The Chloé Guide: The Paddington, the Marcie, the Boots and How Chloé Fits

Chloé is the Paris house Gaby Aghion founded in 1952 as one of the first luxury ready-to-wear labels, and its best buys are still the pieces it has refined for decades: a padlocked Paddington or a round Marcie bag, a pair of its boots, and a fluid silk blouse. If you buy one piece of Chloé, make it a Paddington in grained leather. Phoebe Philo designed it for spring 2005, and Chemena Kamali, creative director since 2023, brought it back, lighter, in 2025. Below: the history and what Kamali has changed, the Paddington, Marcie, Bracelet hobo and Spin bags, the boots, blouses, dresses and capes, how Chloé sizes convert to US sizes, and whether Chloé is worth it.

Chloé at a glance

A short history of Chloé, from the Café de Flore to Kamali

Gaby Aghion was born Gabriella Hanoka in Alexandria, Egypt, moved to Paris with her husband in 1945, and designed her first Chloé collection in 1952. Chloé's own history of the house describes it as one of the first luxury ready-to-wear houses, an alternative to the stiff formality of couture. Its first runway show, for spring-summer 1958, was held in 1957 at the Café de Flore, and until the mid-1960s the house kept showing in Left Bank cafés. From 1958 until 1987 the names of Chloé's garments followed the alphabet, a habit Clare Waight Keller brought back for accessories in 2012.

The house's signatures arrived early. The silk blouse came in the early 1960s and, by Chloé's account, became an essential part of the wardrobe. Karl Lagerfeld joined in 1964, designed the hand-painted Tertulia dress for spring-summer 1966 and was the house's sole designer from 1974, the decade of soft silk dresses with lace inserts and of the cape, which the house history says was reinterpreted again and again through those years. The first boutique opened on the rue du Bac in 1972, and the first fragrance followed in 1975.

Then came a run of designers whose names still matter when you shop vintage Chloé. Lagerfeld returned in 1992. Stella McCartney took over in 1997, at 25 the house's youngest-ever recruit. Phoebe Philo succeeded her in 2001 and delivered the Paddington for spring 2005, which Chloé calls the fashion industry's very first "It bag"; wedges followed in 2006, and the house launched its sister line, See by Chloé, during that decade. Hannah MacGibbon was named in 2008 after Paulo Melim Andersson's brief tenure, and the Marcie arrived in 2010. Clare Waight Keller, from 2011, added the Drew and the Faye bags. Natacha Ramsay-Levi followed in 2017 and Gabriela Hearst in 2020.

Chloé under Chemena Kamali: what has changed

Kamali knows the house from the inside. Born in Germany in 1981, she took her master's in fashion at Central Saint Martins, began her career at Chloé on Phoebe Philo's team, came back in 2012 as Clare Waight Keller's design director, and from 2016 was women's ready-to-wear design director for Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, according to Chloé's profile of its creative director. Her first collection was shown in Paris in February 2024, and the Bracelet hobo, a slouchy crescent with a removable metal ring for a handle, was part of that first season's bags, Daily Front Row reported.

The bigger move came a year later. For fall 2025 she brought back the Paddington, with Alexa Chung carrying it on the runway, and kept the silhouette while lightening the padlock and hardware, adding a zip and giving it a roomier shoulder drop, Marie Claire reported; the new bag went on sale in September 2025 in small and medium sizes. Her spring 2027 collection, "Obsession," was shown on October 1, 2026, in the gardens of the Paris Observatory, with embroidery, shiny vinyl, ethereal dresses and bright waxed jackets, a collection designed to "explore the archetypes of Chloé, never the stereotypes," FashionUnited reported. Trade reports have speculated that she may leave. Chloé gave no sign of a change at the show, and as of October 19, 2026, neither Chloé nor its owner, Richemont, had announced one. For the eyelet and lace of that show and how to wear them, see our Paris Fashion Week spring 2027 report.

For shoppers, that means two things. The archive is back in stores, from the Paddington to the capes and the lace-trimmed silk, so a classic bought now is also current. And the new leather goods lean soft and slouchy, often in aniline or semi-aniline leather finished to show its grain, which marks more readily than a coated leather.

Chloé bags: which one to buy first

Decide how you will carry the bag before you choose the line. The measurements below come from Chloé's own listings.

The Chloé Paddington: what changed, and which size to buy

The current Paddington is the 2005 shape in grained buffalo leather, with the oversized padlock on the front, C-shaped buckles and, new to this version, a single zip across the top. Chloé's listing notes that it is lighter than the original. Three sizes do different jobs:

• The medium measures 14.2 by 7.1 by 7.1 inches with an 8.3-inch handle drop. That drop sits well on the shoulder over a blouse or a fine knit; over a winter coat it gets tight, so carry it in the hand or the crook of the arm from December.
• The small is 10.2 inches wide with a 7.1-inch handle drop. It is a hand-carried bag, for a phone, a card case and keys. The version with a strap is the one to choose if you want the small size and your hands free.
• The crossbody is 11.4 inches wide on an adjustable strap with a drop of 13.8 to 19.7 inches, which puts the bag at the hip on most people rather than at the thigh.

Color decides how long you will carry it. Black and the deep red-brown Chloé calls Crafty Brown work year-round, by day and at night. The cognac suede is the softest-looking version and the most delicate, so keep it for dry days. Sage, red and the ivory shearling crossbody are the playful choices, better as a second Chloé bag than a first. Demand has always run hot: Marie Claire recalled Vogue's report that all 8,000 Paddingtons made for spring 2005 were spoken for before they reached stores. For how the Paddington compares with crossbody bags from other houses, see our crossbody bag guide, or browse designer shoulder bags.

The Marcie: Chloé's everyday bag

Chloé introduced the Marcie in 2010 as a day bag with a round, soft shape, and it is the easiest Chloé bag to live with. The curved, stitched front panel and the leather tassel identify it from across a room without a logo. The grained Marcies are semi-aniline calfskin, which Chloé finishes lightly so the grain shows; the leather softens with use rather than staying pristine, which is the point.

• The Marcie, the largest, is 14.2 by 11 by 4.7 inches with a removable strap, a carryall for a full workday.
• The small Marcie, 11.8 by 9 by 3.5 inches, closes with a zip and goes from hand to crossbody on its strap; for most people it is the right size.
• The saddle bag, 9.3 by 8.7 by 3.1 inches, closes with a tassel and hangs from an adjustable strap with a 17.7- to 21.7-inch drop. It is the Chloé bag we would buy for travel.

The velvet Marcie Foulard hobo with studs is a party piece for this season; the grained-leather Marcies in red-brown, green or gray are the ones that last.

Kamali's bags: the Bracelet hobo and the Chloé Banana

The Bracelet hobo is the bag of the Kamali era. The small one measures 12.6 by 5.5 by 3.9 inches; its metal ring handle has a 7.9-inch drop, so you carry it on the wrist or in the hand, and the removable strap, with a drop of 19.7 to 23.6 inches, turns it into a shoulder bag. The grained-calfskin version is pure aniline leather, the least protected finish there is; expect it to crease and mark, and buy it if you like a bag that looks lived in. The mini, 8.3 inches wide, takes a phone and a card case and works as an evening bag.

The Chloé Banana zipped hobo is the slimmer, sleeker option: nappa lambskin, 12.2 inches wide and about an inch deep, with a short handle and a long strap. Because it is so flat it sits close under a coat, which makes it the better choice of the two for a winter evening.

The Chloé Spin tote

The Spin is Chloé's simplest leather bag and the way into the house's leather at the lower end of its prices, with the small and medium in grained leather both under $2,000. It is shiny grained cowhide, cut as a tall tote with a dangling chain and charms. Chloé makes it unlined and says so on the listing, warning that the inside may show veins or scratches; it also means small things sink, so keep keys and cards in a pouch. The medium is 10.6 inches wide and 11.8 tall with a 9.1-inch handle drop, comfortable on the shoulder. The small, 7.1 inches wide, adds a magnetic closure and a long strap with a drop of up to 25.6 inches, so it can go crossbody. The suede and shearling versions are fall pleasures; the grained leather is the one to keep.

Chloé boots: the Dakota, the Susanna and the rest

Chloé boots are the house's most practical buy, and its listings give the heel height and a fit note for each pair:

• The Dakota is a biker-inspired boot set on a rubber sole, with a stacked heel of about 2.4 inches and gold Paddington buckles on the black knee-high. It comes as an ankle boot and a knee-high, and Chloé marks it true to size.
• The Susanna, the studded and buckled ankle boot, sits on a 1.6-inch heel and closes with a zip. Chloé notes that it runs small and advises taking the larger size if you are between two.
• The Eve is a thigh-high on a 3.3-inch heel, and the Anouk a knee-high on the same heel height; the Azelan has a lower, 2.6-inch heel and a pointed toe. All three are slip-on and marked true to size.
• The Maxime wedge ankle boot stands on a 3.1-inch wedge and zips. Wedges have been part of Chloé's footwear since the house introduced them in 2006.

A fitting point: a slip-on knee-high has no zip, so it has to pass over your instep and calf. If either is high, choose a zip style or try the pair on with the socks you will wear. Our stylists build Chloé boots into outfits like these:

• Dark brown suede Dakota ankle boots with ecru jeans, a cream knit and a red-brown Paddington.
• Black Susanna boots with black flared wool trousers, an ivory silk blouse and a black Marcie saddle bag.
• Chestnut Azelan boots with a cream knit midi dress and an olive cotton cape coat.
• Crimson Susannas with gray flannel trousers and a white shirt.

For how these compare with other houses' pairs, see our guide to the best fall boots, or browse knee-high boots.

The Chloé blouse, and how to wear it now

The silk blouse has been part of Chloé since the early 1960s: a collar or a ruffle at the neck, full sleeves gathered into a cuff, often a panel of lace. Chloé's listings say whether each blouse is cut "fluid" or "fitted," and that the model, 5 feet 10 inches tall, wears a size 36 sample. Fitted styles tuck cleanly into a high waist; fluid ones look best worn loose over slim trousers or half-tucked into a full skirt. Full sleeves bunch inside a slim coat sleeve, so pair them with a cape, a cape coat or a coat with a wide armhole. Chloé's care notes for its silk blouses ask you not to wash them and to use a professional cleaner instead.

• An ivory puff-sleeve blouse with black wool trousers and black Susanna boots.
• A black high-neck lace blouse with ivory wide-leg trousers and a gray Marcie.
• A blush tie-front blouse tucked into gray flannel trousers, with a gray cape cardigan over the shoulders.
• A ruffled ivory georgette blouse under a navy blazer with white jeans.

Browse every brand's designer blouses for more.

Chloé dresses for the party season

The Chloé dress descends from Lagerfeld's soft silk dresses of the 1970s with their lace inserts. Today that means slip dresses in crêpe de chine edged with lace, a column dress in washed silk satin, a ruffled mousseline mini and, for a sharper look, a black taffeta mini with long sleeves. A lace-trimmed slip is a summer dress in November unless you layer it: add sheer tights, knee-high boots and a fine knit or a cape over the shoulders. The long black slip in our edit takes those layers most easily; the pastels stay summery under anything lighter than a heavy knit. The ruffled mousseline mini is the one-season pleasure here.

• A lilac crêpe de chine slip dress with a gray cape cardigan and chocolate thigh-high boots.
• A long-sleeve black taffeta mini with black Anouk boots and a tulip-red small Paddington.
• A peach lace-trimmed long dress with ivory satin slingbacks and a small gold minaudière.

For more ideas for December evenings, see our holiday party outfit guide.

Capes, a Chloé code since the 1970s

Chloé's history calls the 1970s an ode to the cape: light silk in summer, soft wool in winter. This season's version to know is the Chloé Paddington cape, one size, in virgin wool trimmed with leather and fastened by a leather tab with a gold-tone buckle inspired by the bag. Wear it over a blouse or a fine knit rather than a chunky sweater, which bunches at the shoulders. Shoulder bags slide off a cape, so carry a Paddington or Marcie by its handles, or wear a crossbody under the cape. Your forearms are exposed, so add long leather gloves on cold days. For cape coats from other houses and how to wear them, see our cape coat guide, or browse designer capes.

How Chloé sizing runs

Chloé lists its clothing and shoes in French sizes, and so do the Chloé listings on Vêtir. These conversions come from Chloé's own size guide, which the house calls approximate; it also advises that if you already own a Chloé piece, you buy the size on its label.

• Shoes: Chloé's chart puts a 37 at a US 7 but a 38 at a US 7.5, closer together than many conversion tables, and gives no US size for a 37.5, so measure your foot and go by length.
• Boots: the Dakota, Eve, Anouk, Azelan and Maxime are marked true to size. The Susanna ankle boot runs small (go up if you are between sizes), while the Susanna flat runs large (go down).
• Jeans: Chloé notes that its jeans run small; between two sizes, take the larger.
• Knitwear and capes: knits come in letter sizes from XS to XL, the cotton cape coats in two sizes (XS/S and M/L), and the Paddington capes in one.

Is Chloé worth it?

Yes, if you buy the pieces the house has made for decades. Buy once and keep: a Paddington or a Marcie in grained leather, which hides the knocks of daily use, in black or a deep red-brown; Dakota or Susanna boots; and an ivory silk blouse that works with jeans, tailoring and a slip skirt. Enjoy for a season or two: the shearling Paddington, the leopard mini Bracelet hobo, the studded velvet Marcie Foulard and the ruffled mousseline mini.

Three mistakes to avoid: buying a suede or aniline bag for a wet commute, choosing the medium Paddington to wear on the shoulder over a thick coat, and ordering the Susanna in your usual size. Compared with other houses, Chloé is the romantic option: Isabel Marant shares the bohemian mood with a rougher, more rock edge; Zimmermann goes further into print and ruffles; and if you prefer clean lines, our Toteme guide covers the opposite approach. Chloé is also among the ten brands named by the most Vêtir users in typed requests to our AI stylist over the 12 months to late September 2026.

How to buy Chloé on Vêtir

Every product in this guide is new Chloé from Chloé's own product feed, so the listings carry the house's own descriptions, materials and measurements. If you are choosing between a Paddington and a Marcie, or want boots that work with what you already own, ask our AI stylist to compare them against your wardrobe, or book one of our personal stylists.

How we chose

We started from Chloé's signatures, the Paddington, the Marcie, the Bracelet hobo, the Dakota and Susanna boots and the silk blouse, and took every piece from Chloé's own feed, checking the seller of each one. For bags we favored grained leather over suede and aniline finishes for anything meant for daily use, and noted dimensions and strap drops from Chloé's listings so you can judge the fit against your coats. For boots we chose pairs offered in at least six sizes, and we left out summer raffia, espadrilles and swimwear, which belong to another season. The dresses lean to evening because this guide goes live as party season begins.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Chloé's creative director?

Chemena Kamali, appointed in 2023. She showed her first collection in February 2024 and her spring 2027 collection on October 1, 2026. Trade reports have speculated about her future, but as of October 19, 2026, neither Chloé nor Richemont had announced a change.

Who founded Chloé?

Gaby Aghion, born in Alexandria, Egypt, who designed her first Chloé collection in Paris in 1952 and built one of the first luxury ready-to-wear houses.

Is the Chloé Paddington bag back?

Yes. Chemena Kamali reissued it with her fall 2025 collection, and it went on sale in September 2025. The new version keeps the padlock but is lighter than the 2005 original and closes with a zip.

Do Chloé boots run true to size?

Most do: Chloé marks the Dakota, Eve, Anouk, Azelan and Maxime boots true to size in European sizing. The Susanna ankle boot runs small, so take the larger size if you are between two.

What is a Chloé size 38 in US sizes?

In clothing, a Chloé 38 is a US 6, according to Chloé's size guide. In shoes, a Chloé 38 is a US 7.5.

What is the most famous Chloé bag?

The Paddington, the padlocked bag Phoebe Philo designed for spring 2005, which Chloé calls the industry's first "It bag." The Marcie, introduced in 2010, is the house's everyday classic.

Keep reading

• The best fall bags, and which ones are worth keeping
• The best boots for fall
• The Gucci guide
• Toteme, explained
• How to wear a cape coat