First, I really like this newsletter and I have no idea who behind all these gems.
Here and there I spot some girls walking with a Billabong tote that became fashionable here.
Even though I don’t carry totes at all, I like its shape. The sense of signaling reminds me a collectible item that’s no longer produced—like a physical NFT if that’s makes sense.
this is a great comment! we like that the newsletter is kind of inexplicable, though we do put the bylines first thing before the article. Where are you located? Send us a photo of the tote!
I still love a tote but I feel like baseball hats have become the modern tote. I also feel like carrying around physical books and choosing to read in public when I can vs being on my phone is also always a great conversation starter... especially with older generations who just seem so stoked to see someone reading an actual book. I love connecting with people and totes still serve that function in a city like Atlanta where I live because it’s fairly diverse in thought and style, a mix of OG Atlantans but also a transient city so you get transplants from other interesting places. The diversity means whatever tote you carry might connect you with a select few, and chances are you’re likeminded :)
my ever expanding baseball cap collection definitely tells me that hats are the new form of swag, especially embroidered ones. The strength is that they are very public, the disadvantage is not much real estate for design.
company merch is a thing here especially in tech. I often see people wearing backpacks, hoodies and t-shirts and know where they work(ed).
The only visible text I wear are 2 t-shirts with band names. The totes are a small collection of souvenirs from cultural institutions from different parts of Europe that nobody has ever commented on or noticed
haha I love "cultural institutions from different parts of Europe that nobody has ever commented on or noticed," that definitely describes many tote bags
both of these 👆 became so popular that I don't even dare to wear any of them anymore haha. fortunately for skaters we still recognize each other by a quick look at our shoes.
I've never liked the tote-as-statement-of-tribe any more than I ever liked band-tee-shirt-as-statement-of-tribe. Something's always felt icky about advertising on behalf of whatever, or identifying with consumer brands. It's no longer something I exert effort NOT to do, but when my person is branded it's incidental rather than chosen.
Consequently, my 'totes' when I need to carry stuff are just those re-usable shopping bags from the local supermarket. "What? It's the same thing." I carry my stuff in a backpack anyway, better for your posture.
Ooh didn't expect to see Morro Fi in the comments section of this post! Stopped by their shop last month and didn't walk away with a tote but brought back a few bottles of Vermut - some of my favorite I had in the city!
First, I really like this newsletter and I have no idea who behind all these gems.
Here and there I spot some girls walking with a Billabong tote that became fashionable here.
Even though I don’t carry totes at all, I like its shape. The sense of signaling reminds me a collectible item that’s no longer produced—like a physical NFT if that’s makes sense.
this is a great comment! we like that the newsletter is kind of inexplicable, though we do put the bylines first thing before the article. Where are you located? Send us a photo of the tote!
Probably similar https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d1fdc9_fca562e49f1e4a5785b61760d88b303c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_480,h_600,al_c,lg_1,q_80,enc_auto/d1fdc9_fca562e49f1e4a5785b61760d88b303c~mv2.jpg
I still love a tote but I feel like baseball hats have become the modern tote. I also feel like carrying around physical books and choosing to read in public when I can vs being on my phone is also always a great conversation starter... especially with older generations who just seem so stoked to see someone reading an actual book. I love connecting with people and totes still serve that function in a city like Atlanta where I live because it’s fairly diverse in thought and style, a mix of OG Atlantans but also a transient city so you get transplants from other interesting places. The diversity means whatever tote you carry might connect you with a select few, and chances are you’re likeminded :)
my ever expanding baseball cap collection definitely tells me that hats are the new form of swag, especially embroidered ones. The strength is that they are very public, the disadvantage is not much real estate for design.
company merch is a thing here especially in tech. I often see people wearing backpacks, hoodies and t-shirts and know where they work(ed).
The only visible text I wear are 2 t-shirts with band names. The totes are a small collection of souvenirs from cultural institutions from different parts of Europe that nobody has ever commented on or noticed
haha I love "cultural institutions from different parts of Europe that nobody has ever commented on or noticed," that definitely describes many tote bags
happened to me with a few items in the past:
- a Thrasher tee
- a Supreme hat
both of these 👆 became so popular that I don't even dare to wear any of them anymore haha. fortunately for skaters we still recognize each other by a quick look at our shoes.
those have really become so universal!! like they don't mean anything specific anymore
I've never liked the tote-as-statement-of-tribe any more than I ever liked band-tee-shirt-as-statement-of-tribe. Something's always felt icky about advertising on behalf of whatever, or identifying with consumer brands. It's no longer something I exert effort NOT to do, but when my person is branded it's incidental rather than chosen.
Consequently, my 'totes' when I need to carry stuff are just those re-usable shopping bags from the local supermarket. "What? It's the same thing." I carry my stuff in a backpack anyway, better for your posture.
A hot brooklyn tote is in stock again: https://facciabruttospirits.com/products/tote-bag
the only aperitif tote bags we do are Morro Fi https://morrofi.cat/
Ooh didn't expect to see Morro Fi in the comments section of this post! Stopped by their shop last month and didn't walk away with a tote but brought back a few bottles of Vermut - some of my favorite I had in the city!
such good vermouth
A classic!