A tote makes a purse seem outdated except when you want to dress up. You can carry a canvas tote bag in your hand, or sling it over your shoulder to leave your hands free. These bags have a nautical appearance and go great with casual clothing, especially in the summertime. Their breezy appearance makes you look cool and relaxed.

The classic fabric tote bag was pioneered by Land’s End but is now available from hundreds of manufacturers. The bag is made from unbleached canvas on the sides with a sewn-in bottom in a contrasting bright color like navy blue, red, parrot green, or chocolate brown. The handles are securely sewn onto the sides of the fabric bag and match the contrasting accent color of the bottom. Fabric bags can be bought with an open top or a zippered top. They’re stylish, strong, and a great bargain at a low price.

An even more economical version of fabric tote bags is the canvas grocery bag. This is just a very plain canvas shopping bag made from unbleached canvas with sewn-on handles. Many canvas grocery bags have advertising or monograms on them. Canvas shopping bags are marketed as being “green,” or earth friendly because they’re made from cotton, which is a natural fiber. One reusable canvas bag can keep thousands of pounds of disposable plastic from ending up in a landfill every year.

A great choice if you’re looking for a canvas handbag purse hybrid is the canvas messenger bag. It has a flap that closes over the compartment and often some zippered pockets to hold smaller items. Canvas messenger bags are usually carried over one shoulder. Some are big enough to hold laptop computers. Canvas bags for men are usually messenger style.

You can find almost any type of fabric bag for specialized uses. There are canvas duffle bags to take to the gym or to use as luggage. If you have children, you can buy a canvas diaper bag. A canvas beach bag will hold your towel, swimsuit, sunscreen, a book, and sunglasses. A canvas lunch bag is washable and easy to keep clean. You can even get a canvas coin bag to carry inside a bigger tote to hold your loose change.

Buy online to get the best bargains and the greatest variety of designs.