The Infamous Tote

When I think about LL Bean, I think about their infamous canvas tote and of course the Bean boot (but we're not going there). Rugged, large, dirty, in the past it's place was on a boat, a vessel for boat shoes and sunblock. Not today, the classic "Boat and Tote" as it has been called since the 1960's (who knew!) is EVERYWHERE from Freeport, Maine to London and it's actually grown on me! Having lived here for most of my life I can honestly say that until 4 days ago, I had never owned or considered owning one of these totes. It was last week when someone dropped off some things and said "Keep the bag" that I became the owner of a large, once white LL Bean Tote with someone else's monogram. It has already been lugged around on my fashion hunts and proved itself quite useful. I learned a lot visiting the LL Bean website about the classic tote. It originated in 1944 as the "Ice Carrier" and was actually used to haul ice in addition to lots of other things. Now you can buy them in any color and they even come in leather! If you haven't ever seen the LL Bean Tote for some bizarre reason you should check it out. If you have a Bean Tote that you have personalized in some way either with paint, fabric, a bedazzler, or whatever, send me a photo, I'll feature it here. If you are still not convinced, check out this Vintage 80's purple ballet tote, maybe it's more your speed.