Nicholas Daley Sling Printed Tote Bag

A tote is the least designed object most people own: two panels, two handles, and nothing else. Which is exactly why the small decisions register. This one has two.

The first is the strap, which ties rather than fixing, so the bag can be carried at the shoulder, across the body, or shortened to the hand without any hardware at all. Daley uses tie closures everywhere, on the shirting, the waistcoats, and the dogi trouser, and this is the same thinking applied to how a bag is worn rather than to how a garment fastens.

The second is the lining. Corduroy is a cut-pile cloth and an unusual thing to put inside a bag, where nobody will see it and where a plain cotton would have done the job. Lining a tote in cord costs money, adds weight, and shows only to the person opening it, which is a fairly complete statement of what this house thinks details are for.

Why we selected it

We took this for the corduroy lining, which is a decision made entirely for the owner and not at all for the onlooker. The tie strap was the second reason and it is the one people notice first.

Tie fastenings and hidden detail run through Nicholas Daley’s accessories, and the tote is where both are at their plainest.

Materials and construction

Cotton, with a corduroy lining and an adjustable tie strap. We do not hold a fibre content or a country of make for this bag.

Sizing and how it is worn

Carried on the tie strap, which adjusts, so it works at the shoulder or across the body. Softly constructed, so it takes the shape of what is in it rather than holding one of its own. We do not hold dimensions and would sooner measure the one in the store for you than guess at them.

Styling

Against anything plain. With the Wide Beach Short and the Aloha Shirt in summer, or over the Oversized Rain Coat in winter, where a soft bag against a hard cloth is the better pairing.

Care

Spot clean with cool water and a soft cloth and dry it flat away from heat. Never machine wash a lined bag, because the two cloths will shrink at different rates and the lining will pull. Brush the corduroy rather than pressing it. Our fabric care guidance covers the rest.

Related pieces

The Messenger Bag is hand knitted with a brass buckle and the Neck Bag is the small pouch. The Wide Beach Short is the linen short to carry it with. Everything we carry from Nicholas Daley is listed together.