L.L. Bean introduced the world to its famously heavyweight tote bag in the 1940s. But it wasn’t made for carrying blankets and beach towels on the shore. No, its history was decidedly more hardcore.

If you’ve been on social media in the last month or so, you’ve probably seen cute posts about L.L. Bean’s classic Boat and Tote bag. Buyers are having fun picking catchy names to be monogrammed on the ...

Spend an afternoon in Williamsburg or amble through the West Village and you’ll almost certainly catch a glimpse of a wide variety of tote bags hanging from the shoulders of New Yorkers. Eighty years ...