The New York Knicks are making history right now—they’ve made it to the NBA finals for the first time since 1999. But while most people’s eyes were glued to the court on Thursday when they went head-to-head with the Cleveland Cavaliers, mine were glued to Taylor Swift. The singer has the ability to turn every event into a fashion runway, including this historic game. She kept it casual in baggy jeans and a Stella McCartney x HM tank top, but it was her bag that put the outfit over the top. This silhouette is going to rule the summer—and the rest of the year, if my fashion prescience holds up. Here’s why.
Taylor Swift Wears Summer’s It Bag Trend—and We Called It Back in January
The Birkin cannot compare
Published May 27, 2026
•1:40pm
Aaron Josefczyk/Shutterstock
Aaron Josefczyk/Shutterstock
Swift was photographed carrying Dior’s Cigale handbag. The style is creative director Jonathan Anderson’s debut design for the house, which he introduced in the SS26 show last year. It draws inspiration from a 1952 Christian Dior dress, down to the dainty bow. The Cigale dangles from a strap anchored to the purse by two rivets, one of which cheekily serves as the “o” in the brand’s logo. The “Love Story” singer joins a long line of celebrity fans, including Jennifer Lawrence, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Jisoo and Greta Lee, who have been photographed with the bag in varying sizes and colors.
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Back in January, PureWow Senior Commerce Editor Stephanie Maida sang the praises of the undone belt bag, writing, “Clean Girl," "Quiet Luxury," "Demure"—the past few years in fashion and beauty have been dominated by a sort of pursed-lip push for polish and perfection. But one can only hold their breath and sit up straight for so long. In 2026, we're experiencing a collective exhale—and the unbuckling of all our belts.” She cited Fendi, Loewe and Tory Burch, among other designers, who sent bags down the runways unbuckled and unzipped, slouchingly declaring that they had important places to go and people to see.
Dior’s Cigale bag is very much undone in aesthetic, but, crucially, it’s beltless. I’m interpreting this as a natural evolution away from belted bags in general. After years of hype around the Hermès Birkin, there’s a real sense of fatigue around the general design that, though rare itself, has spawned innumerable, verisimilitudinous pastiches (and crude knock-offs). It’s inescapable. If you don’t have one, you’re looking at a picture of one on the internet, or at a photo of it printed on a canvas bag. It’s now too mainstream. On the other hand, the Cigale is quiet. The simple silhouette is elegant; it conveys that the designer is aware of the trends but isn’t seeking to replicate them. Instead, Anderson offers an interpretation that feels distinct. Now that the biggest pop star on earth has given it her stamp of approval, I can only expect we’ll see more of these undone little numbers.
