Please see this more recent post: Ten More Responsible Alternatives to Madewell’s Transport Tote for more options and updates. Thank you!
Today I’m introducing a new series: Buy this…Instead of That, where I’ll feature ethically-produced, sustainable, eco-friendlier, made in the US, heritage, or otherwise interesting brands and alternatives to popular mass-produced products. They’re out there, and I’m going to find them.
This isn’t always going to be about made in the US, although for those of us who reside in the US, I think it’s important to try and purchase products that are manufactured here as often as possible. It’s more about identifying the brands and companies with history, that have stories to tell, most of whom are doing it quietly. Some you may already have heard of, some you haven’t.
My goal is to try and stick as close as possible to the original price point of the item I’m trying to find alternatives to. This will be quite a challenge, although not impossible, because in general, made in the US commands a higher price. Stories come with price tags, artisans & makers need to survive on a smaller scale, and we will have to pay for provenance.
On to today’s challenge: finding similar, made in the US alternatives to Madewell’s immensely popular Transport Tote**.
You know this tote, every blogger and her mother has one of these. And no wonder, it looks pretty good; sturdy, with good shoulder straps, minimal, and classic. But with a little searching, I found a couple of good leather tote alternatives that are made in the US at a comparable price:
Madewell Transport Tote | $168
The BAGGU Basic leather tote | $160
Cuyana leather tote | $150
BuboBaaggins leather tote (etsy) | $180
American Apparel L’epicier leather tote | $130
threadandpapershop (Etsy) leather tote | $178
And of course, if you’re willing to spend more money, there are LOADS of other options out there.
Some of my favorites:
Admonish (my personal favorite – my black Admonish tote holds everything, and only looks better a couple of years in)
Clare Vivier (stylish, if a bit “overdone”)
J.W. Hulme (comes with a lifetime guarantee)
reMade USA (recycled leather bags, made in the US)
Everlane (made in Italy, although the company is transparent about manufacturing practices)
Lotuff (crazy expensive, but sturdy-looking)
Do you have any more suggestions for made in the US alternatives to the Madewell Transport Tote? Any independent leather designers you love?
Also, if you’d like me to find an eco-friendlier alternative to a popular mass-produced item, send me an email! I’ll take requests 🙂
**
I have nothing against Madewell. Well, yes, I sort of do. They position themselves as an “American heritage” brand (not officially, of course, but they play off the idea that the original Madewell brand was made in the US, sturdy, workwear). And they have an opportunity to be better, I think, to make more of a positive impact with regard to American manufacturing.
Madewell is hugely popular and has the aesthetic that appeals to the demographic and age-range of women who are just starting to become concerned with ethics in manufacturing and the stories behind their clothes. Their denim is their cornerstone, and their best sellers, yet it’s still made in China, or “imported” anyway; if you buy online, you have no idea where it’s made. AND they keep raising the price of their denim. Remember when it hovered around $100, a good deal for “premium” denim? Recently, though, it’s crept up and is around $125 or so, spend another $25 or $50 and you can get a great pair of jeans that is made in the US (At Need Supply, you can even get jeans made in the US for under $100). And really, if there’s anything we in the US manufacture best, it’s denim.
With Madewell’s reach & influence, there’s really no excuse for them to NOT manufacture their denim in the US. So this is really the root of my beef with Madewell. But I do appreciate that they feature independent artisans and carry some lines in stores and online that are smaller, and made in the US. Which is significant actually. Because maybe that’s what we need – a large, mass retailer who will expose, in small doses, its clientele to brands and products that are made domestically, with stories and histories behind them, like Rachel Comey, Skargorn, NSF, so they don’t have to do the work themselves, and seek out such brands.
Baby steps I guess. And props to Madewell for featuring a $414 Chimala chambray shirt next to their $72 version, although there are much more reasonably priced chambray shirts out there that are made in the US (Chimala is Japanese…).
Anyway, this is not to “dis” Madewell specifically, although lately, I’ve found their quality really lacking. In the past, I’ve had some good Madewell pieces, but the last one was a year or so ago. I won’t shop there anymore for myself, but ultimately I think they have value, and potential to do more with their brand.
This is a great idea for a series. And it’s taken me down the rabbit hole of tote bag searching–I have really wanted a big leather tote bag for a while now, and have never pulled the trigger for one reason or another…
I was pleasantly surprised by the American Apparel tote and the other colors they have–now that they’ve booted their jerky CEO I feel better about shopping there.
haha! that’s exactly why i didn’t feel so bad featuring american apparel – i would never have before, although i bought a few things a million years ago, the company just took on a sleazy air with charney in charge….
I love this series! And I’m so glad you mentioned Cuyana and Everlane (no surprise about Everlane since I see you’re as excited about them as I am). I love Madewell’s look, too, but am so frustrated by the inauthenticity of their brand. I like that you can find great things on Etsy, though a couple of times I’ve neglected to check to see where things are coming from…I ordered lovely handmade cat collars on December 2, and they are apparently walking to me from Norway! Word to the wise, Etsy shoppers!
I love this! And I’m obsessed with the Cuyana tote. My brother’s girlfriend has one, and the leather is deliciously slouchy.
Awesome idea!
Off topic, but since cashmere and its quality has often been a topic on here, I thought I would share a link to an interview I discovered. I learned some new things about cashmere!
part one: http://www.maitaispicturebook.com/2011/12/all-about-cashmere-interviews-with.html
part two: http://www.maitaispicturebook.com/2012/02/all-about-cashmere-interviews-with.html
that is wonderful debi- thank you so much for sharing. i had no idea….
that’s what i’m conflicted about. i’m torn between cuyana & everlane, because they’re very different in terms of “slouch” – and my admonish tote is perfectly slouchy, so i really wouldn’t need another slouchy one. i do always have my eye on the everlane market tote, but haven’t quite saved up enough to get it. it seems like it would be nice for traveling though!
oh wow! yes, you do have to pay attention to where things are coming from, i ran across a lot of very nice bags on etsy, but many are from europe. nothing wrong with that, of course, but i guess i prefer to shop more locally if i can!
Wish you would show some vegan bags, then we’d really be talking about eco friendly and sustainable!
excellent idea…i actually have/had a website greengrechen.com that focused only on eco-friendly, and wrote about my “issue” with vegan bags in 2010 – http://www.greengrechen.com/nonleather-ecofriendly-pass/ – but i know there are many more options out there now that are worth writing about
the thing that bothers me about a lot of “vegan” bags is that they’re polyurethane, plastic, basically, which isn’t a lot more eco-friendly than leather, unless of course, you just don’t want to wear/buy animal products, which i understand. if the leather is vegetable tanned, and/or a “by-product” it can be more sustainable/eco-friendly than some PU vegan bags, especially if they’re mass-produced.
but there are a lot of vegan bags that are not just made out of fake leather/PU which i should definitely feature…i just couldn’t keep up with greengrechen.com so i let it slide, but i do miss it – and think it’s important…
thanks for nudging me 🙂
for my birthday I got the JW hulme grey and black tote. I love JW Hulme.
Another great brand from Boston is Rennes.
i was looking at that one!! how do you like it?
i’ve had a couple of jw hulme bags, but sold them, and wish i hadn’t. but i cycle through bags like crazy…i think they were a bit too structured for me at the time, which is why i didn’t use them/love them as much, but i always appreciated the craftsmanship & quality.
and i love rennes – i’ve always preferred her stuff over clare vivier’s…
Happy New Year Grechen,
I was torn on the slouch factor too. I bought a Rib & Hull Heirloom last year. Not the good old USA but not you know where either. Its a lovely bag and has structure so I don’t feel funny using it for my laptop at a she she meeting, or a Trader Joes run. Its gotten better looking since its arrival as well.
http://www.ribandhull.com
Best wishes for 2015
e
I know the plastic versus animal is a tough one, I agree! Thanks for being will to explore the dark and plasticky side!
I’ve had the Cuyana tote for a year now and it’s held up really well. Madewell opened a store in my city last fall and I was shocked to see the transport tote in person – the leather didn’t feel nice.
I have a similar tote in black that’s by Boots, a Canadian brand. It was a lucky $5 find at the Goodwill. It’s older though – not sure if their bags are still made in Canada.
Here is another option from a brand I recently saw on Franish: https://www.etsy.com/listing/200998424/brown-leather-tote-soft-leather-purse?
I just love bags from Libaire in California! Great quality, made in USA. http://Www..libaire.net
I have that exact Leah Lerner tote you linked to and love it. It’s not super roomy, but the leather is nice and soft. I just got another tote by her for Christmas–one of the bigger ones–and love as well. They are definitely on the slouchy side as opposed to structured. Not made in the US but made by a gal living her dream in Israel…I think that’s ok too!
Love these! I’ve really been wanting the Cuyana tote, but there’s something about the Baggu that I really like. As I was searching, I came along a brand called “Leatherology.” They seem to have similar ethos to Everlane. Anyone heard of them?
Happy New Year, Grechen! I missed your posts over Christmas and glad you took some time off. Tks for a great idea for a regular post – love it.
C.
Hmm – don’t you mean “Roots”? Boots is a English drugstore chain?
And Roots is a Canadian company who used to make many of their bags here – and now, I think a lot are made in China. Having said that, I have Roots bags I have had for 20+ years, and they look great.
Oh and Joy Gryson totes?
http://www.joygryson.com/collections/joy-gryson-tote/Holiday2014
chris – yes, i did mean roots! late night on iPhone = all the mistakes 🙂 i had never heard of the brand before finding the bag (i’m in the us), and a little research about their current offerings brought me to that conclusion. i’ve only had the bag for a couple of years and it was deadstock quality, but based on the logo imprinted on the bottom, it must have been from the early 90s. sucks that the newer stuff probably isn’t the same quality.
yes agreed!
thank you!
i have always liked the baggu leather bags, but i prefer a bag that’s not so deep. my arms aren’t long enough to reach to the bottom 🙂
yes! big fan of israeli designers also, in my “previous” life, I worked closely with israeli companies, including some amazing jewelry designers
thanks jennifer, for the new suggestion! FYI, that link didn’t work for me, here’s one that does: http://www.libaire.net/index.html
nice bags!! i appreciate made in italy as well, or spain, argentina, etc., where there’s a long-standing leather working industry already in place.
Incredibly cool! On sale right now, too! Want!!!
Since I’ve got “Magilla the Gorilla” arms, that’s not an issue. 😉
Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but “made in the USA” or, for that matter, “made in Italy” are mere moneymaking labels. While I fullheartedly support shopping locally, a brand like American Apparel, and many others, use that legalistic label to charge more for their product, while producing under less than stellar conditions. In Italy, immigrants (often from Asia) saw bags and clothes with no social security, health care and under terrible pay – then labeled “made in Italy”. In the US, the low wage, usually without benefits, is often used to exploit illegal immigrants who cannot sue the company they work for (http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/07/01/american-apparel-the-downside-to-sweatshop-free-labor/).
Just to caution: made in the USA alone is not a guarantee for anything, except the support of neoliberal exploitation. We need to look closer, and really hold the companies responsible, rather than advertising seemingly ethical practices and handing our money over to more profitmaking exploitation.
To your “from europe” on Etsy critique: most countries in Europe provide mandatory and often free healthcare, better worker’s protection, maternity leaves and paid sick leave, so it might be worth supporting that rather than the US policy of “you are on your own”…?
I appreciate the points you make, however, how does one research WHO works for what appears to be a socially responsible company? I did a little research, and Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) businesses are very under-researched…I didn’t find a list of “Socially responsible small businesses,” for example. Not being an economist, I must resort to the feedback about companies that are publicly considered to be CSR. If you have better a better source, I’d love to see it!
And I didn’t feel that Grechen was dissing European, rather a proactive “Buy American” approach, including a push for etsy products.
i absolutely agree with this, and have written about it before – that it’s more important to pay attention the the company as a whole, instead of only where a product is made. that said, it’s very hard to really find out a lot on most companies unless they’re transparent about it, which is why i feature Everlane a lot, and Zady, and very small, independent designers.
so true val…it’s really hard to find out on your own, and that’s why i default to featuring more from companies who are up front about it, smaller designers, etc., than mass-marketers.
i certainly would never diss, or didn’t mean to anyway, european products. actually , i would encourage people to buy from whatever company in whatever country they feel comfortable meets their “ethical” requirements after doing research. there are absolutely companies and designers in europe and in asia – all over the world – who pay attention to those things, and who are doing it right. but as someone who resides in the US, i think it’s most important to try and buy made in the US, because that diminishes the environmental impact overall of the product: time to market, materials sourced, travel time, shipping, etc., etc.,
Agreed — I’ve been very tempted by the Everlane tote, but I don’t NEED it, and haven’t been able to justify the cost.
Why not just buy an older one, on shopgoodwill.com or ebay? New is never as nice.
Grechen, I just discovered your blog, and I love it so far! I’ve had my eye on a few totes like this and one of them I’ve been watching is this one from fashionABLE. It’s comparable in price, and supports at risk women in Africa, which is pretty cool too.
https://livefashionable.com/product/mamuye-tote/
Love this blog and this series as well! I recently received the fashionABLE tote as a gift from my husband and can’t say enough good things about it (as well as their other products).
I just found your blog, and am so excited to see this post and can’t wait to go trolling the website for more (and read in general).
I have so many ideas of exactly what my perfect wardrobe consists of, but I simply can’t find the items I want. I put ethically made, fair trade, organic, etc. as the highest priority when shopping, but it seems that what I’m looking for doesn’t exist!
Another fantastic (but pricey) leather maker is Frank Clegg. Gorgeous, thick leather bench crafted. He used to work with Lotuff but his own shop has many more styles and is less expensive for the same quality. I bought one of his Large Working Totes and am in love. He even made the straps an inn longer so that I could sling it over my shoulder, no charge. Enjoy!
http://frankcleggleatherworks.com/large-working-tote.html
thank you ruth, for the suggestion! i see they carry some of his stuff at steven alan here, i’ll have to go take a look. that tote is gorgeous!
There are loads of Etsy versions of this tote but the two that come to mind are GIGI NY who make their bags in New York, granted they are a bit different of a style but they have alot of great totes. Also Roots, most of their bags are made in Canada (l believe mostly in Toronto).
Thanks for writing this piece about alternatives to the Madewell transport tote. I was eying the one in cognac but had the same ethical concerns that you wrote about. I just purchased the Mamuye tote in cognac from Fashionable, which I see you already support. I feel that Fashionable is doing something good by providing economic opportunities to women in low-resource countries like Kenya and Ethiopia but I’m not very educated about this issue. I’d be curious to learn if you know more about Fashionable and if their program is succeeding in helping women.
I love this as a series! I’ve been casually keeping my eye out for a bag in this exact style, and this post is super helpful! Thanks!
although this is an old topic, I just had an experience with my madewell transport tote I felt the need to chime in on. the handles are glued together, as opposed to being sewn shut, and mine have come apart. I reached out to madewell via their twitter help page, since their live chat was down, and they recommended that I take the bag to my local leather specialist to see if it’s something they can repair…I get normal wear and tear, and they are claiming this was a design decision, so the best that they can do is pass along my feedback to their design team. I’m kind of underwhelmed by their response, so I’m back on the market for a leather tote bag I can have embossed with my initials!
Wood and Faulk and Leatherworks Minnesota are both great sources for Made in USA leather products.
I have the Wood and Faulk Leather Slouch Tote and it’s perfection. I searched high and low for the perfect leather bag that was well made, durable, with a simple design and this was it! The leather is the perfect balance of a good thick weight that is slouchy but will still stand on it’s own. Highly recommended.
http://woodandfaulk.com/collections/bags/products/leather-slouch-tote-fawn – it’s only $180 and they have fairly frequent sales if you sign up for their newsletter.
Yes made in USA or made in Italy aren’t made by artisan craftsmen in little workshops. Often it’s sweatshops in these developed countries employing immigrants. But I still support them. I personally know many Ivy League educated successful people whose moms worked in these made in USA sweatshops. They are working to provide a better life for their kids and live the American Dream.
It is such a bizarre story with Charney. He is SUCH a sleaze. Yet he also was fervent about paying his workers a living wage and being sustainable. During the whole power struggle over there, I read an article that the workers wanted him back! Ugh. Why couldn’t he have just NOT been such a sleaze. Hopefully the company will continue with the positive practices he set in motion.
I love all of these options! I am on the lookout for a simple tote, so this is really helpful.