"Last fall, I thrifted my way through Tokyo. As I tried on one pair of vintage Levi's after another, I was struck by how the Japanese seemed to have a better perception of American style than Americans themselves. They say that sometimes you need to go somewhere new to appreciate what you have at home. That's how, suddenly and without warning, I became consumed with desire for the humble, canvas masterpiece that is the L.L.Bean Boat and Tote."
"The bag is perfect in the way a red apple sitting on a teacher's desk is perfect. It's classic, without ornament, the kind of thing that expresses its utility in its design. It's both ubiquitous and aspirational, stirring up images of a dreamy East Coast: a white-sand, Nantucket beach; a shabby, wood-planked boathouse on the coast of Maine; a Gothic-inspired Ivy League campus. If I owned this bag, I too could channel the chic simplicity of Carolyn Besette Kennedy."
""Demand for the Boat and Tote is up 43% year-over-year," says Alex Intraversato, L.L. Bean's chief merchandise officer. "Some styles and colors sold out faster than expected this summer, and therefore were on backorder for a short time." In fact, the Boat and Tote has been the top item for new buyer growth in the past two years, Intraversato says."
A thrift-shopping trip in Tokyo sparked a desire for the L.L.Bean Boat and Tote after noticing Japanese appreciation for American style. The tote is celebrated as a simple, utilitarian canvas bag that evokes East Coast imagery—Nantucket beaches, Maine boathouses, and Ivy League campuses—and a classic, understated aesthetic. The narrator delayed purchase until returning to New York, only to encounter backorders and resale markup in vintage shops. L.L. Bean reports demand up 43% year-over-year, with certain styles selling out and driving new-buyer growth. The bag originated in 1944 in Brunswick, Maine as an ice carrier created by Leon Leonwood Bean.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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