The cotton tote bag has become a form of social currency. Think about the girl in flared jeans, a white tee, and an oversized coat strutting down King’s Parade. She is cool (no doubt) and carefree. But add a tote from the Met, or one from Shakespeare and Co. and instantly, her status is elevated. Does she live in New York or Paris, or did she go on holiday there? Does she study art history? 

The bag raises questions about the wearer, keeps us intrigued without giving away too much. It serves as a subtle nod to the places they have visited and the shops they frequent, with a hint of understated elegance. Of course, the cotton tote was also thought to be sustainable. That is, until now. 

In an explosive piece, the New York Times shattered the hearts of many when uncovering the environmental impact of cotton totes. To offset its carbon footprint, studies show that each bag needs to be used 20,000 times. So in honour of cherishing the totes that are already in our closet, the Varsity team have rallied together to pay homage to our favourite type of bag.

Isabel Sebode, Varsity Editor-in-Chief 

Like many people nowadays, I wear tote bags every day and own quite the collection by now. One is from the Museum of the History of Medicine in Berlin, one from the Dior exhibition in Granville, one I just randomly found on the street. Yet, my favourite one by far is one I got printed on Redbubble, with a photograph taken by my best friend on it. On it you can see the broken LED lights outside a strip club in Soho. What I love about the bag is the feminist message that the image projects: ironically so, given the actual location it was taken from. Even more I love the fact that my best friend took the picture — I can be certain that almost no one else has this bag (although more people should!).

Margherita Volpato, Vulture Deputy Editor

They say the best things in life are free. Well, it was certainly the case for me and my trusty tote bag, which I have scrupulously used unscrupulously, the permanent stains and marks on its surface signs of its constant employment. I don’t actually remember how it first landed in my hands. I know that, at some point, it had ended up in the cupboard under the stairs and I’d decided that it was plain enough to be passed off as somewhat effortlessly chic. It has since been my constant companion in Cambridge and elsewhere — it has even made it to the Spanish coast this year, where it has garnered many more stains (their permanent status yet to be confirmed) being my trusty beach bag. My mum still berates me for using it, especially now that it has seen better days. But I find myself adversely against the idea of throwing it away, or, even-worse, passing it on to someone else. It’s a small rebellious act, against my mother, and perhaps fashion etiquette, that one’s accessories need to reflect some sort of trend (and potentially be stainless) to look good and feel comfortable. I’ve embraced the tote-mania full heartedly, but very loyally. It is now a companion, not an accessory which I plan to quit using once this mania trend is over.

Olivia Rhodes, Fashion Editor

Before arriving in Cambridge as a fresher last year, I had a mental image of myself floating on the autumn breeze from library to coffee shop to one Cambridge architectural beauty after another. But required for all these excursions, of course, would be a book, coffee cup, four lip products, my laptop, wallet, keys, probably another book — and that would be packing light, alongside your standard essentials. Something practical and outfit-complementing was necessary, so into service came my Urban Outfitters tote bought specifically for the purpose. Now, this bag has come with me everywhere, at its bottom crumpled receipts from lunch with various combinations of my favourite people and crystals from Cornish cliffs I explored this summer. Despite being the most virulent loather of mess and unnecessary clutter, I leave those mementos in there. They, like the memories that accompany them, are part of my bag.

Eliane Bedu, Fashion Columnist

I believe that tote bags have wrongly become stereotypical of Humanities students who take themselves way too seriously as they read Jane Austen in a park, carrying totes bearing political slogans or abstract art representations. I obviously have nothing against those, on the contrary. But, in an attempt to mock these stereotypes, I decided to buy the cheugiest tote bag I could find. This was back in 2018 in London, and I ended up buying a commemorative tote bag of Harry and Meghan’s wedding. How ironic is it now? Megxit having been well consummated, the tote has become my favourite one, being now funnier than ever.

Eleanor Antoniou, Fashion Columnist

I adore my Daunt Books tote; I know that so many Londoners have this bag, but that somehow adds to the charm because it means that it reminds me of my love for London.  Instead of going abroad this summer, I made the most of living next door to the city, and took my tote on every trip: perfectly sized and matching with everything.  My summer memories are all attached to this bag: picnics in the park, art galleries, sunsets, lavender fields and reuniting with my friends from home.  Collected at the bottom are the remnants of my summer, memories I don’t want to clear out or forget, held together in the canvas, a tote now forever full of happiness and summer sunshine.

Eva Morris, Fashion Columnist

My favourite tote is a small tote from Undercover. From their spring-summer 2009 collection, it has a short description of ‘Graces’ on the inside and a depiction of these creatures in an image labelled ‘The Blooming Hut’ on the outside. This tote accompanied me on many a trip to 6th form. As it is a smaller tote, I only ever took it if there was no P.E., as I needed less space, and so accompanies many a good memory escaping the sweaty hell that is physical exertion. I also love it as it is one of the many items in my wardrobe which my twin brother recommended I get first, as he had spotted it on Ebay, and every time I use it it’s a reminder of how much my wardrobe isn’t just shaped by me.

Anna Chan, Fashion Contributor

I got this tote bag at the MOMA store in Tokyo a few years ago (I’m a poser who’d never actually been to MOMA but was obsessed with their YouTube channel). I love the simplicity of the design subtly perverted by the ants making up the black font, but the clincher was the fact that ants were crawling around and up the handle. Its fabric is also thicker than the typical tote. I always cradle it on my lap when I sit on the subway, and stuff it into a round mass full of my essentials to go out for a study session.