I don’t remember
the last time I purchased an actual bag.
You know, the
practical ones for everyday use, with multiple compartments for all of your
bits and bobs to sit in safely and organised (I’ve heard these help you to
avoid tangling your headphone wires around well, everything). Instead, for the
last few years, I have spent my mornings deliberating over which off-white
canvas tote bag best compliments my outfit, and which slogan is ironic and
witty enough to represent my mood. Today, I’ve donned my ‘boob bag’.
Having the
mandatory university tote is a way to show off how very proud you are, as well
as ensuring your place in the very “cliquey” university landscape. My stance
however; if I spent four years working my butt off to make it into my top
choice university, I’m probably going to want to brag about it. We aren’t like
the American students, decked out in the caps and hoodies emblazoned with our
campus’ names though. One day they might make a resurgence, but with fashion
students, as you can imagine, these are a little less popular, so the tote is
naturally the next best thing. It also goes great with the desired effortless
aesthetic every creative youth is striving for.
I raise my hands
because I never chose the tote life, the tote life chose me – my argument is
simply: “I’m a fashion student - it’s a necessity.” It’s what I keep telling
myself anyway, but you’ll probably find that you will very rarely come across a
creative student without them. I am a complete tote bag fiend, but don’t really
know what the desire is to be entirely honest. They get grubby exceptionally
quickly and are prone to the odd hole here and there, but they’re a bit like an
old pair of Converse or Dr Martens: at their prime with a bit of wear. Enough
to make it look old school, but not too much that they become too revealing.
They’re so
disposable and easy to come by (often free might I add*) that by the time one
bag has reached its durability expectancy, it’s likely my preference has gone
elsewhere, so I’ll happily replace it with another. There are many a-reason to
why I favour them so much, they’re just so convenient. They mould to anything
that you desire to carry, very little restriction in what you can pack in
there, and if they’re bigger, that’s even better!
*PSA on the idea
tote bags are generally free – industry professionals have caught on. They know
how very popular these little, seemingly insignificant bags have become, and
everyone is cashing in. You’ve recently been to that super cool, niche
exhibition? There’s a tote for that. You’ve been
in and looked around that large quirky bookshop?
There’s a tote for that. You went to American Apparel when they still had
shops? There used to be a tote for that (you indie dogs), but unfortunately
there currently is not.
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Image taken from Never Fully Dressed.
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