The Beauty of the Bean Bag

The Beauty of the Bean Bag

Written by Jake Silbert2 days ago in Stylell bean

Every few years, culture rediscovers the L.L.Bean tote bag, officially (and adorably) named the Boat 'n Tote. Every time it does, I say good: L.L.Bean's signature bag is probably the single greatest tote bag ever created.

L.L.Bean's tote so good that over 80 years after it was conceived as a method of lugging around ice blocks, we're still discussing its relevance while new generations come around to its simple brilliance.

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Anecdotally, I've been witnessing a real Bean Bag boom here in New York. Perhaps due to impressively overt ongoing demand for the derivative Trader Joe's tote, L.L.Bean's Boat 'n Tote is riding a wave.

Years after that whole Balenciaga Bean Bag situation, young people are still customizing their Boat 'n Totes with personalized embroidery — a service offered in-house by L.L.Bean — secondhand shops are slinging vintage editions, and the overt homages roll out en masse season after season, varying in form from paean to parody. Read more about it here.