, and the Damier Azur Galliera and Ebene Bloomsbury for Damier at a mid scale. Once the shape is settled, pick the finish you would want to see most days, whether that is Monogram, Damier, Epi, Empreinte or Vernis. One good bag carried often beats three that sit in the cupboard.