When it comes down to it, we’re tied to just a handful of essentials: Phone, wallet, keys, maybe a lip product and headphones if you really want to cover your bases. Too much for a pocket, these small yet crucial items usually float aimlessly in a big bag. You need something to contain them on a quick walk to the bodega, something to pop onto the passenger seat for a drive across town. Enter the tiny tote. Everything you need, nothing you don’t.
The ideal version has simple top handles and not much else, not even a closure. No pockets and no closure gives you the freedom to really stuff it, but the size means nothing is getting lost in the depths. And the best part of the tiny tote? It fits ever so easily into a larger bag. Essentials in the little bag for day-to-day use, little bag goes into the big bag when necessary—call it nesting, simple as that.
Both the practical and aesthetic appeal of these simple, tiny totes have officially caught on in a big way, and we’re lucky to have a flood of tiny tote options as summer approaches. From The Row and Miu Miu to L.L. Bean and Zara, in canvas or nylon, satin, raffia, suede, or crochet, there is a tiny tote out there for you and we can practically guarantee you won’t let it go for months to come. The sooner you have one in your life, the sooner you gain true freedom from the schlepp. Below, our favorite tiny totes to shop right now.
