How a tote ages
Vegetable-tanned leather darkens, softens, and starts to remember the shape of your shoulder. Year-by-year photographs.
by Étienne Laurent
Year one: the natural tan deepens to honey along the handles where your hand sits. Year two: a low-key russet across the body. Year three: it's noticeably darker than the day you bought it, with a slight sheen the chemical-tanned versions never develop. We took the same tote out every year for five years and photographed it. The photos are below.