Fish Bags: What They Are, How to Choose One and How to Wear It

A fish bag is a novelty handbag shaped like a fish, with a body, a tail and often a fin, an eye and scales picked out in the weave, and it is carried as a summer and holiday accessory. Most are made in raffia, woven straw, leather and beading, and most hang from a shoulder strap like the designer crossbody bags they sit beside. The clearest current example at Coveti is the raffia fish from the Alémais brand page, and our guide to what a raffia bag is explains the fibre it is made from.

Key facts

• A fish bag is a novelty handbag shaped like a fish, carried as a summer and holiday accessory.
• The Alemais Raffia Fish Crossbody Bag is hand-made in Madagascan raffia macrame with crochet applique and tassels.
• The Alemais fish bag measures 35cm wide by 15cm high with a 44cm shoulder strap drop; hand-made dimensions vary slightly.
• Raffia is a plant fibre from the raffia palm, so it should be kept dry and dried flat in the shade.

This guide covers where the shape fits in a wardrobe, why it reads as a resort piece, what to check before you choose one, how to carry it from the beach to dinner and how to look after raffia so it lasts more than one summer. The picks lead with the Alémais Raffia Fish Crossbody Bag from Resort 2027 drop two, then move to the house's other bags and to the clothes we would carry it with. For a wider view of holiday bags, see our edit of designer beach bags and the full Alémais bags guide.

What is a fish bag?

The name describes the silhouette. A fish bag takes the outline of a fish and turns it into a pouch: the body holds your things, the tail gives the shape its tension, and a zip usually runs along the back like a spine. What separates a good one from a souvenir is the making. When the scales are knotted by hand, the fins are worked in crochet and the strap is finished as carefully as the body, the bag reads as a piece of craft with a sense of humour.

Materials vary. Raffia and woven straw give a light, matt, natural surface that suits sun and sand. Leather gives a firmer, more graphic outline. Beading turns the scales into points of colour and catches the light at night. Many designs mix them: a raffia body with a leather strap, a straw fish with a beaded eye.

Why does a fish bag read as a resort piece?

The motif is the sea, so the bag belongs where the sea is. It says beach, harbour, long lunch by the water, and it does that before anyone has noticed the rest of the outfit. Natural fibres push it further toward holiday: raffia is a fibre from the leaves of the raffia palm, much of it from Madagascar, and it has the dry, sun-bleached look of summer.

The shape also does what a holiday accessory should. It adds wit to clothes that are often plain by design: a white cotton shirt, a linen dress, a swimsuit and a pareo. A well-made raffia fish sits between a formal leather bag and a canvas tote, which is why it travels well.

How to choose a fish bag

Four details decide whether a fish bag earns its place on a trip. Check each one on the product page before you choose.

• Material: raffia and straw are light and casual; leather holds its shape and copes better with rain; beading adds weight and sparkle. Look for the fibre named in full, such as Madagascan raffia, and for hand-made construction where the house states it.
• Size: measure what you carry. A phone, sunglasses, a card holder and sun cream need a body of roughly the width of a phone held sideways plus some depth at the base. A long, shallow fish holds less than its outline suggests.
• Strap: a crossbody strap leaves both hands free on a boat, a market and a coastal path. Check the strap drop; a long drop sits at the hip, a short one under the arm.
• Closure: a zip keeps sand out and your things in, which matters on a beach and on a ferry. An open top with a drawstring looks softer but suits a shorter day.
• Lining: a cotton lining protects the inside of a woven bag and stops small items catching in the weave.

The Alémais fish bag and the alternatives

1. Raffia Fish Crossbody Bag

A natural raffia macrame fish in Madagascan raffia, with crochet applique and tassel details, a gold-tone zip with a branded pull, a macrame paracord shoulder strap and a cotton twill lining. It measures 35cm wide by 15cm high, with 7.5cm depth at the base and a 44cm strap drop, and because each one is made by hand the dimensions vary slightly from piece to piece.

2. Raffia Macrame Mini Barrel Bag

The same Madagascan raffia worked in an open macrame stitch into a small barrel, with a gold finish zip, a branded zip pull and a raffia crochet flower charm. At 20cm by 12cm with a 9cm handle drop and a 44cm shoulder strap drop, it suits the days when the fish feels too playful.

3. Martina Silk Scarf Bag

A printed silk scarf bag with a base, a silk lining and a silk-wrapped twist metal handle, 60cm wide at its widest point by 29cm high. It is the softer evening counterpart to the raffia pieces.

4. Patricio Silk Scarf Bag

Built on the same silk scarf shape as the Martina, with a silk lining, a silk-wrapped twist metal handle and a 17cm base depth, in a multicolour print. Carry it by hand at dinner.

What to wear with a fish bag

A fish bag is the joke in the outfit, so let the clothes stay calm. Solid colours, natural fibres and clean lines give the raffia and its tassels room to work. These are the Alémais Resort 2027 pieces we would carry it with, plus one earlier piece whose name picks up the theme.

5. Mariel Midi Dress

A relaxed midi pool dress in olive organic cotton with a V-neckline, an open front with self-tie closures and gathered sleeves with elasticated cuffs. The olive and the natural raffia sit together like reeds and sand.

6. Florencia Beaded Shirt

A relaxed white cotton shirt in an oversized fit, with an artisan hand-beaded pocket, collar and feature button. Wear it open over a swimsuit with the fish across the body; the beading and the crochet make a quiet pair.

7. Mariel Short

Relaxed olive shorts in organic cotton with an elasticated drawstring waist and in-seam pockets. With the matching Mariel Shirt they make a beach set that leaves the bag to do the talking.

8. Wayfairer Midi Dress

A European linen midi dress in a baroque floral print in ink and cream, with a round neck, an empire waist and short puff sleeves. The dark print gives a pale raffia fish a strong frame for dinner.

9. Sophie Cotton Pareo

A printed rectangular organic cotton pareo with eyelash fringing, 100cm by 195cm, carrying artwork from the house collaboration with the artist Sophie Wahlquist. Tie it at the hip and the bag's tassels echo the fringe. Our guide on how to tie a sarong shows the knots.

10. Bonetta Mini Dress

A relaxed mini halter dress in organic cotton in a red floral print, with a high neck, a button and loop closure at the back and an elongated tie at the hem. Red and natural raffia is a classic summer pairing.

11. Fish Sticks Sundress

Already live from an earlier Alémais season, this sundress carries the same seaside name. Pair it with the fish only if you want the theme stated twice.

How to wear a fish bag

Treat the bag as the one statement and build quietly around it. A few combinations that work on most holidays:

• Beach: swimsuit, a pareo knotted at the hip and the fish worn crossbody, so your hands stay free for a towel and a book. Our list of beach cover-ups has more layers.
• Long lunch: an olive pool dress, flat sandals and the bag on a long strap at the hip.
• Market morning: a white shirt over shorts and the bag worn across the body, zip facing in.
• Dinner by the water: a linen midi dress in a dark print, gold earrings and the fish carried short on the shoulder.
• Travel day: the bag packed flat inside a tote with tissue in the body, then brought out on arrival.

Natural raffia sits easily with white, ecru, olive, black, navy and red. Busy prints hide the scales. If your print is loud, choose the plainer barrel bag instead. Our guide to what to pack for a beach vacation shows how to build the rest of the case.

How do you care for a raffia fish bag?

Raffia is a plant fibre, so it dislikes the same things paper and straw dislike: soaking, crushing and long hours of direct heat. None of the Alémais bag pages publish care instructions, so these are general habits for natural raffia.

• Keep it dry. If it gets splashed, blot it with a clean towel and let it dry flat in the shade, never on a radiator and never in strong sun.
• Stuff it when stored. Tissue paper in the body holds the fish's shape and keeps the tail from creasing.
• Spot clean only. A barely damp cloth lifts sand and sun cream from the surface; do not scrub against the weave.
• Store it in a cotton dust bag away from damp. Plastic traps moisture and can leave marks on natural fibre.
• Keep sun cream and oils off it. Put the cream on before you pick the bag up, since oil darkens raffia.
• Check the tassels and crochet. Loose ends on hand-made work can be eased back by hand; do not cut them.

Fish bags compared

Source: the Alémais product pages, read by Coveti Editorial on 15 November 2026.

Sizing and fit

All four Alémais bags are one size. The Raffia Fish Crossbody Bag measures 35cm wide by 15cm high with 7.5cm depth at the base and a 44cm shoulder strap drop, which places it at the hip on most frames. The Raffia Macrame Mini Barrel Bag is 20cm by 12cm with 9cm depth at the base. Both raffia bags are made by hand, so the house notes that dimensions vary slightly from piece to piece. The two silk scarf bags measure 60cm wide at their widest point by 29cm high.

Carrying a fish bag around the world

In Australia the bag is a summer piece in the literal sense: December to February is beach season from Sydney to Byron Bay, and a raffia crossbody suits harbour lunches, markets and the walk back from the sand. In the US it is a warm-weather bag for the Florida coast, Southern California and the Hamptons in July and August, and a winter sun bag for trips to the Caribbean and Mexico when the northern states are cold.

In the UK and Europe it belongs to the Mediterranean summer and to the winter sun trips that northern travellers pack for while Australia is in its own summer: Mallorca, the Greek islands and the Amalfi coast. Keep it out of the rain at home; raffia does not enjoy a wet British afternoon. In the Gulf the cooler months from November to March are the outdoor season, and a light raffia bag suits beach clubs and terraces in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where the silk scarf bags take over for evenings indoors.

Other houses to browse

The novelty bag is a crowded field. For further browsing, see the brand pages for Jacquemus, Loewe and Cult Gaia, and our wider comparison of brands like Alémais. For the raffia story in more depth, read why the raffia bag is the accessory of the summer.

Frequently asked questions

What is a fish bag?

A fish bag is a novelty handbag shaped like a fish, usually with a tail, fins and scales worked into the design. It is a summer and holiday accessory, most often made in raffia, woven straw, leather and beading.

What is the Alémais fish bag made of?

The Raffia Fish Crossbody Bag is made in Madagascan raffia with a polyester trim, a cotton twill lining and a macrame paracord shoulder strap. It is knotted by hand in macrame, with crochet applique and tassel details.

How big is the Alémais fish bag?

It measures 35cm wide by 15cm high, with 7.5cm depth at the base and a 44cm shoulder strap drop. Each one is made by hand, so the dimensions vary slightly.

Is a raffia fish bag waterproof?

No. Raffia is a plant fibre, so keep it away from rain and the sea, blot any splashes and dry it flat in the shade.

What do you wear with a fish bag?

Keep the clothes simple so the bag can be the statement: a white cotton shirt, an olive pool dress, a linen midi dress and a pareo over a swimsuit all work. Natural raffia sits best with white, ecru, olive, black and red.

Can you wear a fish bag in the evening?

Yes, on holiday. Carry it short on the shoulder with a dark printed linen dress and gold earrings, and switch to a silk scarf bag for a formal dinner.

How do you clean a raffia bag?

Spot clean with a barely damp cloth and let it dry flat away from heat. Never soak it and never scrub against the weave.

Read next: What is a raffia bag?, The Alémais bags guide, Designer beach bags.

By Coveti Editorial. Updated 15 November 2026.