The ‘Canvas tote bag’ has definitely become a category of itself in the twenty-first century,  first hitting major spotlight back in the day when Anya Hindmarch launched the infamous “I’m not a plastic bag”.

(ABOVE: Soraam)

Not only is it a good selling point for designers’ alike to feature reusable accessories into their fashion lines, but it also acted as an environmental statement, encouraging others to use fewer disposable plastic sacks.

Those brands, who are smart enough to know that their ethics must reflect, and be in sync with the social patterns of our current behaviour, must know that we have a ever-growing appetite for greener things.

If you have not noticed, every clothing label now sells some sort of tote, from Marc by Marc Jacobs, to Stella McCartney.

(ABOVE: Skinny Vinny)

The tote movement seems to be a girl thing back in the mid to late 2000’s when it became what everyone was talking about, and only in the past two-three years has it put more attention into menswear.

(ABOVE: Skinny Vinny)

People have a perception that totes are equivalent to grocery bags or something that is not necessarily posh and stylish enough to carry for work.

(ABOVE: Levis)

Those people should think twice, before telling people that the only thing that is as close to looking expensive and luxurious is to carry something made out of leather, and probably from a rare animal that suffered in a lot of pain when being slaughtered.

(ABOVE & BELOW: Mismo)

For those of you, who are anti-leather, or am looking for a canvas tote that could easily transcend from work to a night out, here are some suggestions from Mismo available at Kapok online store (ka-pok.com), Levis, Hasso (behasso.com), Soraam and Skinny Vinny available at supermarkethq.com

- Michael Cheung -

(ABOVE: Hasso)