Obsession Diaries: Every Tote Tells a Story

I began collecting totes on my trip to Scandinavia in 2011. I bought a tote in every city I visited and thought that would be it. Little did I know how much my collection would grow in the coming years. In recent years I bought a tote on almost every vacation and every city I visit. 
However, after assuming such an extensive inventory, I am considering scaling back and only buying totes when I encounter something truly unique or am in a very memorable place. 


Here are the stories of my tote obsession:

Nakameguro Blue Bottle store tote, purchased online, 2019

Korres tote, purchased online, 2019

Cycladic Museum tote, purchased in Athens, Greece, 2016

Delfonics tote, purchased in Tokyo, Japan, 2017

Livraria Lello bookstore tote, purchased in Porto, Portugal, 2018

Korean tote, gifted to me from a woman on the street in Seoul, Korea 2014

Astrup Fearnley Museum tote, purchased in Olso, Norway, 2011

Shimanekko tote, given to me in Shimane, Japan in 2014

Praha tote, purchased in Prague, Czech Republic, 2008

Rijksmuseum Tote, purchased in Amsterdam, Netherlands 2016

Brookyln Bar tote, purchased in Tokyo, Japan, 2017

Taipei MOCA tote, purcahsed in Taipei, Taiwan 2018

Marimekko tote, purchased in Helsinki, Finland 2011

Ornig and Reda tote, purchased in Stockholm,  Sweden 2011

Onsaya Coffee tote, purchased in Okayama, Japan 2013

The most well made tote I've received is from Monocle. It is made from sturdy canvas and has inner pockets for pens and phones. This was a gift for a subscription. 

The boyfriend shirt

Recently my partner and I have been cleaning out our closets to move into a new house. I found this old shirt of his which he doesn't wear anymore (deeming it "unfashionable"), so I attempted to pull it off.

Shirt: partner's closet

Jeans: Levi's

Tote: from Reykjavik

World Tote Collection

Thought it would be cool to share pictures of all the totes I've gotten from around the world. I didn't quite have a tote craze until my trip to Scandinavia, and most of these I actually got for free, but nonetheless I can still count them among my tote collection.

Lady Gaga tote from H&M, Montreal, Canada: $10

Pom Wonderful tote, USA: free

Promo tote from Nylon Japan, Tokyo, Japan: Free

Old town tore, Prague, Czech Republic: $5

Colorful Desert scene tote, Tokyo, Japan: $20

Thai Souvenir tote (gift), Thailand: free

Promo tote from Nylon Japan, Tokyo, Japan: free

Promo tote from Nylon Japan, Tokyo, Japan: free

What do I buy in Scandinavia: Origins fo the Tote Craze

In a follow up to the  post I did on Japan, I thought it might be good to talk about some of the things I bought on my trip to Scandinavia last year. 

I basically shopped my way through Scandinavia. No, it wasn't that bad,  but pretty much after one day in Iceland it became very obvious that there would be a reoccurring theme through my shopping adventure: totes. They were everywhere! And in so many cool designs! At such affordable prices! I decided that it would be cool to buy a tote (or two) from each city to commemorate my experience there. Not only did they fold up nicely in my tiny suitcase, but I also used them to haul things around. See, practical and memorable.

Ordning & Reda tote, Stockholm, Sweden: $15

Marimekko tote, Helsinki, Finland: $15

Astrup Fearnley Museet Gift shop tote, Oslo, Norway: $10

Tiger tote, Reykjavik, Iceland: $3

Torpedo tote, Oslo, Norway: $5

Design Week tote, Copenhagen, Denmark: Free

Tiger Tote, Copenhagen, Denmark: $3