The humble tote bag is proving itself to be an ever-versatile, budget-friendly and increasingly necessary (thank you, plastic bag ban) accessory that’s fast-becoming the canvas of choice for local labels. Here are several to stash your stuff in:

In a food-meets-fashion pairing that many will no doubt gobble right up, local label Joshu+Vela have teamed up with Tartine to launch a series of individually-numbered, organic cotton totes hand-stenciled with the bakery’s logo and sold exclusively at the bakery.

Made from start to finish in Joshu+Velas’s San Francisco studio, the bags ($40) come in two styles. One is a traditional shopper tote with two straps. The other is a bike-friendly bag designed in collaboration with Tartine’s Chad Robertson that can be worn over the shoulder or across the body, thanks to a single adjustable strap.


Making an impact with famous phrases are totes from Quote Couture, whose canvas bags (reg. $25, currently on sale for $20) come in four colors and feature quotations from the likes of Virgil, Henry Ford and Gandhi. Founded by the folks behind Kiva Team Africa, the San Francisco-based company lends a portion of its profits to low-income African entrepreneurs.

Another line of totes with a purpose comes from San Francisco’s Betty Blake, whose Give Back Project donates profits from the sales of the Year of the Tiger tote ($10) to National Geographic’s Big Cat Initiative and its efforts to raise awareness about endangered big cats facing extinction in Africa and Asia.