Link to original post: [drupal=2252]Fashion Blog: Tote-al-it-tarian.[/drupal]
I am not the kind of girl who is 'into' purses. I can appreciate them, the great ones, especially that are all buttery and leather and lovely, and I recognize the certain whatever-it-is that they can add to an outfit, not to mention their inherent necessity, but I've never been one-with or in-synch with purses. I suppose if everyone can be fit into a neat little box of Shoe Girl or Bag Girl, I am certainly the former.
Because no matter what I always turn back to the tote. The trusty canvas tote, with its dirty handles and the bottom stained from a leaking water bottle. They have no inside pockets, as they are the most basic of bags, and so all those little neat things like lip gloss and iPods and cell phones, bobby pins and all manner of weird little tchotchkes that make living frivolously possible trundle around the bottom and inevitably get smashed or worn. It drives me insane but I can't seem to stick to anything else really. I tend to favour the traditional canvas tote-bag, even though it gets really dirty (and I know you can wash it, but it never is quite the same is it? It's like when you wash your stuffed animal and it comes out different and sometimes it's missing an eye). I think it's cool. I mean, almost everyone uses a tote bag. Some are snobbish about it, I'm sure, and would never, but even then I'm sure they do use one now and then to throw an extra pair of shoes (or eight), or snacks for the drive, or piles of books.
They are sturdy things. My favorite one was six dollars from the J. Crew outlet. It is large (and in charge) and has a pig on it., and is made of honest-to-god canvas. It says LA FERME or something, because we think we are francaise, in blue and red. It is glorious now in its degradation. I haven't used it for a week because it got so dirty I started to feel a little strange about it, but I keep looking at it hanging on the doorknob and knowing, in the back of my head and heart, that I'm going to go back to it. Maybe I'll try to wash it.
Ideally, I will be able to find a new tote. The other thing about totes is that they are, theoretically, guilt-free. You toss them around and then get a new one. I am of course, as is the luxury of the spoiled, particular about said totes. The design has to be right, because if it's too twee, it's just that. Avoid the twee-est of the twee. I don't like the ones that have the 'flat bottoms' (in quotations for no reason) because they are hysterical in their call for order, and then they just disappoint you in the end and get all messy anyway. I'm not sure what I mean by that, but you get the idea. The straps then are also important, because they have to be sturdy—otherwise they get all crinkly and useless and hang on your arm like floss and you can't put anything heavy in it anyway if the straps aren't strong enough.
I also feel like the tote goes with everything. I don't really mean that. Almost everything. I wouldn't wear it to a fancy-pants event or anything, but I really like how it demystifies an outfit. I guess a tote sort of anchors it, like black tights, or v-neck t-shirts. I can wear the frilliest outfit and THEN wear a tote, and suddenly it seems balanced. With a t-shirt and jeans and cute flats (something I'm learning to embrace, although dangly earrings help) it's an earnest attempt at effortless dressing. Maybe I'm delusional, but it's how I feel at the moment.
I think I'll eventually end up breaking down and snagging an Alphabet Bag for myself, once I commit to a design.
I am not the kind of girl who is 'into' purses. I can appreciate them, the great ones, especially that are all buttery and leather and lovely, and I recognize the certain whatever-it-is that they can add to an outfit, not to mention their inherent necessity, but I've never been one-with or in-synch with purses. I suppose if everyone can be fit into a neat little box of Shoe Girl or Bag Girl, I am certainly the former.
Because no matter what I always turn back to the tote. The trusty canvas tote, with its dirty handles and the bottom stained from a leaking water bottle. They have no inside pockets, as they are the most basic of bags, and so all those little neat things like lip gloss and iPods and cell phones, bobby pins and all manner of weird little tchotchkes that make living frivolously possible trundle around the bottom and inevitably get smashed or worn. It drives me insane but I can't seem to stick to anything else really. I tend to favour the traditional canvas tote-bag, even though it gets really dirty (and I know you can wash it, but it never is quite the same is it? It's like when you wash your stuffed animal and it comes out different and sometimes it's missing an eye). I think it's cool. I mean, almost everyone uses a tote bag. Some are snobbish about it, I'm sure, and would never, but even then I'm sure they do use one now and then to throw an extra pair of shoes (or eight), or snacks for the drive, or piles of books.
They are sturdy things. My favorite one was six dollars from the J. Crew outlet. It is large (and in charge) and has a pig on it., and is made of honest-to-god canvas. It says LA FERME or something, because we think we are francaise, in blue and red. It is glorious now in its degradation. I haven't used it for a week because it got so dirty I started to feel a little strange about it, but I keep looking at it hanging on the doorknob and knowing, in the back of my head and heart, that I'm going to go back to it. Maybe I'll try to wash it.
Ideally, I will be able to find a new tote. The other thing about totes is that they are, theoretically, guilt-free. You toss them around and then get a new one. I am of course, as is the luxury of the spoiled, particular about said totes. The design has to be right, because if it's too twee, it's just that. Avoid the twee-est of the twee. I don't like the ones that have the 'flat bottoms' (in quotations for no reason) because they are hysterical in their call for order, and then they just disappoint you in the end and get all messy anyway. I'm not sure what I mean by that, but you get the idea. The straps then are also important, because they have to be sturdy—otherwise they get all crinkly and useless and hang on your arm like floss and you can't put anything heavy in it anyway if the straps aren't strong enough.
I also feel like the tote goes with everything. I don't really mean that. Almost everything. I wouldn't wear it to a fancy-pants event or anything, but I really like how it demystifies an outfit. I guess a tote sort of anchors it, like black tights, or v-neck t-shirts. I can wear the frilliest outfit and THEN wear a tote, and suddenly it seems balanced. With a t-shirt and jeans and cute flats (something I'm learning to embrace, although dangly earrings help) it's an earnest attempt at effortless dressing. Maybe I'm delusional, but it's how I feel at the moment.
I think I'll eventually end up breaking down and snagging an Alphabet Bag for myself, once I commit to a design.
