Canvas is a plain-woven, tightly packed fabric, and cotton canvas is the traditional version of it. That tight weave is where its durability comes from, and it is what gives a tote its structure and that soft, slightly dry handle. Ours is 100% natural cotton. You will also see it called a cotton bag, a canvas shopper or a canvas tote.

Water-resistant, and the distinction matters. Rain and splashes sit on the surface long enough for you to get indoors, so drizzle on the walk home is a non-event. It is not waterproof, so it should not be treated as a dry bag or left out in sustained heavy rain with anything precious inside.

They are two separate fabrics. Our cotton canvas is 100% natural cotton, softer to the touch, with more texture, and water-resistant. Our recycled canvas is a matte, weather-resistant fabric made from recycled materials, which makes it the harder-working choice for commuting and travel. Every bag in this collection is cotton canvas, not recycled canvas.

Work back from the job. The Hampton if you want a backpack, the Hoxton or Sloane if a laptop is coming too, and the Somerset if you need a changing bag that doubles as an everyday bag. A Marylebone Tote for a food shop or a beach day, a Mill Hill Crossbody for hands free, and a Maygrove Wash Bag or Maida Vale Pouch for the jobs a main bag does badly.

Only if you keep using it, which is the honest answer. A cotton bag used twice is worse than no new bag at all; one carried for years instead of dozens of disposables is a clear improvement. That is why these are built as bags you keep, not giveaways, and why we are a certified B Corp instead of self-certified.