Short History of the Tote Bag

Our first product is a massive tote bag – but the next step up: to carry all your gear wherever you go. With the pockets needed for your bag to be organised. Our design and colour choice is timeless, as these bags are designed to last. 

But where did the tote bag come from?

Even though humans have carried their stuff around in cloths/animal hide etc. from very early on, the word “tote” can be traced back to the 17th century. “To tote” meant “to carry” – and even though totes had a practical function, some were decorated with jewels or embroidery – to show the status of a person. A bit like with some handbags today….

The tote bag is a large bag with two parallel handles on each of the sides, made of strong and sturdy cloth material – to ensure it could carry whatever you asked it to. The tote bag we know today originates from the 40’s when a US company LL Bean created their first bag to carry wood and ice.

During the 50’s the tote bag became a staple item and the bag of choice for grocery shopping. But it wasn’t until the 60’s it was considered a fashion item.

Today the term “tote” is used as a common term for a bag that functions like one of the original ice bags, but also resembles it design wise. Although we have different ways now to carry ice – we still enjoy the functionality of the bag to carry beach gear, gym gear, sports gear, your work stuff, shopping, picnic items etc.

We have designed our tote to be big enough to carry all your gear wherever you go, with lots of pockets to make you stay organised, and the fabric has been treated with wax so that it is water resistant.

Featured below is the ALL THE DAYS Oversized Tote in Nordic Blue.