How About A Weekend Tote For The Weekdays?

In these strange times, when our schedules have flipped and changed, why not consider a roomy, structured tote – the kind you’d normally reserve for a casual weekend trip to the grocer’s or on an errand run – as your everyday go-to?

By Gordon Ng, 27 May 2021

When Dior released its Book tote in 2018, the world had no idea the juggernaut the style would have on the world of bags. In quick order, it became one of the house’s best-selling contemporary icons – and one that Maria Grazia Chiuri has reinterpreted every season since.

The ones this pre-fall season include leopard print, a reference to the supernaturally stylish Mizza Bricard, one of Christian Dior’s original muses and inspirations.

You’ll find this shape in almost every designer and brand’s collections – and in a happily wide range of styles. The key to the structured tote is that its look was originally intended as a shopping bag for the weekend.

It’s a casual style – usually made in hardier canvas, rather than precious leather – meant for dumping your belongings in and heading out to the door on the weekends. In the past, that could’ve been brunch, or a leisurely stroll at the shops.

These days, though, there’s a case to be made for the blurring of the lines between casual and dressed up. Since we’re all working from home, “office” wear has been supplanted with lounge wear. And even if you’re the kind of person who needs to put on something a little less homely to get into a state of mind to start the day, chances are you still won’t be putting anything uncomfortable on.

Ditto your bag: instead of a tightly-edited carry with space only for the essentials, consider the practical and off-handedly chic virtues of a big ‘ol tote. Here’s our pick of the best.