Vintage Y2K LL Bean Medium Leather Handle Madras Tote

Madras started as hand-loomed cotton out of Madras, India, the city now called Chennai. By the 1960s it was all over Ivy League campuses and New England harbor towns, and the preppy wardrobe has kept it ever since. Madras patchwork pieced square by square in barn red, navy, mustard, sage, and coral, set on a sturdy navy canvas base, and finished with rolled brown leather handles.

This one comes from the era of low-rise khakis, flip-flops, and summer houses with screen doors that slammed all day. Twenty-odd years on, it looks the same as the day it left Maine. The plaid is crisp, the leather handles hold their shape, the box-and-X stitching is tight at every anchor point, and the natural canvas interior is clean.

It's sized for real life: a paperback, sunscreen, a bottle of rosé, and the sweater you'll want once the sun goes down. Carry it on the ferry to Nantucket, to the farmers market on Saturday, to brunch or onto the dock at golden hour. It's a summer tote that also works in October with a cable knit.

Vintage L.L.Bean madras in pristine condition is hard to find. You already know that, and that's why you're here.

The Details
— L.L.Bean, Y2K era (early 2000s)
— Patchwork cotton madras plaid body
— Navy canvas base
— Rolled leather top handles with box-and-X stitching
— Natural canvas lining
— [H x W x D]
— Handle drop: [ ]
— Condition: Pristine, vintage

One of one. Archive find. When it's gone, it's gone. ⚡