The “tote” in tote bag means “to carry.” The tote bag was born in the US as a means of carrying ice to preserve foodstuffs back in the days before refrigerators. So, they were less of a bag than tool designed for a specific purpose. The 1950s saw tote bags gain widespread acceptance as they began to see use for other things like camping. As time went on more design variations appeared, and these sturdy, versatile bags became a favourite item among students. This brought about a veritable tote bag fad and a further evolution into a proper fashion accessory. Tote bags would arrive in Japan with the onset of the Ivy League boom in the 1960s and 70s.

These particular tote bags are from Scotland in the UK. In contrast to the simple and unornamented look found so often in tote bags from the US, they have a more refined or elegant appearance. They are made using 18-ounce water-repellent canvas from Halley Stevensons, a Scottish shop of long standing, along with handles and coupling made of 2cm-wide bridle leather. The result is a tote bag with a design that works just as easily for women. While the bright, eye-opening yellow is great, for the upcoming season we also highly recommend the navy blue version specially-commissioned by Glenroyal.