It is difficult to remember a time when the tote bag was not a key part of our wardrobes. Whether it’s because our handbags became too tiny to carry our day-to-day essentials or because we now all rightly shun the use of plastic bags when we pop out to the shops, many of us turn to the humble tote on a daily basis, and have done so for many years.
While tote bags can provide a great way of telling a story about ourselves, in the same way that a logo or slogan T-shirt does, they are never the most glamorous or elegant addition to a look – and, more importantly, the sheer number of totes that we seem to collect is actually a cause for concern. According to a 2021 investigation by The New York Times, which reported on the “cotton tote crisis”, a tote bag needs to be used about 20,000 times to offset its overall impact of production, something which is particularly difficult when we seem to be happily collecting new ones all the time, but also because they really are not built to last.
The cotton tote is something which we have come to rely on, and it’s unlikely that the trend is going to die down anytime soon. This is perhaps why so many high-end fashion brands have started tapping into the idea, creating luxe versions of the style, which are practical and chic but are also actually designed to stand the test of time.
“Oversized bags are practical yet refined and make the perfect addition to an elevated everyday wardrobe,” says Libby Page, market director at Net-a-Porter. “Look to supple leathers for an effortless elegance that balances the outsized proportions. My personal favourites include Khaite’s ‘Lotus’ and Bottega Veneta’s ‘Hop’.”
When we consider how fashion has changed since before the pandemic, and how many of us have started to invest in practical, long-lasting capsule classics over flash-in-the-pan trends, it is perhaps not all that surprising that designers are embracing the idea, moving on from the teeny, tiny bags that have dominated for so many seasons.
Marc Jacobs is one such brand which is betting big on the high-fashion tote. A few seasons back, the American label released ‘The Tote Bag’, a chic offering which comes in various sizes and fabrics (from cotton to leather and shearling) and which is clearly designed to be an elegant alternative to the flimsy tote that we carry on a daily basis.
Likewise, Loewe’s ‘XL Flamenco’ and Khaite’s ‘Amelia Tote’ are excellent examples of investment takes on the trend, while Dior’s ‘Book Tote’ has become a phenomenon in itself, putting a statement spin on what was traditionally such a lacklustre item.
But, perhaps the biggest tote success story of late comes from Saint Laurent and its ‘Icare Maxi Shopper’, which was ranked as Lyst‘s “hottest product” in its round-up of the final quarter of 2022.
The global fashion search engine reports that there has been a 46 per cent spike in searches for the style, which has been worn by Bella Hadid, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Sydney Sweeney. “The jumbo quilted bag is popular amongst celebrities and is causing a halo effect for the bag category: searches for totes are up 55 per cent this quarter.”
Clearly, many of us are looking for a chic yet practical solution when it comes to our day-to-day handbags. We want to stop relying on throwaway cotton totes, and instead invest in a design that will not only make our lives easier, but which will actually elevate our ensembles and be something we come to rely on for years to come.