Simple, Chic & Functional

Courtesy of L.L. Bean

Hope you all are having a good week. If you are in the US, I hope you had a nice long Memorial Day Weekend. I had an extended weekend that began last Wednesday. I spent the weekend in Cambridge and Boston with my family attending and celebrating my brother’s graduation from HBS- we’re all so proud of him. It was a lovely weekend indeed.

In my mind, nothing signifies the return of Summer Hours and quick weekend getaways like the classic L.L. Bean Boat and Tote. Originally designed to haul ice “from the car to the ice chest” when block ice was used to keep food fresh in an icebox. There’s comfort in knowing that after more than sixty-five years; the design, construction and notion of functionality remain. 

The heavy-duty cotton canvas just gets better with wear. The reinforced bottom allows me to haul clothes (and more importantly shoes), pétanque sets, picnic supplies and mounds of library books. The extra-large tote is larger than I am, but the long handles make it easy to manage. After years of use, there’s a worn in perfection. 

I unearthed one of my totes this past weekend. I love travel and all of its’ accoutrements- functional and chic luggage, trunks and train cases. Yet, my favorite summer getaways to Sag Harbor, Oak Bluffs and Charlottesville, Virginia call for the ease of a simple but elegant tote. Precious luggage just won’t do when you’re hoping on the jitney or a ferry. The classic monogram is essential to insure that there are no bag mix-ups.

The classic tote is a reminder of just how fleeting summer is with its Kinfolk-like gatherings and days spent by the sea. There’s not much spontaneity to my life at the moment, but hopefully we’ll get there one day.

PS- Here’s a short little video on the handcrafted tote.