Like so many of you, I have fallen back in love with Chanel.
Matthieu Blazy has stuck the prefect balance between finding inspiration in the archives while being playful and experimenting with new trends.
It feels likes just about everyone can find something that will be the prefect match.
This is Blazy’s first few collections is something I highly suggest you shop if you can. But lets also be real–
Chanel is still expensive and a lot of these items gone before they even hit the shelf.
If you are searching for Chanel pieces that feel on trend for this year, but won’t break the bank, I’ve got you.
In this blog, I will detail for you 5 preloved options you can get that feel on trend for 2026.
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Table of Content
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Shop on trend vintage Chanel at The RealReal now
Style Halmarks
Blazy’s inaugural collection feels comfortable with large, relaxed styles and highlights textures and textiles that are familiar to the brand.
While the traditional matelassé diamond quilting is present in this collection, we see chevron quilting, smooth suede, jersey, grained leather and mock croc take center stage.
We also see a lot of vibrant colors, such as pastels; bubble gum pinks, minty greens and lilacs and rich earth tones–think browns, burgundy, navy that all feel true to the brands core.
I’m also seeing lots of chains, medallions and tassels which is so 90’s coded to me that it made me feel like a little girl looking through my mother’s closet ready to play dress up.
While there are plenty of fun whimsical pieces in his first collections (I’m over the MOON to have the Nemo clutch), the over all vibe feels very late 80’s-90’s before Chanel locked in on it’s signature style with the Classic flap.
Digging deep into the archives here feels so fresh and appropriate and reflective of the utilitarian trend that we are in.
Why Shop Second Hand
When the inspiration runs deep into the archive, it becomes easy to shop pre-loved styles!
These pieces are selling fast and many are hard to get a hold of.
And let’s be honest–while the styles may be inspirited by the early years of Chanel, the prices are not.
With many of the popular bags starting in the $7,000’s, these prices are prohibitive for many Chanel lovers.
By shopping preloved, you can purchase similar styles for half the price price (if not, saving more).
As of right now, there are a lot of pre loved styles available on trusted market places such as TheRealReal, Fashionphile and eBay that offer authentication services and a wide verity of vintage and fun styles.
Shop on trend pre love Chanel styles like this bag here!
Do’s and Don’ts of Shopping Pre Loved
I wanted to add this section because so many of you still ask me about my quick tips for shopping second hand.
While you can save a TON shopping this way and it’s generally more environmentally friendly, when you’re shopping luxury pieces, it still a lot of money being spent. So we want to make sure we’re getting the best value for our buck.
Here’s how I do it
Do’s
- Do your research. Have a good idea of what it is you’re looking for and what the price range can be. Compare different sites for prices as well as item condition
- Do audit your closet to know what gap needs to be filled. It’s easy to fall into a shopping trap when buying preloved because ‘you’re saving so much’. Use your closet audit to help you stick to your shopping plan.
- Do read and re read store policies on returns, guarantees, authentication processes, shipping and product conditions. Every store is different in how they handle these and you want to make sure you’re comfortable with the policies you’re purchasing under
- Do your own personal third party authentication, especially if you’re new to luxury or pre love shopping. Many larger companies like The Real Real, eBay and Fashionphile do a great job authenticating items on their own. But for your own peace of mind getting an outside opinion is worth it.
- Do screenshot listing description and photos. And it doesn’t hurt to film unboxing your item either. On the off chance that the item you bought arrives not looking like described this is evidence you have now to return it free of charge.
- Bonus: Do purchase with a credit card or with through PayPal with buyers protection. On the off chance that things go very wrong, many credit card companies offer purchase protection and will reimburse you so you’re not out of your money.
Don’t
- Don’t shop with sites that offer zero authentication services or zero authentic guarantees. If a site has a authentication minimum (like Postmark) and an item is sitting just below that bench mark, it’s likely a fake.
- Don’t just buy the first item you see that matches what you’re searching for. Take a little time to see if you can compassion shop. You can save hundreds by doing this.
- Don’t click purchase without truly looking through all the list photos and understanding the condition of the product. Some items are more ‘loved’ and warn in than others. And if you’re not looking for a repair project, you’re probably not going to be happy with and item in need of a lot of TLC
- Don’t be embarrassed to ask for more listing photos if possible. You can make a better shopping decision with more information.
- Don’t let FOMO steer your pre-love shopping experience. Especially with older pieces, it can easily feel like you have to purchase this item right now or else it will get away. But this is a stressful way to shop and can lead to you being duped. Stick to your shopping plan, look at all your comparable options and buy what works best for your lifestyle.
Reissues
The original 2.55, designed by Coco herself in February of 1955 has always been a House staple.
Lately, it’s been seeing a resurgence in popularity with its understated and utilitarian focused design.
Blazy really honed in on the distressed nature of a lot of the Reissues and how they look destressed and well loved at the same time.
I think this is my favorite aspect of reissues because it makes them feel a bit more causal and youthful while also be very easy to travel with and a bit more carefree to use.
Some of the Reissue styles from Blaze’s collection are selling at retail starting at $10,000. But you can buy an authentic vintage reissue for under $1,200 right now on TRR and get the authentic look for literally a fraction of the price.
I’ve listed some of my favorites below.
Shop these bags and other Reissue styles on The RealReal
Chanel Maxi’s
Ever since getting this Chanel Airport travel maxi flap, I have become obsessed with oversized bags.
While not great for my shoulders, these bags hold everything I need as a mother and as a worker.
I think I will always prefer to have a mini bag, but the trend pendulum has definitely swung towards larger pieces as people head back into offices and spend more and more of their time outside and traveling.
There’s the Classic Maxi flap styles from Chanel that Blazy’s collection offers, a long with tons of totes and over sized bowling bags that would be any fashion lover’s dream.
But again, many of these bags took inspiration from older pieces, so shopping second hand is easy. Here are some options that I found. If I could buy these all up, I would!
Check out oversized and maxi styles on Fashionphile and TRR
Timeless CC
The interlocking ‘CC’ designed by Karl Largerfeild became a timeless motif for the House.
You know you’re stepping onto another level of luxury when you make a purchase from this brand.
Blazy pays homage to this by bring back the Timeless CC and Cambon stylings to the bags.
While this style has seemed dated to me a few times before, it has defiantly grown on me. And even before this new Blazy era, I have been considering some pieces with this signature look.
Because these styles are just now regaining popularity again, you can find pre loved pieces for way below standard luxury prices. I have left some of my favorites below for you to look at!
Shop Timeless Chanel styles on Fashionphile here
Find this exact Chanel 19 on Fashionphile here!
Denim Bags
Denim hand bags have been a huge trend for the past few years and will likely continue to trend for a little while longer.
I have been loving my vintage denim bag from Louis Vuitton and recently purchased a denim Chanel 19 from Fashionphile.
Blazy has since contributed to the denim frenzy by giving us large, maxi, floppy flap bags, smaller east west shopping totes and larger denim beach bags.
I think these are all cute, but honestly I think I think some of the older pieces are more stylish as well as more affordable!
The Chanel 19 in denim being a great example.
The Chanel 19 in general is trending downwards as we move away from pillowy styles. But with its already soft and mushy structure, it give a very similar vibe to the new Blazy era maxi denim bags– for half the price.
Check out the pieces I have found for you down below!
Shop Chanel denim bags on Fashionphile here
East /West Styles
Lastly I wanted to talk about east/west styles as they have really been popularized in recent years.
Like denim, east west styles exist on a cyclical timeline and will always come back in fashion.
Making an investment into a nice elongated handbag for true fashionistas is a great idea, especially if you bought pre loved at a good price point, as it will give you a timeless fashion staple for your wardrobe.
In this current Chanel era we see a lot of elegant as well as fun and more whimsical east/west style bags and clutches.
These pieces are gorgeous! But if you’re looking to mimic these with vintage and pre loved options, I have listed some options down below.
Check out East West styles on The RealReal today
Final Thoughts
Buying Chanel second hand is a great way to go if you’re looking to start or add to your collection without breaking the bank.
While Blazy has many whimsical styles, he has also reached back deep into the archives which allows for vintage pieces to really shine again.
At this moment, many of these vintage styles are “affordably” priced for ultra luxury pieces, ranging from $1,000-$3,000. Thought with how popular a lot of these pieces are becoming, they may be selling out soon.
Are you searching for a second hand Chanel handbag to purchase? Or are you going to try to get your hands on one of the new Matthieu Blazy bags? I would love to know!
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