Women in the workplace are putting a new twist on L.L.Bean’s famous tote bags

Morgan Blunt doesn’t actually want anyone to sue her.

If you were to run into the 25-year-old, though, you’d likely notice that she carries a canvas tote bag with the phrase “Sue me!” embroidered across it.

“I graduated from Villanova law school about a month ago, I’m currently studying for the bar exam, and in September, I’ll be working for a midsize firm in civil litigation,” Blunt told Business Insider.

Her bag is a playful nod to her profession — and an example of a larger trend among women in the workforce.

Across industries, women are carrying L.L.Bean’s famed Boat and Totes as work bags, and embroidering playful, job-related phrases in place of their initials.

A classic style with a twist

Blunt grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, where Boat and Tote bags were part of the city’s unofficial preppy uniform. She had one herself as a child.

Then she moved to Pennsylvania as an adult and ditched the classic bag for a trendy Longchamp, which became a school status symbol around 2024.

Six months ago, though, she wanted a change and looked back to her roots. A Boat and Tote seemed like a fun, practical option she could use to carry “pretty much everything” — school supplies, yoga gear, and more — with a personal touch.

“I wanted a bag that represents me, my past, and who I’m going to be,” Blunt said.

The L.L.Bean bags range in price from $32.95 to $69.95, with embroidery available for an extra $10 per item.

Priscilla Angier, 29, had a different experience.

The special-education teacher from Southern California first saw Boat and Tote bags on Pinterest three years ago and bought one to store her dog’s supplies in. She embroidered it with his name, Junie.

Angier loved it so much that, when she needed a bag to carry her lunch, teacher supplies, and other work necessities this year, she returned to the L.L.Bean tote. She opted to embroider the phrase “hands full” as both a nod to her work as a teacher and her tendency to literally balance numerous things in her hands at once.

“Other teachers are always telling me they need to get ones for themselves,” she told Business Insider.

And the trend isn’t limited to law and education.

On TikTok, women working in nursing, engineering, hairstyling, dentistry, culinary arts, and more have shared the L.L.Bean totes they’ve customized to highlight their jobs.

Some have also opted for more general work and office terms, like “circle back,” “corp girl,” and “I’m the ROI,” or return on investment.

In an email to Business Insider, an L.L.Bean representative said demand for its Boat and Totes has grown year after year, rising 50% year to date.

This spring also saw three of the brand’s highest-demand months for Boat and Tote sales, the rep said. They added that more than 80% of Boat and Tote orders include embroidery.

“Personalization has always been a fundamental appeal of Boat and Totes along with style, utility, and durability,” Alex Intraversato, chief merchandising officer at L.L.Bean, said. “The ability to make it uniquely yours through charms, key chains, patches, scarves, and of course, embroidery, gives the customer ownership of a Made-in-Maine icon.”

L.L.Bean has got it in the bag

Though there are countless work bags on the market, L.L.Bean has quickly built a cult following that swears its bags are better than the rest.

Some shoppers, including Blunt and Angier, find Boat and Tote bags timeless, thanks to the simple shape, neutral canvas, and thick stitching. Both women and other fans also note that they’re extremely durable.

“You can carry them for years and years, and they still keep their shape and structure,” Angier said. “It’s almost like the more you wear it, the better it gets.”

Maybe most important, though, is that two of the totes are rarely the same.

You can choose the bag’s size, the length of its handles (the longer the better for work, fans say), the style of its top, its color accents, and its embroidery.

That’s an especially big draw now. Personalization is in.

Monograms are a status symbol in men’s fashion, Gen Z is obsessed with bag charms, and your water bottle of choice has become a personality statement.

So customized work bags fit right into the mix.

“I want someone to look at me and know what my job is,” Blunt said. “Maybe that’s a little pretentious, but I’ve worked really hard for this, and I want to be recognized for that before opening my mouth. My bag is a conversation starter.”