tote bag take over
by avery stoltzfus
Backpacks are out, totes are in. Walk across campus and you’ll see it: a sea of canvas, nylon, and leather bags dangling from shoulders, finally giving education a chance to rock the runway. From coffee shop study sessions to late-night library runs, the humble tote, once a freebie at bookstores or farmers’ markets, has ascended to full-blown style icon status. What used to be a practical school supply has turned into a total style statement.
We need to clear one thing up… when we say ‘tote’, we’re not only talking about the flimsy canvas bag you got at orientation. The tote family has a range. There’s the Longchamp Le Pliage, loved by study-abroad students everywhere, the Marc Jacobs “The Tote Bag” which shouts its identity at you in block letters, and the L.L. Bean Boat & Tote – Gen Z’s attempt at irony. Lastly, a cult-favorite, the Telfar Shopping Bag, gives us equal parts accessory and political statement. Tote bags are less of a category and more of a movement. A movement that says, “I have places to be other than Dyson.”
Practicality meets personality, with digital textbooks and sleek laptops replacing heavy stacks of books, students no longer need the industrial strength of the classic North Face backpack. Instead, they need versatility; the same bag that carries your MacBook to class can also hold your late-night Shop Rite snacks, a sweater, and a bottle of wine later that night.
Here’s the true genius behind the tote… while backpacks have keychains, totes have identity. Whether you are customizing charm chains to hang from the handles or meticulously wrapping them with a silk scarf, your personality can shine. Let’s be honest: a tote is basically the Pinterest board of bags. Sleek. Minimalist. Effortlessly cool. Unlike backpacks that scream, “I am functional,” totes whisper, “I read The New Yorker.” Of course, we must stop for a second and be realistic; hauling a laptop, water bottle, and three spiral notebooks on one shoulder… that’s a doctor’s bill waiting to happen. But, as Carrie Bradshaw would remind us, fashion has always demanded sacrifice. On college campuses, sore shoulders are a tiny price to pay for being effortlessly chic.
The tote isn’t just a bag; it’s a mirror of student culture. With lighter academic baggage, a heavier emphasis on self-expression, and a craving for style, there is only one correct answer. Whether thrifted, designer, ironic, or personalized, the tote bag has dethroned the backpack.