Karl Lagerfeld introduced the Boy bag for Fall 2011. Its name alludes both to Gabrielle Chanel's boyish tastes, her love of sport and pared-back dressing, and to Arthur "Boy" Capel, the polo player who was the great love of her life. Chanel says the shape was inspired by a cartridge bag.
The Boy shares the quilting and chain of the 2.55 and the Classic Flap, but Vogue notes it is boxier, with a framed rectangular flap and a graphic CC push-button clasp. Its hardware leans to a darker gunmetal rather than the plated gold of the 2.55, and in place of the leather-threaded chain it has a leather pad to sit on the shoulder or in the crook of the arm.
The bag has been made in many versions since 2011, from iridescent metals to quilted PVC.