Poor (but pretty) in pastel
November 2, 2011 4:26 PM Subscribe
Does anyone remember a big pink-, blue-, and white-striped shopping bag popular in developing countries in the '80s/'90s? It felt like waxed straw, or something Tyvek-y. It had handles, and was often big enough to cover a whole suitcase.
I worked at a legal aid office back in the day and remember seeing it among immigrants newly arrived from Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa -- but haven't seen it many years hence. I'm looking for pictures that show and/or any information about this bag.
I worked at a legal aid office back in the day and remember seeing it among immigrants newly arrived from Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa -- but haven't seen it many years hence. I'm looking for pictures that show and/or any information about this bag.
Cabingirl's picture is what I remember - back when I lived in NYC people called it Chinatown luggage, as you couldn't walk half a block on Canal St. without seeing someone carrying a bag just like it.
posted by deadmessenger at 4:39 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by deadmessenger at 4:39 PM on November 2, 2011
Response by poster: That looks familiar, but the one I'm looking for had broad vertical stripes (like rugby stripes except tricolor and vertical), nothing checkered or plaid going on. Also, they didn't had that glossy finish. You could almost tell they were woven, though then coated somehow... ...
posted by taramosalata at 4:42 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by taramosalata at 4:42 PM on November 2, 2011
They're everywhere in Chinatown still. Can't find the correct combo of words to google a picture, but yes, large stripes with no tartany thing going on.
posted by elizardbits at 4:45 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by elizardbits at 4:45 PM on November 2, 2011
Best answer: Oh they're still popular. Migrant workers in China carry their whole lives from worksite to worksite in these bags. In the crowded train stations, dingy plaid plastic bags, stuffed to the gills, as far as the eye can see.
This article calls them the refugee bags - and that in Ghana & West Africa they are called "Ghana Must Go" bags. In Trinidad they are "Guyanese Samsonite." In Turkey they are "Tuekenkoffer" or the Turkish suitcase.
posted by sestaaak at 4:47 PM on November 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
This article calls them the refugee bags - and that in Ghana & West Africa they are called "Ghana Must Go" bags. In Trinidad they are "Guyanese Samsonite." In Turkey they are "Tuekenkoffer" or the Turkish suitcase.
posted by sestaaak at 4:47 PM on November 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
They are still around in North America. The Greyhound people gve me one once, because my suitcase was too heavy and they wanted me to split up my stuff. It was awful, though - ripped under the weight of the books and binders.
posted by jb at 5:01 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by jb at 5:01 PM on November 2, 2011
Around in North America? They are around in my apartment (in NYC). They are also popular with street vendors here.
posted by skbw at 5:08 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by skbw at 5:08 PM on November 2, 2011
Best answer: These ones (minus the flower), right? Here in Australia they aren't used so much by Asian immigrants as by old ladies.
posted by fresh bouquets every day at 5:14 PM on November 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by fresh bouquets every day at 5:14 PM on November 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Those are what I store my winter/summer clothes in! My kids went off to college with many of those packed to the gills, and then just tossed 'em away (they don't last very long). A NYC staple and a bargain at a buck apiece.
posted by thinkpiece at 5:24 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by thinkpiece at 5:24 PM on November 2, 2011
Those bags are ubiquitous in Moldova and Romania, especially near the markets and train stations/airports.
posted by vkxmai at 5:37 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by vkxmai at 5:37 PM on November 2, 2011
Best answer: The bags have a (Chinese) Wikipedia article. (Google Translate link)
posted by btfreek at 6:24 PM on November 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by btfreek at 6:24 PM on November 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: In Hong Kong they are known as 'Amah bags' or 'Red white Blue bags. GOD has taken the design and put it on loads of stuff. More artsy here.
posted by fatmouse at 7:28 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by fatmouse at 7:28 PM on November 2, 2011
Response by poster: These are great. Please keep 'em coming!
posted by taramosalata at 7:50 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by taramosalata at 7:50 PM on November 2, 2011
Best answer: They're readily available for $2 shops in Australia, and have been since, I dunno, the early 90s? No refugee connotations, though I guess that's what you could call us when our entire lives fit into two of them - they're more a poor student / bogan luggage thing. I seem to recall calling them 'Gucci bags', because, well, they aren't.
You can see them in this shot.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 8:24 PM on November 2, 2011
You can see them in this shot.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 8:24 PM on November 2, 2011
Best answer: Found 'em! Google image search for 'striped shopping bag site:au'.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 8:31 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by obiwanwasabi at 8:31 PM on November 2, 2011
Best answer: Haha! Great work, obiwanwasabi!
That was exactly what I was thinking of and went GISing until I saw the "show one new" in this thread. Was nearly going to go through old Hong Kong films to try to find a screencap.
iirc, they were made from stuff much less advanced than tyvek; probably the same stuff that crinkly shopping bags are made from, but the weaving (on the scale of the individual colour panels, and the weaving of the colour panels) made them rather strong and resilient to abrasive damage. *Everyone* had them to carry groceries home from the "poor" markets in Hong Kong in the '80s/'90's. The "bring your own bag" movement, I guess, started a helluva lot earlier than in North America; there were definitely plastic bags when I went back to visit in '92 but it was nowhere near ubiquitous as in North America. If you got a bag, it was an expensive waxes/ceramicized paper bag with thick braided string handles and even metal grommets.
Hm, interesting to contrast the thriving sub-tropical forests of Hong Kong (seriously!) with the withered disposable plastic-bag-encrusted trees of Mexico of the '90s.
Still see a few carried by Asian garbage can pickers on campus at UBC; less, recently. I suspect that the bags that came with them started wearing out and they're switching to locally available sources for large durable cheap bags (mostly thick clear/clear-blue industrial trashbags that they "liberate" from the university).
posted by porpoise at 8:50 PM on November 2, 2011
That was exactly what I was thinking of and went GISing until I saw the "show one new" in this thread. Was nearly going to go through old Hong Kong films to try to find a screencap.
iirc, they were made from stuff much less advanced than tyvek; probably the same stuff that crinkly shopping bags are made from, but the weaving (on the scale of the individual colour panels, and the weaving of the colour panels) made them rather strong and resilient to abrasive damage. *Everyone* had them to carry groceries home from the "poor" markets in Hong Kong in the '80s/'90's. The "bring your own bag" movement, I guess, started a helluva lot earlier than in North America; there were definitely plastic bags when I went back to visit in '92 but it was nowhere near ubiquitous as in North America. If you got a bag, it was an expensive waxes/ceramicized paper bag with thick braided string handles and even metal grommets.
Hm, interesting to contrast the thriving sub-tropical forests of Hong Kong (seriously!) with the withered disposable plastic-bag-encrusted trees of Mexico of the '90s.
Still see a few carried by Asian garbage can pickers on campus at UBC; less, recently. I suspect that the bags that came with them started wearing out and they're switching to locally available sources for large durable cheap bags (mostly thick clear/clear-blue industrial trashbags that they "liberate" from the university).
posted by porpoise at 8:50 PM on November 2, 2011
I was given them in Australia at the airport when they said my bags were too heavy...I didn't think to ship the books I'd bought there home. :-/
posted by brujita at 11:27 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by brujita at 11:27 PM on November 2, 2011
Best answer: Yes, they're very common in Australia. I've only ever heard them called Chinese Bags, which made it awkward when I was trying to find some in an Asian discount store recently and was describing them as "You know those large plastic bags with the stripes?"
After the shop assistant found them, I asked her what they were called, for future reference. She thought for a moment and then said, "Bags".
posted by Georgina at 6:56 AM on November 3, 2011 [4 favorites]
After the shop assistant found them, I asked her what they were called, for future reference. She thought for a moment and then said, "Bags".
posted by Georgina at 6:56 AM on November 3, 2011 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks all! Those images make me realize how nice looking they were / are.... And I was clearly Google-image-searching in the wrong domain -- never imagined they'd be so popular in Australia (though of course it makes sense).
Porpoise -- if you do decide to "go through old Hong Kong films to try to find a screencap," please post back with results!
posted by taramosalata at 11:21 AM on November 3, 2011
Porpoise -- if you do decide to "go through old Hong Kong films to try to find a screencap," please post back with results!
posted by taramosalata at 11:21 AM on November 3, 2011
Not in the way of snark, taramosalata, but merely in the way of curiosity--your location is marked NYC and you don't see these around? I cannot avoid seeing them. If you need to buy some, I can suggest some places for sure--mssg me if you like.
posted by skbw at 4:37 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by skbw at 4:37 PM on November 5, 2011
Response by poster: No snark taken, skbw, but no, I haven't seen the pastel broad-striped ones for years and years, only the finer striped, primary-color tartan sort. Any suggestions on places to buy in NYC welcome!
posted by taramosalata at 5:37 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by taramosalata at 5:37 PM on November 5, 2011
They have two absolutely terrible names in Australia, that I have heard used. "Whore's closet" and "refugee wardrobe". We are, indeed, not the most sensitive nation at times.
posted by taff at 6:52 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by taff at 6:52 PM on November 5, 2011
OK, now I understand! You are looking not just for the bag, but for the bag with wide vertical stripes. Yes, these are indeed harder to find, but I do see them. I will message you next time.
posted by skbw at 8:07 AM on November 6, 2011
posted by skbw at 8:07 AM on November 6, 2011
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posted by cabingirl at 4:29 PM on November 2, 2011