WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THE LONGCHAMP TOTES?
October 29, 2024
Luisa Austen
Looking around campus this semester, you may have seen at least one—or twenty—people carrying a Longchamp bag. If the brand name doesn’t sound familiar, the bag itself certainly will. It’s a navy blue nylon tote, with a brown leather flap closure and leather handles. The Le Pliage Original Tote is classy, but also functional. And, at a relatively low price-point, retailing for $145 on the Longchamp site, it’s more affordable and accessible than most luxury bags. (Additionally, for those without the budget to drop nearly $150 on a bag, it’s not difficult to find them secondhand, and many online retailers sell knockoffs for a significantly cheaper price.) The Longchamp website describes Le Pliage as “captivating you with its minimalist silhouette and compact volume” with its “long handles” and “zipper closure” to ensure comfort and ease of use. It is marketed, and seems to be received as, the perfect multifunctional day bag. But where is this trend coming from?
The Longchamp ‘Le Pliage’ Original Medium Tote, in navy. Longchamp.
Despite this current surge in popularity introducing Le Pliage to a new generation, the bag, as well as the Longchamp brand, both have a significant history. Founded in Paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain, Longchamp first began as a tobacco business, selling pipes to Allied soldiers. Cassegrain soon began to diversify his products, making small leather goods. This is when the company, which had previously been named after Cassegrain himself, got its name and its logo; taking inspiration from the nearby Longchamp Racecourse, Cassegrain called his brand Longchamp, and chose a jockey on a racehorse as its logo. Longchamp is known predominantly for its high-quality leather products, specifically handbags, ranging in size from small pouches to oversized totes. Out of all of these bags, however, Le Pliage stands out as the crowning gem of the company. Created in 1993 by Cassegrain’s son, Phillipe, Le Pliage, purportedly inspired by Japanese origami, has remained a cornerstone of the brand for over thirty years. Since then, however, the bag has seen several resurgences in the public eye, most notably in the early and mid-2000s, when it was seen on the arm of such influential figures as Kate Middleton, back in her university days. Not only is Le Pliage known for its practicality and durability, but also for its association with dressed-down old money aesthetics, which the Princess of Wales certainly embodies.
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This appearance of casual wealth, which a 2023 Harper’s Bazaar article refers to as the “quiet luxury movement,” has risen in popularity over the last few years. Characterized by a focus on simple, understated high-quality items, it draws on timeless looks one might identify with old money New England elites or the Catton family in Saltburn—cashmere sweaters paired with loafers and immaculately tailored pants or the subtlety of a simple 18K gold bracelet. Most importantly, however, this style is defined by its unobtrusiveness. Instead of flaunting large name brand logos, quiet luxury lets the appearance of quality speak for itself, whispering wealth instead of shouting it. Unlike some other designer totes, Le Pliage doesn’t broadcast its branding, instead relying on the recognition of the bag itself to bely its status to those in the know. And, for those who are in on it, Le Pliage acts as a signifier of a certain level of status, communicating the kind of image one might convey–intentionally or unintentionally–by putting it on.
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Scrolling through the tag #lepliage on TikTok shows the tote being sported by a diverse mix of people: from royals and celebrities to young corporate employees and university students. Among the latter category, Le Pliage is most often seen paired with a comfy, casual style of dress. However, with the bag as an accessory, outfits that would otherwise be fairly basic—a white t-shirt and light-wash jeans, or full Lululemon attire—are elevated to be much more stylish. All of these outfits are clean, with an emphasis on their simplicity; a simplicity that belies the understated luxury of the clothes themselves. By creating contrast between the aesthetics of unassuming wealth and casual comfort, Le Pliage is able to create the perfect blend of attainable and exclusive.
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The Brown student body seems to have its own unique way of styling Le Pliage, which involves dressing down the bag a bit more than one might see on TikTok or Pinterest. Walking through the Blue Room or the Main Green, Le Pliage can be seen on the arms of people wearing sweatpants and Adidas Sambas. Though this comfy look is obviously more suited to going to class or the library to do work, the bag, as an accessory, is able to pull an outfit together and make it seem infinitely classier and more elegant. Many might be buying the tote not only because it's trendy right now, but also incredibly functional and accessible as an everyday bag—the exact reason why it became so popular in the first place. Still, whether or not one chooses to embrace the quiet luxury trend, Le Pliage’s cultural significance as a symbol of the movement is unavoidable.