Womenswear
Formal British-Made Women's Bags and Satchels — Voted by the Community
This directory lists 13 brands that make formal women's bags in the UK. They are most often based in London. Prices run from premium to luxury. Ranked by community upvotes.
Ettinger
Ettinger is a British luxury leather goods brand founded in 1934, family-owned and manufacturing handcrafted products in the UK with a Royal Warrant from HRH the Prince of Wales.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Shop to visit- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Swaine
Swaine is a British heritage brand established in 1750, renowned for handcrafted luxury leather goods and accessories, serving royalty and discerning clients for centuries.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Shop to visit- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
See these brands on the map29 places from 13 brands, 20 of them shops you can visit.Open the map
Kinloch Anderson
Kinloch Anderson is a prestigious Scottish textile company founded in 1868 by William Anderson in Edinburgh, specialising in kilts, tartans, and Highland dress.
- Formal
- Heritage
- Highland
Shop to visit- Formal
- Heritage
- Highland
Ednerat
Ednerat designs and makes women's coats, clothing and accessories. Everything we offer is made by hand in the British Isles. We champion our makers and use British textiles and materials in everything we can.
- Bridal
- Casual
- Classic
Shop to visit- Bridal
- Casual
- Classic
Phoebe English
Clothing made in England attempting a variety of solutions towards less extractive fashion systems. Est 2011.
- Bridal
- Casual
- Classic
Shop to visit- Bridal
- Casual
- Classic
Vivien Of Holloway
Vivien of Holloway offers stunning 1940s and 1950s dresses and separates with authentic vintage charm.
- Classic
- Colourful
- Formal
- Classic
- Colourful
- Formal
Deni-Deni
Deni-Deni is considered one of the finest sampling and manufacturing houses in the country, serving the fashion and interiors market. Preserving the legacy of British craftsmanship, its founder, Denise Pearson, offers bespoke training.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
McRostie of Glasgow
McRostie of Glasgow crafts handmade leather goods in Scotland, maintaining exacting standards since 1887. Each piece is made using traditional craftsmanship and the finest British materials.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Pickett London
Pickett London, founded in 1988 by Trevor Pickett, is a British brand known for handmade luxury leather goods crafted in England with artisanal expertise.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Shop to visit- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Gordon Nicolson
Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers create authentic handmade kilts rooted in Scottish craftsmanship, supported by their Edinburgh Kiltmakers Academy since 2009.
- Formal
- Heritage
- Highland
Shop to visit- Formal
- Heritage
- Highland
Gina
Gina is a British luxury footwear brand founded in London in 1954, known for handmade shoes, sandals, boots and handbags.
- Bridal
- Contemporary
- Formal
Shop to visit- Bridal
- Contemporary
- Formal
Church’s
Church’s is a British footwear brand founded in 1873 by Thomas Church, known for its traditional shoemaking, expert craftsmanship, and timeless designs made in Northampton.
- Classic
- Formal
Factory shop- Classic
- Formal
Holland Cooper
Holland Cooper is a luxury British fashion brand known for timeless style, expert craftsmanship, and contemporary design.
- Casual
- Contemporary
- Country
Shop to visit- Casual
- Contemporary
- Country
Shops run by brands that make formal women's bags
10 of the 13 brands that make formal women's bags have a shop you can visit: 6 in London, others in Edinburgh, Abergavenny, Bicester and 3 other towns.
Church’s, Ettinger, Gina, Phoebe English, Pickett London, Swaine
Abergavenny
Bicester
Cheltenham
Church’sfactory shop
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St Andrews
This independent directory lists UK-made clothing brands, and marks those that make only some items here.Why choose British-made?
A Brief History of British Made Bags
From about 1650 until the late nineteenth century, many women carried their belongings in tie-on pockets: separate pouches tied round the waist under the skirt and reached through openings in the dress. In the 1790s, slimmer dresses with fewer petticoats made these pockets awkward, and many women began carrying small drawstring bags instead. Known as reticules or indispensables, they held a purse, smelling salts and a handkerchief, and were often made and decorated at home. The word handbag first meant hand luggage, usually carried by men when travelling. In the later nineteenth century the leather travelling bag, with its metal fastenings, inside compartments, ticket pockets and sturdy handle, inspired a new handbag for women, the forerunner of the twentieth-century handbag. Some British saddlers and harness makers turned to bags as well. In Walsall, the centre of the saddlery trade, some firms were making travelling bags and other light leather goods from the 1870s, and turned more of their work to them as motor vehicles replaced horses after 1900. British-made women's bags today draw on this background of leatherwork and accessory making.