The ubiquitous canvas tote... with a crossbody strap

August 18, 2023 7:13 PM

There is no shortage of cute, interesting, printed, over-the-shoulder canvas totes. But I cannot abide an over-the-shoulder strap, I need a crossbody strap.

I have found a few canvas totes that are crossbody, but they are generally undecorated. I have seen a few out in the wild. I assume they are being created by small shops or artists, but I'm having a hard time finding them for purchase. Searching Etsy and Amazon pulls up cute, more designed stuff, but I'm having trouble believing that the bog-standard canvas tote only exists in the over-the-shoulder formulation. Do they exist, and have you seen them?

posted by Rora to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

It would be very easy to add a strap in the style of the "Nat Tote" you linked to a bag with a graphic you like, do you know anyone who sews?
posted by Sar at 8:09 PM on August 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

I don't have a great answer for you but I've also noticed this phenomenon. I do have a theory as to why it is: Notice that the crossbody bag in your "canvas" link has an adjustable-length strap. (It's not clear if your other example is adjustable or not.) This is pretty important in mass-manufacturing bags because humans come in such a wide range of sizes. It's also a bit more expensive to make than a fixed-length strap. When the main focus of the bag is the cute art, it makes sense for an artist to keep their costs down by sticking with the "one-size-fits-most" over-shoulder style. For artists buying blanks to print on, I also imagine it's easier to work with a simple tote that lays flat than one with extra straps and hardware.

If you have a local dry cleaner that does alterations or a friend who sews (don't ask them to do it for free!), adding a webbing strap to a standard tote bag is not hard.
posted by doift at 8:10 PM on August 18, 2023

Best answer: Do you maybe want a Baggu Duck Bag? I love mine, it has a generous, adjustable strap, and they can often be found on Poshmark in other patterns and colors. Also available in horizontal.
posted by kitschfrau at 8:35 PM on August 18, 2023 [10 favorites]

Best answer: You might search for a “musette” bag, which are generally lightweight totes intended to be worn cross-body while cycling. Most are a little smaller than a regular canvas tote. I have several that were freebies from bike-to-work day events.
posted by niicholas at 11:37 PM on August 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Casco Totes has some crossbody bags. Only simple decoration, though.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:20 AM on August 19, 2023

Best answer: I have this (very nice) Russ and Daughters tote bag that has short handles and a long adjustable strap so it can be worn over the shoulder or crossbody, and I’ve seen this tote with different prints on it elsewhere. Searching for “adjustable strap” might be helpful on Etsy or wherever?
posted by kickingthecrap at 5:20 AM on August 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

Most of those standard bags are pretty floppy and only have one layer of canvas. When you put on a cross body strap, you want a bit more structure in the bag or the sides sort of collapse and curve around your hip. So, you will often find a shoulder bag has stiffer fabric and/or more layers. Another option to add a strap is to put grommets near the top of the bag and get a removable shoulder strap that you can clip on and take off each bag as you use it. You will need to make sure the clips on the end of the strap are big enough to fit the grommet.
posted by soelo at 6:12 AM on August 19, 2023 [2 favorites]

You could find a braided belt at the thrift store, and attach it yourself. They are usually in the men's section, so easy enough to cut to your preferred length.
posted by Enid Lareg at 7:29 AM on August 19, 2023

I have one cross-body tote bag, which I got as a shopping bag from a store that no longer exists. To be honest it’s my least favourite. Deeper than it is wide, it’s harder to load with groceries. The strap stretches a bit and it bumps my knee when I walk. I find it works best filled to 50% of the capacity of other totes, with soft items preferred. These attributes probably explain the unpopularity.
posted by shock muppet at 9:10 AM on August 19, 2023

If you have a canvas bag that is cross-body, you can have the nifty image from another bag sewn on to it. It's an easy sewing job if the canvas is not super-sturdy, or DIY it with glue. You could even try replacing the straps on across-body bag with canvas webbing/ strapping and glue. Probably really strong glue, white Elmers would be inadequate.
posted by theora55 at 9:35 AM on August 19, 2023 [2 favorites]