There are a few items that every student needs: pencils, paper, eraser, and most importantly something to put it all in. For a long time, backpacks have been the epitome of student utility. Two straps make them soft on students’ shoulders, while their large capacity makes them perfect for a load of textbooks. Yet, more and more students have begun to reject their two strapped bags for the humble tote bag.
Technically, a tote is any medium to large bag that has two parallel handles. This means that a tote could go from a $100,000 Birkin to a $2 plain canvas bag. With so many different varieties, how do you choose the perfect one?
Avid tote bag user, Junior Chloe Woodroofe said, “I would never use something with a weird texture or something like that, it’s canvas or nothing.”
Even the classic canvas tote can have a major variety from one to another. Bookstores are some of the most popular places to find a good tote. They prove you aren’t illiterate and have perhaps even read a book once. Bookstore totes have gotten so popular that when I visited the Shakespeare and Company bookstore, every single person who walked out the exit had one on their shoulder (very few with any books in sight). Have tote bags become a symbol of pseudo-intellectualism? Have we reached an age where people care more about looking like they read rather than the actual reading? Or maybe bookstore tote bags are just a cute way to remember the places you’ve been.
Junior and backpack user Alex Phelan gave his thoughts on tote bags. “They’re cool, I guess. But doesn’t it hurt your shoulder?” Phelan said.
Comfort is definitely one of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a tote bag.
“One shoulder is definitely more indented than the other,” Woodroofe said.
A good rule of thumb is to get a tote bag with reinforced straps so they distribute weight evenly instead of digging into your shoulder.
“Totes are just so cutesy but they only make sense if you have a car or locker because you probably can’t fit everything” said Senior Aliviana Bacca-Lastra
This begs the question, has wearing a tote bag become a status symbol on campus? In a school that has some of the most unused lockers in the world, does having a tote bag equal having a car? It’s common knowledge that having a car in high school immediately puts you a step up on the social ladder. When people get a car all of a sudden their car-less peers gather around and beg for a ride (me included). Perhaps carrying a tote bag has become the new car-key lanyard, jingling around haphazardly and letting everyone know your status on campus.
At the end of the day, a tote is just a bag, another way to carry around your stuff. It doesn’t really matter what type of bag you use to carry your Chromebook but I still think that adding a personal touch is key. Pins are a very simple way to make your bag unique. Having your favorite band or artist displayed on your person gives strangers a little look into who you are before speaking to you.
“A good tote floats my boat,” Woodrooffe said.
