There were several strong trends in handbag styles and materials for 2011. Minibags, structured shapes, bucket bags and the use of tassels and fringe were the predominant style features for handbags. Materials used in that year included natural leather, skins, lace and tribal designs.

There was a trend toward smaller bags in 2011. This trend was most readily apparent in the minibags presented that year. These bags were very small; they only had enough room for a lipstick and a house key. This size is typical for evening bags. However, these minibags were designed for day wear. Chanel included a number of minibags in its collections in 2011. There also was a trend toward structured bags in all sizes. Envelopes, clutches and messenger bags were examples of this structured look. Diane von Furstenberg included many clutches in her collections for 2011.

However, less structured bags were also present, including the popular bucket bag. Marc Jacobs introduced several of these bucket bags with plaid designs. The use of tassels was a hot style element in 2011. Burberry showed oversized tassels on their handbags. Fringe was an additional style choice, especially when made in a bright color. Dior and Versace included brightly colored fringe bags in their 2011 collections.

Bright colors were in style in 2011 handbags, particularly reds and yellows. Chartreuse was another popular color that year. Color blocking and bold stripes accented all colors of natural leather handbags. Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs presented color blocked handbags in many different colors.

Skins were very popular material choices in 2011. Python was the most featured skin. Dior presented a slouchy python bag in pink. Louis Vuitton included a structured python minibag in its collection. Gucci featured a structured bag made of python in bright yellow. Chloe incorporated several trends in a structured python bag with fringe. Other skins were used as well. Fendi used snakeskin. Gucci and Armani featured crocodile skin. Black and white cowhide was used by Emilio Pucci.

Lace was an important material in 2011. Tommy Hilfiger featured lace in several bags. Tribal prints were also popular. Donna Karan included many tribal print bags in her 2011 spring collection.

Structure and the trend toward smaller bags were the main style message of the handbags of 2011. The major material news in that year was the use of python and color blocked natural leather. These trends enabled the creation of some beautiful handbags in 2011.