With the amount of hype surrounding Anya Hindmarch's "I'm not a plastic bag" tote, you'd think that she had invented the canvas tote. Yet long before swarms of would-be buyers shoved, punched and hospitalized each other to get their hands on the coveted $15 bag, there was the unpretentious canvas vanguard -- the L.L. Bean Boat & Tote.

Made in Maine since 1944, L.L. Bean's iconic canvas tote bags have set the gold standard for simple, stylish utility in a carryall.

Whether you're grocery shopping, hauling wood, or kicking it at the beach, the Boat & Tote can handle anything you throw at it. (Lab tests say the L.L. Bean B&T can handle up to 400 pounds worth of loot, which as far as I'm concerned is above and beyond any bag's call of duty.)

Over the years, the Boat & Tote line has expanded into a full menagerie of canvas classic. Boat & Totes come in all shapes and sizes: zippered or open; classic natural colors or modern bold hues.

Sure, you may not have to fight your way through throngs of feverish shoppers to get your hands on one, but trust me, once you enter the Boat & Tote club, you'll wonder what all the "I'm not a plastic bag" hype was about in the first place.