I live in Los Angeles, and going to the farmers market isn’t just a spiritually fulfilling shopping ritual (which, make no mistake, it very much is), but it’s also a third space where one might take the temperature of sartorial trends from a culture-agnostic, age-agnostic stance. Every week, I will see the 60-something man who for unexplained reasons is always wear a massive, Bob Ross-esque, Spirit-Halloween-looking-ass wig (that doesn’t match his sideburns at all) with a tie-dye shirt, but I will also often spot a nose-ringed member of a well-known indie band in a perfectly broken-in white T-shirt or one of Demi Moore’s daughters floating by in a sundress. The farmers market is primarily for food, yes, but let’s be honest: There is a see-and-be-seen element that shouldn’t be refuted. (If you’re a farmers-market-goer who is single, or even if you’re not and you just like attention, I’d recommend showing up looking extra cute and seeing what happens.)
The great personal signifier at the farmers market is, of course, the tote bag — a necessity for hauling your bounty of naked vegetables, fruit bunches, peonies, and deli containers of pre-made delights. I made the mistake only once of forgetting a proper sturdy tote and having to wander around with a thin, plastic bag stretching and sweating from my haul, feeling like a loser. (I also hate those people who bring a wagon; like, cool it!) Anyway, if you’re anything like me, you have a door handle in your apartment that’s home to a half dozen tote bags that have unintentionally accumulated over the years — perhaps a customized one from a bachelorette weekend, another from a giveaway at a fourth-wave coffee shop, and yet another with the logo of your former employer. These will all do in a pinch, but when you have a really great tote or two, it’s a whole different ball game.
The tote will keep your persimmon butter and radicchio safe, but is also your opportunity to make your interests and proclivities known. Thus, I present this guide to the best tote bags for the farmers market for every type of individual.
This do-it-all tote is quite literally designed for the optimal farmers market haul. It’s flat-bottomed to sit upright on its own, is loaded with six outer compartments to separate your colds from your hots, your wine from your asparagus, and your baguette from the condensation of your Pellegrino, and even has a strap to hold a bouquet. Do you have 70,000 followers for your cake-decorating Instagram, a photogenic mini Aussiedoodle, and a tense but unshakable relationship with your hedge-fund-manager husband? Welcome to the only tote that can match your perfect (or perfect-looking, anyway) life.
Huge, slouchy, and machine-washable, Baggu’s ludicrously capacious tote in Yubari melon print is perfect for the former Bushwicker who now lives a quiet life on Mount Washington designing fancy olive oil brand assets.
