A tote bag is a large, typically unfastened bag with parallel handles that emerge from the sides of its pouch.
Totes are often used as reusable shopping bags. The archetypal tote bag is made of sturdy cloth, perhaps with thick leather at its handles or bottom; leather versions often have a pebbled surface. Fabrics include natural canvas and jute, or nylon and other easy-care synthetics. These may degrade with prolonged exposure to sunlight. Many low-cost totes are made from recycled matter, from minimally processed natural fibers, or from byproducts of processes that refine organic materials.
Tote bags are open bags (unfastened bags), since they usually have no zipper or other closure mechanism (no fasteners).