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IThere are two types of households: those with a “baghouse” and those without. The “baghouse” is a large, sturdy bag filled to the brim with other bags of all sizes and materials, waiting to be reused at some later time. Personally, I come from the old campground and have continued this tradition into my adult life, although my baghouse looks different than it did when I grew up.
In my childhood home, it used to be filled with hundreds of indistinguishable plastic bags, whereas now it's a spacious duffel bag filled with more duffel bags. At the time of writing, it holds 24.
There’s my chic Ace & Tate tote bag I received from the fashion optician’s collaboration with Danish fashion girl brand Ganni, sturdy enough to carry my laptop with a handy interior pocket. I also like my Blank Street tote for its chunky handles and extra-roomy size, though I fear the coffee chain’s increasing ubiquity is starting to make me look a little basic. My Glastonbury tote is another personal favourite, proof to the world that I attended this year for the first time.
Duffel bags, which gained popularity in the 1980s, are now inescapable. Most people carry one, regardless of gender, age, race, or purchasing power. They are endlessly practical: small enough to slip into a handbag, yet large enough to carry an impressive number of items. But in recent years, they have become more than just utility: they are a statement of who you are.
Merchandise, particularly from musicians and bands, has long been used to show off what you love, and tote bags – along with T-shirts, posters and vinyl records – are a big part of that. Nowadays, it’s not just artists who sell them: you’d be hard-pressed to find a brand that doesn’t sell a tote bag emblazoned with their name and logo. The difference, Lynne Hugill, a fashion expert and senior lecturer at Teesside University, tells me, is that tote bags are often much cheaper to produce and buy compared to other merchandising items.
“Tote bags are one of the cheapest merchandising items, making them very accessible to almost everyone,” she explains. “If you wanted to buy a Birkin bag, you would have to be prepared to spend astronomical amounts of money and be on a five-year waiting list. In contrast, you can buy a Hermes tote bag for very little money and still feel proud to carry that logo around with you.” It’s true that a Hermes tote bag will set you back around £1,000, but that’s still a fraction compared to everything else the brand sells.
But some of the most popular tote bags in London have nothing to do with fashion designers. On Reddit, a thread debating the city’s “current tote bag hierarchy” has thousands of replies. According to most people, Daunt Books bags are out; east London bakeries are in, as are tote bags from independent film streaming service MUBI and US supermarket chain Trader Joe’s. The latter recently announced the restock of its sold-out $2.99 (£2.25) tote bag, which has been on sale on resale sites for up to $500 (£375).
The type of bag you carry says a lot about who you are or how you want to present yourself. The Real Housewives of Clapton (RHOC), a hugely popular anonymous meme account on Instagram, recently shared a post poking fun at the stereotypes associated with each popular style. Someone carrying Daunt Books’ famous chain clutch, for example, would likely have a Kindle and a paperback of William Shakespeare’s work. Much ado about nothing to make it clear how studious they are. Meanwhile, the owner of a New Yorker The bag likely carries a collection of expensive, modern belongings, including a £270 Le Labo perfume, a can of MOTH negroni and Apple AirPods.
What's RHOC's verdict on the Trader Joe's tote bag? It's overrated. “I see a lot of Trader Joe's bags, to the point where it seems silly to me. There's also a slight mystery surrounding how they've become so common in London, since you can only buy them in America,” they add.
According to Hugill, part of the psychology behind carrying a handbag is that it allows you to show that side of your personality to the world without saying anything at all. According to Hugill, the innate appeal of the handbag is its subtlety, compared to a slogan T-shirt, for example, where the wearer literally says it with their chest.
Seeing someone else carrying the same handbag as you can be either exciting or embarrassing. We like to think of ourselves as individualistic and unique, but the truth is, we're not that special and you're just one of hundreds, if not thousands, who have the same handbag (sorry to break it to you). But it also means you're part of a community – I personally enjoy seeing strangers show off my handbags. It makes me feel, even fleetingly, like we could be friends.
Have we reached peak tote bag status? Personal stylist Hellana Mardasian seems to think so, and I’m inclined to agree. “While canvas totes are incredibly versatile, I often wonder if we’re collectively going overboard,” she muses, adding that totes “can be a reflection of our values” but also run the risk of “simply branding.” Like it or not, when you carry a tote bag, you are, in effect, a walking, talking advertisement. Brands are all putting out their own versions in the hopes of getting some of that capital.
Running out of money at a supermarket and having to ask for a plastic bag is a source of deep guilt these days.
Even the basic utility function of handbags is being exhausted. In their excess, they have ceased to be practical and have started to become a burden. I only have two, maybe three of the many I own; I don't need 20, 25, 30 of them, and neither does anyone else.
Cloth bags still give the impression of being environmentally friendly; today, when someone falls short at the supermarket and has to ask for a plastic bag, there is a deep sense of guilt. But the harsh reality is that cotton production contributes to the monumental environmental damage for which the textile industry is responsible.
Since cotton is a water-intensive crop, a 2018 report from Denmark’s Environmental Protection Agency posited that a cotton bag will need to be used 7,100 times to offset its environmental impact compared to a plastic bag. This would mean using just one of my many tote bags every day for almost 20 years, which isn’t difficult, but I would die long before I could use them all.
Recycling isn't an option either, as many cloth bags are made from cotton-plastic blends, while others have PVC-based prints and logos that aren't recyclable. Plus, as we've seen with the inexplicable hoarding of Stanley cups in the US, is it really sustainable to have dozens of them?
There are still no real answers to this dilemma and I don't see myself getting rid of my handbag collection anytime soon. I still love them, although my tote bag is starting to fall apart.
Whenever I can, I fill them with baked goods and give them to friends and family as gifts (shh, don’t tell anyone). I might even try to sell some on Vinted to make room for a new addition from an East London bakery. Should I buy Jolene or Pophams? What does that say about me?
