brands like Sun Jellies
A jelli.world guide to the retro jelly revival — and where the structured jelly bag fits in it.
Sun Jellies has become closely associated with bringing back the retro jelly sandal — the glossy moulded-plastic shoes of 1980s and 90s summers — and, from there, with retro-inspired jelly baskets and bags. If you've fallen for that world, you're really shopping a material tradition more than a single label — so here are the brands and directions that live in the same glossy lane. We've kept this honest: each one does something genuinely different.
First, what defines the Sun Jellies look
Founded in Britain in 2012, Sun Jellies built its following on nostalgia done properly: faithful retro jelly sandals first, then a range of jelly bags drawing on vintage designs from roughly the 1950s through to the 1990s — its woven-look Retro Basket being the best known. The through-line is cheerful, unpretentious, wearable nostalgia: bright colours, honest plastic, and prices that keep it an easy summer buy.
Brands and directions in the same world
- Melissa. The Brazilian label is the elevated end of jelly footwear — designer collaborations, sculptural shapes, and its own scented plastic. If Sun Jellies is the faithful retro revival, Melissa is where jelly goes high-fashion. See our guides to brands like Melissa and Melissa jelly shoes.
- The Y2K jelly direction. The other route out of the retro revival is forward rather than back — the late-90s and early-2000s translucent-accessory look that today's jelly bag boom draws on. We've mapped it in Y2K jelly bags.
- The structured jelly bag. For the bag side of the same tradition taken seriously as a bag — defined shapes, proper hardware, the jelly gloss intact. This is where jelli.world sits.
The bag side of the jelly tradition
Sun Jellies approaches jelly bags as retro baskets; jelli.world approaches them as structured everyday bags. The range runs across both jelly materials — firmer, UV-stable TPU buckets at £90 that hold their shape, glossy classic PVC buckets at £50 with the softer, old-school jelly feel, East West shoulder bags from £40, and a baguette at £70. If you're not sure which material is your jelly, the TPU vs PVC guide walks through the trade-offs. Start from the jelly bags hub to see the whole family — everything ships worldwide with next-day dispatch.
How to choose your lane
- Want faithful retro — sandals and woven baskets as they looked the first time round? That's the Sun Jellies lane.
- Want jelly on your feet, elevated — collabs, sculpture, fashion-week energy? That's Melissa territory.
- Want jelly on your shoulder — a structured, wipe-clean, water-resistant bag with the translucent gloss? That's the structured jelly bag lane.
The bag side of the jelly revival
jelli.world is an independent brand and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Sun Jellies or any other label named here — brand names are trademarks of their respective owners, and this is independent editorial commentary. Last reviewed: 2026-08-07