The Gucci Guide: Horsebit Loafers, Jackie and Bamboo Bags, and How Gucci Fits

Gucci is the Florentine house that turned equestrian hardware into a signature, and its best buys are still built around it. If you are buying your first piece of Gucci, choose one of three: a Horsebit loafer, the shoe the house introduced in 1953; a Jackie, the crescent-shaped shoulder bag it launched in 1961; or a Bamboo bag, whose curved handle dates to 1947. All three have come back in new versions under Demna, Gucci's artistic director since 2025, so they are both classics and current. Below, our editors cover where Gucci came from, what has changed under Demna, the Gucci bags and loafers worth buying, the Web, GG and Flora codes and how to wear them, how Gucci sizing runs, and how to buy Gucci on Vêtir.

Gucci at a glance

A short history of Gucci, from Florence to Demna

Guccio Gucci founded the house in 1921, when he opened his first store in Florence at Via della Vigna Nuova 7, according to Kering's history of Gucci. Most of the signatures arrived after the Second World War. The Bamboo bag came first, in 1947. Leather was scarce after the war, and, as Christie's international head of handbags and accessories, Rachel Koffsky, explains in the auction house's guide to the Bamboo, the Horsebit and the Jackie, bamboo canes were heated over an open fire and bent by hand into a curved handle, a technique Gucci's artisans still use.

The Horsebit, a double ring joined by a bar, borrowed from riding tack, first appeared on a Gucci loafer in 1953, the same year the house opened its first store in New York; the flap shoulder bag carrying the same hardware followed in 1955. The green-red-green Web stripe, first seen in the early 1950s, reinterprets the girth strap that holds a saddle in place. The 1960s completed the vocabulary. The Jackie, a crescent-shaped shoulder bag with a cylindrical piston closure, was introduced in 1961. The Flora print has been a Gucci signature since 1966, when the artist Vittorio Accornero designed it for Grace Kelly, by then Princess Grace of Monaco, as WWD recalled in its review of Demna's first Gucci show. And the interlocking GG canvas updated the house's 1930s Diamante pattern, a repeated diamond motif in dark brown on tan; Gucci filed for its patent in 1969, according to Christie's.

The modern era began when Tom Ford became Gucci's first creative director in 1994. Gucci joined Kering in 1999, and in 2025, after ten years at Balenciaga, Demna was named artistic director.

Gucci under Demna: what has changed

Demna's first Gucci collection, La Famiglia, came out before his first runway show. That show followed in Milan on February 27, 2026, in a hall built to feel like a museum, lined with marble statues, according to WWD's review of the show. In a letter he posted the day before, Demna wrote: "Gucci is a superbrand that is as much about pragmatic product as it is about emotion." His second show, for spring 2027, took place in Milan on September 25, 2026, inside a specially built Gucci store, and the Horsebit ran all through it, from miniature versions on shirt collars to supersized ones slung around the waist, Wallpaper* reported.

For shoppers, the change shows up in two places. The first is fit. Demna's press notes for that first show described pieces "cut as close as possible to the body," and WWD saw nods to the Tom Ford years. Several tailored pieces, by contrast, are cut oversize by design, which matters when you choose a size (see below). The second is the classics, which keep coming back in new versions. The Jackie 1961 returned on a longer, more rectangular base, in lighter materials including a new monogram canvas and a lived-in, hand-aged leather, with a slim version added, Bustle reported. The Bamboo 1947 came back with a sleeker volume and, on the runway, a handle of flexible, pieced leather sections, according to WWD. The classics are the safest place to start, because they carry the house's history and its current direction at once.

Which Gucci bag should you buy first?

Start from the job the bag has to do, then choose the line:

Gucci bags: the Jackie

The Jackie is Gucci's most wearable bag: a soft crescent that sits close under the arm, fastened with a metal piston closure. It takes its name from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who carried it so often in the 1970s that it became known as "the Jackie," and Gucci made the name official as the Jackie 1961 when it reissued the bag in 2020, Bustle notes. It now comes in several sizes and shapes, from small to large and in a slimmer version, in leather, GG canvas and suede. Two questions decide which one is yours:

• How will you carry it? The classic has a short shoulder handle; many current versions add a longer strap for crossbody wear. Gucci gives the handle drop and the strap drop on each listing, so check them against your coats: a short drop that sits neatly over a silk shirt can feel tight over a winter coat.
• What do you carry? Each listing also states what fits. The medium generally takes a large phone, a long wallet and a lipstick; the small is sized for a phone, a card case and a lipstick.

Leather is the dressier choice and softens with use; GG canvas is lighter and hides scuffs; suede is the most delicate. On resale, the Jackie's average sale price at The RealReal roughly tripled between 2016 and 2026, while the GG Marmont bag's fell by almost half, according to WWD's coverage of The RealReal's 2026 resale report. Those are raw averages, not adjusted for condition, size or edition, so buy the Jackie because you'll carry it, not as an investment. If you buy one pre-owned, know which version you're getting: the current Jackie 1961 sits on a longer, more rectangular base than the squarer 2020 reissue.

Gucci bags: the Bamboo and the Horsebit 1955

The Bamboo 1947 is Gucci's most formal bag: a structured top-handle with a curved bamboo handle and closure, best in black or a deep color with tailoring or a simple dress. Smaller Bamboo pieces, from minis to clutches on a chain, bring the bamboo detail to evening sizes, and totes carry it into the working week. Treat the handle as the natural material it is: keep it away from direct heat and store the bag stuffed and upright.

The Horsebit 1955 is the everyday alternative: a soft flap shoulder bag with the Horsebit across the front and, on many versions, the Web stripe. Christie's notes that an original 1950s version could involve 100 pieces and take one craftsman an average of ten hours to assemble in the Florence workshop. The small size holds a phone, a small wallet and a lipstick, on a leather strap you can shorten or remove. Other Horsebit bags, from camera bags with the Web to top-handles in GG canvas, use the same hardware on more casual shapes. For how these compare with other houses' bags, see our guide to designer bags worth investing in, or browse designer shoulder bags.

Gucci loafers: the Horsebit, and which pair to buy

The Horsebit loafer is the reason many people buy Gucci at all: a slip-on with the double-ring-and-bar hardware across the vamp, introduced in 1953. Gucci makes it in several shapes, and the differences matter more than they look:

• The classic: a rounded toe and a flat heel, closest to the original. Buy it first, in black or dark brown leather.
• The Jordaan: Gucci's more streamlined shape, which looks sharper with tailoring and cropped trousers.
• The lug sole: the same upper on a rubber lug, for wet sidewalks and wide-leg trousers.
• Backless and soft styles: Horsebit mules and softer loafers you can wear with the heel folded down, for summer and travel.

Fit varies by style, and Gucci's listings say so: several pairs are marked true to size, while others are marked as running large, with advice to go down half a size. Read the fit line on the listing before you order. For how Gucci's pairs compare with Ferragamo's Gancini loafers and The Row's quiet leather ones, see our designer loafer guide and whether loafers are still in style; for every pair on Vêtir, browse designer loafers.

The codes: Web, GG and Flora, and how to wear them

Gucci's codes are strongest one at a time. Pick a single signature per outfit, whether a Horsebit on your feet, a Web stripe on your bag or a Flora scarf, and keep everything else plain. A few formulas we like:

• A navy blazer, a white shirt and straight jeans, with a Flora silk carré knotted at the neck.
• A black knit dress with a black leather Jackie and black Horsebit loafers: two codes, both tonal, so neither shouts.
• A camel coat, a cream knit and a GG canvas belt, with nothing else branded.
• A silk carré tied to the handle of a Bamboo bag in summer.

Gucci's silk carrés measure about 35 inches square, large enough to wear as a headscarf, as a neckerchief folded into a band or around the shoulders. The GG Marmont belts, with the Double G buckle, can be worn at the waist or on the hip, and Gucci notes that the right size depends on where you wear the belt. Browse designer scarves and designer belts for more.

Gucci ready-to-wear: the tailoring to buy now

Tailoring is where Demna's Gucci is easiest to wear. At his first show, fluid suits in liquid-like fabrics stood out alongside low-cut jackets, WWD noted, and Wallpaper* singled out louche double-breasted tailoring at the spring 2027 show. Buy it for the shoulder and the cloth, and choose your size deliberately: several jackets are cut oversize on purpose, with Gucci recommending at least one size down, while others run small. We'd wear a short crêpe jacket with narrow trousers and Horsebit loafers by day, and a longer double-breasted jacket over a slip dress at night.

How Gucci sizing runs

Gucci doesn't use one sizing system for everything. Here is how its US listings, which Vêtir receives from Gucci's own feed, are sized:

• Tailoring, coats and skirts come in Italian sizes (IT 36, 38, 40 and up), and jeans in waist sizes. Italian numbers are not US numbers, so check the size chart on the product page before you order.
• Knitwear and jersey, jersey dresses included, come in letter sizes, from XS to XXL.
• Shoes are listed in US sizes, usually including half sizes.
• Belts are sized by length in centimeters, in steps of five, and rings use a numbered scale that doesn't match US ring sizes.

Two habits make ordering easier. First, read the fit line on each listing: Gucci flags oversize pieces, recommends going at least one size down on several oversize jackets and coats, and marks other pieces as running small. Second, compare the measurements Gucci gives (the length, and for many jackets the shoulder and chest, each measured on a stated reference size) with a piece you already own and like. For belts, measure your favorite belt from where the strap meets the buckle to the hole you use most, and remember that a hip belt needs a longer size than a waist belt.

How to buy Gucci on Vêtir

Every new Gucci piece on Vêtir comes straight from Gucci's own product feed rather than from other stores, so the listings carry Gucci's current US assortment with Gucci's own descriptions, measurements and fit notes. It is also the house our shoppers look for most: in the first weeks after Vêtir's search box launched in August 2026, more of our shoppers searched for Gucci than for any other term. If you're deciding between two Jackies or two loafers, ask our AI stylist to compare them against what's already in your wardrobe, or book one of our personal stylists.

How we chose

Every product in this guide is new Gucci from Gucci's own feed and was verified live when we built the guide. We started with the house's signature lines (the Jackie, the Bamboo, the Horsebit 1955 and the Horsebit loafer), favored colors and materials that stay useful for years (black and dark brown leather, GG canvas), and chose tailoring, silk and belts whose listings gave clear materials, measurements and fit notes. The edits update as pieces sell out.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Gucci's creative director?

Demna, whose title is artistic director. He was named in 2025 after ten years at Balenciaga. His first runway show for Gucci was in Milan on February 27, 2026, and his second, for spring 2027, on September 25, 2026.

What is the most classic Gucci bag?

There are three signature lines: the Bamboo (1947), the Horsebit 1955 and the Jackie (1961). For everyday use choose the Jackie or the Horsebit 1955; for formal occasions, the Bamboo.

Why is the Gucci Jackie called the Jackie?

For Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who carried the crescent-shaped bag so often in the 1970s that it became known as "the Jackie." The design dates to 1961, and Gucci made the name official as the Jackie 1961 when it reissued the bag in 2020.

Do Gucci loafers run true to size?

It depends on the style, and Gucci's listings say which: several pairs are marked true to size, while others are marked as running large, with advice to go down half a size. Gucci lists its shoes in US sizes.

How does Gucci clothing sizing work?

Tailoring, coats and skirts use Italian sizes, knitwear and jersey use letter sizes, jeans use waist sizes, shoes use US sizes and belts use centimeters. Check the size chart on the product page and the fit line on each listing, which on several oversize jackets and coats recommends a size down.

Is the Gucci Jackie a good investment?

Buy it to carry. The Jackie's average sale price at The RealReal roughly tripled between 2016 and 2026, according to WWD's coverage of The RealReal's 2026 resale report, but those are raw averages, and the GG Marmont bag's average fell by almost half over the same years.

Keep reading

• The best designer loafers, and how to buy a pair that fits
• Prada, explained
• The Balenciaga guide
• Designer bags worth investing in