Shopping and tote bag, when fashion rhymes with ethics

Since the turn of the 2010s, bags and tote bags have been on everyone’s shoulders. Practical and cool, they are as versatile as our desires: very original or on the contrary very simple.

Where does this trend come from, which is far from losing ground and why do we love shopping bags and tote bags so much?

The shopping bag and the tote bag, a common story

Before becoming the essential accessory for absolutely everyone, the tote has undergone a small metamorphosis. Its ancestor is… the jute bag! Yes, from the 19th century this heavy canvas bag was used to transport goods. Practical and resistant, it allows products to be easily stored without unnecessarily cluttering up the space once emptied.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the burlap bag experienced a first reappropriation: the postmen of the United Kingdom swapped their leather bags, heavy and cumbersome, for canvas bags. The tote was born.

Its use is gradually democratized during the 20th century. Newspaper criers in Europe are embracing it. Then in the United States, the Coach brand created the first fashion tote bag in 1962: the famous “Cashin’ carry “adored by New York women.
The functionality of the tote bag allows it to appeal to people who are hungry for functionality: housewives, then supermarkets at the dawn of the new millennium.

The trend of tote bags as shopping bags is emerging in Berlin, the trendy capital par excellence. In the early 2000’s, Berlin supermarkets decided to provide their consumers with canvas bags instead of the traditional plastic bags we know everywhere else.

In parallel with this purely functional story, the tote bag is taking more and more place in the fashion world. In the 1990s, the tote bag appeared on the shoulders of grunges, then a few stars.
Finally, after 2010, he becomes the superstar we know. In all closets, on all shoulders, for all occasions: the tote bag is everywhere.

The tote bag and the tote bag: what’s the difference between the two?

The two types of bags therefore share a common history and evolve in parallel, but there are still some differences between the two.
When we say “tote bag”, we think of these rectangular bags, with a wide opening at the top and equipped with two practical handles. The tote bag is always in canvas, most often in cotton. It can be extremely original: of all colors, with all patterns; or on the contrary as simple as possible: white or black, plain. It is totally customizable!

The tote bag has a similar shape: rectangular, opening on the top with two handles. However, the tote is not always the same shape and tends to be longer than the tote bag. Above all, it is often more rigid and adopts many different materials. There are thus tote bags in leather, vegan leather, velvet, raffia etc.

The tote also tends to look more like a large handbag: it can be more chic, and it is not as easily foldable as the tote bag, which disappears in a flash in another bag or in a pocket. .
The most famous tote bags are obviously the creations of Vanessa Bruno, which have been all the rage in fashion since the 1990s. In canvas or nubuck, with sequins or studs, they are everywhere. Impossible to confuse them with the tote bags! Recently, Dior once again put the tote on the front of the Seine, with its practical and fashionable models.

Practicality and fashion, these are the two terms that define both the shopping bag and the tote bag, even if their styles are now different.

The shopping bag and tote bag combine fashion and ethics

Both bags are extremely useful for carrying a large amount of things. They are convenient to open and fill. The name “tote bag” comes from the English term “to tote”: lug around!
It is for their practicality above all that they conquered the world, and for their versatility that they are the kings of the fashion planet.

One more string to the bow of shopping bags and tote bags: ethics. Tote bags replace plastic bags, they are even offered with purchases for some brands. For the most part, they are made of organic cotton or recycled or eco-sourced fabrics: ecology is a massive argument in fashion!

At the Label AÉ, ethics are not negotiable. Our creators are all committed to preserving the planet and being transparent about their creative processes. In the spotlight, two designers are reclaiming the art of shopping bags.

At Armance and Apolline, the fabrics for the tote bags are upcycled and sewn by hand. As practical as they are aesthetic, they are colorful, lined with silk, darker or in leather. What to find the tote bag of his dreams!

The 10.03.53 tote is the kind of bag that will satisfy us for a lifetime. In hand-woven raffia, it is available in beige, yellow or orange. We take it everywhere: on the terraces or at the beach in summer and also to go to work the rest of the year! It conveys an image that is as relaxed as it is sophisticated.
Faithful to the tradition of shopping bags, we put our whole house in them. Its natural materials make it the best friend of our eco-responsible wardrobe.

In conclusion, a little warning: shopping bags and tote bags help save the oceans from deadly plastic bags. However, for the production process of these reusable bags to really have a positive ecological impact, it is fundamental to reuse them as much as possible.
Fast-fashion is no longer up to date!