Black Designer Tote Handbag

Find the exact vintage or contemporary black designer tote handbag you’re shopping for in the variety available on 1stDibs. If you’re looking for an option in black and you’re unable to find the right fit, there are plenty of variations in gray, beige and more. Making the right choice when shopping for a black designer tote handbag may mean looking at versions that date from different eras — you can find early iterations from the 18th Century and a newer version made as recently as the 21st Century, both of which have proven very popular over the years. Finding an appealing accessory such as this — no matter the origin — is easy, but Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Prada each produced a popular version that is worth a look. When shopping for these accessories, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for men or unisex today than there are for women.

Prices for a black designer tote handbag can differ depending upon size, designer and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these accessories begin at $110 and can go as high as $1,699,003, while, on average they fetch $1,302.

From classic medium-sized Louis Vuitton leather tote bags to authentic cube-like Loewe shoulder bags woven in raffia, the large selection of vintage and designer tote bags on 1stDibs offers something for special occasions as well as everyday needs.

Although part of a modern look, tote bags have been roomy and versatile accessories since at least 1944, with the launch of L.L.Bean’s “ice bag.” The Maine retailer, then largely known for rugged field coats and hunting shoes, had introduced a big, durable canvas bag that was initially intended to carry firewood or ice. In those days, to keep produce and other foods cool in refrigerators, consumers had to regularly replace the blocks of ice that were doing all the work in their bulky appliances. There was no better bag to help haul big blocks of ice from the trunk of your car to your front door and, subsequently, to your kitchen.

Years later, during the 1960s, L.L.Bean’s Boat and Tote was introduced as an overhauled structured canvas version of the ice bag. Tested to lug up to 500 pounds, the Boat and Tote became a best seller. Also during the 1960s, American designer Bonnie Cashin created the Cashin Carry for Coach. Cashin was Coach’s first lead designer, and she liked leather, large pockets and earth tones. Her modern interpretation of the tote bag introduced a touch of elegance to this increasingly ubiquitous accessory.

In the subsequent decades, more brands debuted their own iterations of the tote bag, from Tory Burch’s Perry leather tote bag to Goyard’s luxurious Saint Louis. 

Pay tribute to this long and interesting history of a well-loved accessory by browsing the vintage and designer tote bags on 1stDibs.