Tote Bags: The Real Cost

Tote Bags: The Real Cost

Cost per wear is the only figure that matters, and it favours the plain expensive thing over the interesting cheap one.

The Everyday Carry

What actually decides it

What decides this is capacity, closure and strap drop. Everything else is preference. Two from the first group show the range: Away's Riviera Straw Tote at $278, and Bare Necessities's Cotton Canvas Tote at $34. The first is the considered buy; the second is the one to start with. Unlined canvas is lighter but shows every mark; treat it before first use. Leather darkens where your hand sits, which is not damage; it is the bag settling.

How to wear it

Match the bag to the day, not the outfit. One structured bag does more work than three soft ones. From the second group, Away's Riviera Straw Tote in Black Seagrass ($278) is the one that earns its place, because it works in more than one context without being restyled. The third group is smaller and deliberately narrower, bags, for the decisions you make after the main one.

Worth Saving For

Our honest take

If you take one thing away: when it comes to totes one considered purchase beats three hedged ones.