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  • Writer's pictureMariana Bier

Everything you should know about Tote Bags


Clutch Bag Maxi Tote
Clutch Bags NY Maxi Tote

Whether it is being used as an eco-friendly shopping bag or a go-to travel bag, the Maxi Tote Bag falls into the tote bag category, one of the most versatile and popular types of bag seen on the street today. You can carry a Tote Bag to a picnic at the park with your friends, or take it to the grocery store and on errands. With the Maxi Tote from Clutch Bags NY, the big size of this tote bag fits everything perfectly and then some. In this blog, we are going to learn the history of this versatile style of bag, the tote, and how its utilitarian design is being put into play now.


Tote Bag - How did it begin



Tote bags differente sizes
LL Bean Tote Bag/ From Global LL Bean Website

So, let's begin with the name, Tote Bag. Firstly, the name of the bag can be traced to its origins with the verb “to tote”, which means carry by hand. Secondly, to understand the history of this bag, we need to take it back to 1944. At that time, the company LL Bean came up with a bag that promised a solution to the problem of transporting ice from the car to the freezer. It needed to be a big bag, with lots of space in it, made with a structured material.


As time passed by, people realized that these bags could not only be used for carrying ice, but also for other daily activities. The LL Bean Bag was then being used as a shopping bag, to carry things from grocery stores, besides other comum uses.


Tote Bags in the city


In the 1980s, Tote Bags started to be popularized, especially by a movement from the bookstore The Strand. They sold a simple tote made of natural cotton duck canvas and an interior lining, which had the store name and signature on it. This was the first of indie bookstores, music stores, museums, coffee houses - and much more - to sell their own Tote Bags with their brand’s logo on it.


Eco-friendly bags


White plastic bag
Plastic Bag/ Unplash Image

Today, we see Tote Bags being sold as eco-friendly options for replacing plastic bags from the supermarket. So, a lot of advertisements are selling the idea of using totes as a sustainable replacement. But, research made by a UK Environmental Agency found that to be considered eco-friendly bags, the tote bags need to be used more than 131 times. Why? Because that is the number of times the bag will match the carbon expenditure of a single disposable plastic bag.



CB Tote Bags


A girl with a bag on the street
Clutch Bag Maxi Tote Bag

At Clutch Bags NY, we design and sell the Maxi Tote Bag: it comes in blue or gray denim. These are the best and biggest totes ever! Be it a trip to the laundry mat, the grocery store, the outdoor market, moving the kids' toys to Grandma's, or extra fun gear to pack in the car for the weekend – this tote satisfies and fits the bill for every situation. Visit our shop page and get yours now!

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