Why Drawstring Pouches Are Back in Pre-Fall 2025

Drawstring pouches are making quiet but notable appearances in several Pre-Fall 2025 collections. Their shape calls to mind the historical reticule — a compact bag once essential to women’s wardrobes before pockets became the norm. But these aren’t retro novelties. Today’s versions bring together soft silhouettes, rich embellishment, and contemporary styling, creating a canvas where historical references meet modern sensibility.

For embroidery artists, textile enthusiasts, and embellishment lovers, the return of this shape offers more than a passing trend — it’s a creative opportunity.

What Is a Reticule?

A reticule is a small, handheld drawstring pouch that became popular in the late 18th and 19th centuries. As women’s clothing moved toward fitted silhouettes, pockets disappeared — and the reticule stepped in to carry essentials.

These bags were often handmade using silk, velvet, or lace, and decorated with embroidery, tassels, or beadwork. Their compact format made them ideal for showcasing fine handwork — something that’s being re-explored today in designer collections.

Why Fashion Is Bringing It Back

Designers across Pre-Fall 2025 are reinterpreting the reticule shape in ways that feel thoughtful and relevant. Here’s why this silhouette is making a return:

• A return to softness and tactility: In contrast to the rigid structure of many modern bags, the drawstring pouch offers a relaxed shape and gathered surface that naturally highlights fabric and handwork. By Malene Birger shows pouches in ochre-toned fabric with floral appliqué — soft, unstructured, and textural.

• Heritage meets Boho: Etro leans into both Victoriana and folk traditions, showing velvet drawstring bags adorned with intricate beading, as well as a creamy leather version embellished with embroidery, wooden beads, and long fringe. These pieces nod to craft while feeling luxurious and contemporary.

• Surface design as statement: Valentino uses the pouch form as a canvas for striking embellishment. Their richly beaded floral pouch — coordinated with a printed sleeve — acts more like wearable embroidery than a basic accessory.

• New ways to wear: These bags are styled flexibly — not just as clutches. Gucci features coordinated pouch-and-scarf sets in bold prints, while Baum und Pferdgarten offers a modern, slouchy pouch worn low at the hips, pairing with casual denim.

• A small-scale canvas for creativity: The pouch format is ideal for artistic embellishment. It’s large enough to allow for storytelling and texture, but small enough to finish and use. Whether through embroidery, beading, patchwork, or goldwork — it’s a shape that supports experimentation.

Spotting Drawstring Pouches in Pre-Fall 2025

Several standout examples from current collections reinforce the trend:

• Etro shows two distinct versions: one in deep velvet with beaded floral motifs; another in light leather, decorated with embroidery, wooden bead fringe, and charm-like key details. Both highlight craftsmanship and layering.

• Valentino pairs a floral-embroidered dress with a beaded pouch that echoes the sleeve motif — turning accessory and garment into a cohesive surface design.

• By Malene Birger offers a yellowish drawstring pouch with bold, folk-inspired floral appliqué. Styled both by hand and as a belt bag, it shows how this shape blends softness with versatility.

• Gucci presents drawstring bags in printed satin, styled alongside matching headscarves and garments — offering a maximalist take on textile coordination.

• Baum und Pferdgarten finishes a denim look with a black-and-pink printed pouch worn around the waist, giving the format an updated, urban slant.

These looks don’t necessarily label the bags as “reticules,” but the influences are clear: soft gathers, visible drawstrings, floral decoration, and a sense of ornament that’s at once familiar and unexpected.

Why It Matters for Embroidery and Textile Enthusiasts

This trend is tailor-made for people working with embellishment. The pouch offers:

• A manageable project size

• High-impact surface area

• Compatibility with both historical and experimental techniques

• Clear function, but expressive possibilities

It’s not just a decorative object — it can be part of everyday wardrobes. Whether styled with flowing dresses or denim, this shape adapts.

For those interested in reviving or adapting heritage techniques, this is fertile ground: tambour embroidery, couching, goldwork, or even patchwork all sit naturally on this form. And for artists pushing into fashion, it’s a format where craftsmanship doesn’t get lost.

Drawstring pouches are re-emerging not as nostalgic novelties, but as meaningful accessories that invite texture, detail, and personal expression. In a season defined by softer silhouettes and richer surfaces, they offer a unique opportunity: to reimagine a historical shape as something completely current.

For those of us who live and work with textiles, it’s the kind of comeback worth noticing.