The Tote is Destined for a Comeback

But with nowhere to go, will the current climate hinder its return to the top?

Big bags—think totes, hobos and oversized satchels—were all the rage around 10-15 years ago. If you take a look back at the very many bags celebs carried back in the 2000s, the obsession with big bags is incredibly apparent. The love for an oversized purse does not come without warrant, for it’s impossible to ignore the functionality of a carryall, allowing its user to tote around (pun intended!) everything he/she needs in a given day.

Today, the tote is destined for a comeback. The big bag’s return can largely be attributed to cult-designer favorites of the last couple of years like Dior’s Book Tote, Louis Vuitton’s Onthego, and Daniel Lee’s maxi Intrecciato totes for Bottega Veneta. And when designers showed their fall 2020 collections earlier this year, the runway proved that big bags were destined for a much anticipated comeback.

Fast forward to last month when fall 2020’s bag pre-orders began to hit our favorite online shopping destinations and it became even more apparent that totes, specifically buttery soft carryalls, were back. This resurgence in oversized purses, and specifically totes, comes at a pivotal point in history. As many people have scaled back (and for good reason) on their outings and activities, is the need for a big bag obsolete? Or on the flip side, with this new normal is the tote prized to become more than just a purse, but rather a much needed accessory to house everything you may need for a given excursion?

While it’s clear that many people are forced to shop less given the current economic climate, it’s also hard to ignore that what we carry on the day to day is changing drastically, making now no better time than ever for the tote to return to the top. Check out some of our favorite totes and carryalls below!