Whether it is a supermarket, the latest Sally Rooney novel or a luxurious butcher, the tote bag is a declaration of values, and the principles of this era accompany the goods

Naturally, neither you nor I are the kind of people who wield ostentatious handbags that show off their brand provenance in a ostentatious way. That doesn't work at all, does it? We would not be so reckless in our dreams. Link our tribal identity to the store where we spend money? as if!

Except... wait a minute. I just looked down at the bag under the office desk. Not my handbag, but my overflowing handbag. This morning it took my water bottle and a piece of clothing and threw it to the dry cleaner; on the way home, I will use it when I take things for dinner. The name Ginger Pig is printed with gorgeous lettering on its sturdy oatmeal linen. The Ginger Pig is a luxurious butcher shop. In the smaller letters, it proclaims "the butchers and farmers of rare species raised in the North York Moors", which sounds prettier than the vegetable curry I'm actually going to cook tonight.

If it is not Ginger Pig, it may be a Daunts Books package. I even have a guardian somewhere. This is my smug theory. The handbag is to the 21st century what the button badge on the lapel is to the 20th century. This is a declaration of values ​​in an era where principles are accompanied by commodities. This is as a citizen of consumerism. You either pay for a branded handbag or you get it because you bought something else. Bookstore handbags tell the world that you not only read books, but also tell the world that you have excellent taste in retail locations. The museum bag is a souvenir of cultural adventures-more specifically, the time you spent in the gift shop.

The cultural capital of tote bags can be simple (Waitrose's undyed linen vibe is better than Sainsbury's fancy orange), but it can also be a puzzling niche. The Daunts Books bag is a classic, but please make sure you have the correct color: just like Hunter rain boots, olive green is a connoisseur’s choice, so don’t be fooled by gray.

Popular new books from Sally Rooney or Hilary Mantel arrive at the store with their own handbag, which is a limited edition trophy for early adopters. As for my personal favorite niche tote bag flex: yell at the man I saw on bus 73, one of them has the legendary "National Portrait Gallery Member", the last word is red To ensure that no one confuses his level of commitment with the art of non-card civilians.

With handbags getting smaller and smaller and working days longer and longer, handbags have become ubiquitous. Now your diary, address book, travel ticket, membership card and newspaper are all stored on your phone. The bag that puts your valuables around can be smaller and lighter, which is great, except that there is no place to put your fitness Tights or a packed lunch or a birthday card you bought at lunch time. This is where the handbag comes in. They have become an important part of daily necessities, and now plastic shopping bags signify a person's recklessness and irresponsibility.

However, a 2018 study by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food challenged our assumption that tote bags are an environmentally friendly option. The conclusion is that cotton tote bags consume a lot of water during the production process and must be used 20,000 times to offset their own Consumption. Influence. This has been every day for 54 years-this is a big problem, considering most of us have a drawer full of things.

But I suspect that their downgraded ecological certificate is not enough to kill the handbag. Because these bags are about identity, not just carrying things. hang on. Has the It bag just been washed green?