Panera is many things: home of the bread bowl, purveyor of alarmingly caffeinated lemonade, a place to hang out after soccer practice. Now, with the new Panera BAGuette bag dominating our social feeds, it’s time to add coveted purse brand to the list. The infamous Panera purse was first announced on February 7 to tease the chain’s new toasted baguettes, and if you’ve scrolled through TikTok in the last few days, you’ve probably encountered the online frenzy around the item.
The bag in question is made of faux green leather with a repeating “P” monogram. A gold magnetic clasp bears the same logo. It’s long and shallow, and the perfect size for holding an actual sandwich—or a phone, keys, lip liner, and other everyday essentials. And yes, it comes protected by a Panera-branded dust bag, all for $39.50.
Cleverly timed to coincide with New York Fashion Week (which runs from February 10 through 15), the stunt succeeded—you now know about its new toasted baguettes—but it might have strayed a little too close to the sun. The handbag has already sold out, been restocked, and sold out again, and now it’s reselling on eBay for as much as $300. This isn’t the first meme-y Panera merch (it released a Swim Soup swimwear collection in 2021), but it’s certainly the most viral. Through bizarrely great design and marketing, the BAGuette is officially an It bag.
It’s been a big month for viral accessories designed to haunt your TikTok FYP and your Instagram Explore page. (We’re looking at you, MSCHF boots.) But unlike other items that only look good online, the Panera BAGuette bag can actually be styled well in real life; at least two of the bags turned heads at New York Fashion Week on Summer House star Paige Desorbo and The Cut writer Danya Issawi. (Unfortunately, the bags did not seem to house actual sandwiches.)
