Staud Shirley bag

See-through plastic accessories were a huge summer trend, from Chanel’s SS/18 plastic-covered runway to ‘invisible’ plastic shoes. Endorsed by editors and influencers all over Instagram over the last few months, Staud’s Shirley bag is the transparent trend’s poster girl, and now one of the world’s hottest products. The Shirley is made from clear PVC, with croc-effect leather top handles and a coordinating removable pouch. Coming in a several colors, you can choose from the minimalistic white-on-white pairing, tan black or the more coloful aqua blue or soft-pink design.

This isn’t the first Staud it-bag, the Bissett and the netted Moreau were also cult Insta-hits for the brand. But with a reasonable $200 price tag, the Shirley was quick to sell out everywhere and waitlists for the cult bag continue to grow as street-style stars like Lisa Aiken and Eva Chen are still spotted with it on their arm.

A modern day sucess story, Staud was founded in 2015 in LA by Sarah Sarah Staudinger and her partner, George Augusto. The idea was to fill a gap in the market for “a high-end aesthetic at an accessible price point”. The label strives to create vintage-inspired pieces that you will actually be able to wear season after season, rather than purchasing something to tick off a particular trend. With all manufacturing still all based in-house in LA, the brand hasn’t strayed too far from its roots.

Search #staud on Instagram and you’ll find over 6,000 posts dedicated to the young brand. Following in the footsteps of the competitively-priced Mansur Gavriel, Staud has carved out a niche with its distinctive aesthetic, an accessible price point and a powerful Instagram presence. Part of the new wave of ‘Instagram brands’, it’s rapid growth has come from increased consumer demand for the unique and hard-to-find. Other than at its own online shop, Staud is stocked by retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Matches Fashion and Farfetch.

As suited to fall as it is summer, we spotted the Shirley throughout fashion week, looking just as good paired with checked coats and chunky knits as it did with Levi shorts and strappy camis.