Somewhere in Europe, there is a person walking down a picturesque cobblestone street with the most fashionable of all bags on their shoulder. It’s not a Birkin, a Louis Vuitton, or a Chanel. It’s the height of fashion… the Trader Joe’s canvas tote.
This person has likely never seen a Trader Joe’s, let alone been in one. They’ve never ping-ponged through the aisles while someone reaches over their head to get the dark chocolate peanut butter cups. What the hell is going on in the world?
In the U.S., these $4 bags live in car trunks, waiting to be filled with the latest in faux-ethnic frozen foods. In Europe, influencers pose with them. European tourists smuggle them home. There is even a resale market for the bags.
Trader Joe’s isn’t even a high end grocery store. It’s simply a grocery chain that sells private-label snacks to people who like to feel they’re getting something more organic than it actually is. How the hell did this bag cross an ocean as a symbol of “cool”?
Don’t get me wrong. I like Trader Joe’s as much as the next guy. The dark chocolate peanut butter cups are great. And the novel flavors of chips and popcorn are fun to buy and will break you out of the same old snack rut. But really?!? A trendy cheap-ass tote bag?!?
People are crazy. There’s nothing quite like soaking in American culture filtered through Instagram. This is another grand American export moment. Our contribution to the world. The next best thing we had to offer outside of Black Friday.
World… you’re welcome.
Leave a Reply