Now's The Time To Buy This Legendary Y2K Handbag Secondhand

You can never really kill a trend, you can only stifle it down until it comes bubbling back up some dozen years later. I often use the pendulum as an apt descriptor for fashion’s fickle moods: One minute, it’s all minimalism and clean lines, and the next, it’s as Y2Chaotic as it gets. A mid-aughts handbag is returning this fall, setting off another swing towards nostalgia. The Chloé Paddington will be rereleased after twenty years of beauty rest, but before they sell out instantly when the Fall/Winter 2025 collection ships, consider shopping secondhand.

The genius of Chemena Kamali was on full display at Paris Fashion Week in February, as stars shuffled in on cork wedges and jelly kitten heels to see the Paddington make its runway reemergence as part of Kamali’s genius revival. Those born before the turn of the century will recognize the slouchy rectangle shape, elongated handles, and signature padlock charm, which could be spotted on everyone from Lindsay Lohan to Mischa Barton some twenty-odd years ago.

Now that fashion is perpetually stuck in self-referencing, it’s never been easier or more relevant to shop secondhand. A vintage Chloé Paddington bag is the natural next step, and a spokesperson from Vestiaire Collective confirmed that “searches for the Paddington rose by 19 percent month-over-month in June.” Indeed, the amount of times friends texted me to confirm if I liked one of their wish-listed secondhand Paddingtons also rose 19 percent month-over-month in June. People are eager to get in on the ground before the style is truly everywhere, and get it in a color many might not have (I’d suggest looking at the tan, white, and gray styles).

Rebag’s Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Layne says that while Chloé’s Marcie bag is still the most popular (beloved by yoga moms everywhere), there was a “four-times increase in search volume for Chloé bags month over month” after the runway show. “This early 2000s icon clearly struck a nostalgic chord with shoppers. The runway buzz reignited interest in vintage silhouettes and rare archive pieces.” She also confirmed other brand’s staples from fashion’s current fixation era are trending, like the Balenciaga City (duh), Fendi Baguette, and the Dior Saddle.

In the interest of striking out on a different path, yes, consider the Paddington, but also dig deeper into Chloé’s handbag history and search for other winners like the Kerala, which comes in a capacious tote size, and the Silverado, a cousin to the Paddington with extra on-trend studs. Miss Paddington will definitely be here to stay — see Rachel Sennott and Kim Petras as early re-adopters — but isn’t it fun to be a bit ahead of the curve sometimes?