Straw bags: What are the prices?
Every summer, an array of basket-themed bags hit the market. Fashion magazines, websites and blogs invariably publish a variation on the straw bags of the season. Some are large and have the size of a tote for the beach, barbecues and trips to the farmer's market. Others are smaller and are meant to complete a casual summer ensemble, either as a clutch or as a handbag. Ironically, the demise of Jane Birkin's straw tote in the first category led to the creation of the infamous Hermès Birkin . The late Kate Spade was a master in the second category. The thing is, these bags are ubiquitous and a summer staple.
With all the talk about the Hermès Osier Picnic Kelly , we thought: is it a good idea to buy an expensive straw, wicker or raffia bag for the summer?
A tisket, a tasket (an old nursery rhyme turned into a song by Ella Fitzgerald), no matter what color your basket is, we wondered the difference between straw, wicker and raffia. The terms seem to be used interchangeably or at the very least the bags are put in the same category. Here's what our online dictionary had to say on the matter:
What are the differences between wicker, straw and raffia bags
Wicker bags
Flexible twigs, usually of willow, braided or woven into articles such as furniture and baskets.
Straw bags
Dried stems of cereals, used in particular as fodder or as material for thatch, packaging or weaving.
Raffia bags
The fiber from raffia leaves, used to make items such as hats, baskets and mats.
Maybe we should just call them plant fibers that can be woven into baskets. Or straw. Or wicker. Or raffia. We will ignore rattan in this article.
What are the different price ranges?
These handbags are also available at all price points, from very inexpensive ( Tendance Rond offers structured tote bags and handbags at around 30 euros) to extremely expensive, such as the Osier Picnic from Hermès (above). In case you're interested, the Teal Picnic Kelly just fetched $75,000 at Christie's NYC online auction. Of course, you don't have to spend such a sum. There is a happy medium between $100 and $500. But what intrigued us was the high end, with four-figure amounts.
Initially, we thought the more structured the bag , the more expensive it was. Surely it must be easier to make a simple bag with a handle than to produce a rigid lined bag. This trendy round bag (which, to be honest, some of us are considering buying) seems to disprove that theory.
On the other hand, on the la redoute website, there is a price difference: a raffia and sequin clutch sells for 95 euros while a market straw shopping bag costs around 50 euros. All of these bags have leather trim and/or handles, by the way. It's up to you to decide if the difference is significant.
From (some) of our experiences with the straw/rattan/raffia family in bags and other products like baskets, sturdiness and longevity have not been strong points. In other words, these bags are often single-season delights. Which brings us back to the original question:
Is it worth spending a lot of money on a wicker/straw/raffia designer bag?
It depends. The Hermès Osier Picnic bag (and the other bags in the Hermès Picnic series) took our breath away and truly seems like an expertly crafted product. The fact that these bags are selling for more than the current retail price shows that someone likes them. They're also in the five-figure price category...more than most of the other bags we'll consider.
For label lovers, there is always the allure of the brand name. Although we like to get a bargain at Tendance-Rond , carrying Chanel, Balenciaga, Fendi, Gucci and other bags is always a pleasure. In a way, it elevates an outfit. So to the question asked above, you are the only ones who can decide.