While this won't come as a surprised to college girls, women who have spent time traveling abroad in Europe, and women in various American cities, Longchamp Le Pliage tote bags are one of the hottest, reasonably priced bags to be seen in right now. While this trend has been around long enough that it can barely even be called a "trend" anymore, it recently occurred to me that many women have seen this bags and have no idea what they are or why they're so popular. Recently, my mother's medium-sized tote, seen below, was passed around a Starbucks by women who wanted to know where to purchase the popular bag. All of the woman who participated in this questioning had seen the bag carried in a variety of places, but had never thought to ask who designed it or why it was so popular.

As the Le Pliage is made out of a sturdy canvas, with leather handles, it is waterproof and lightweight, making it perfect for college students, women who walk a lot due to living in large cities, and for women who need to carry a lot without hurting their backs. Women in Paris tote these bags around in all sizes and styles. It comes in a variety of seasonal colors and in a number of sizes, all with brown leather handles.The exception to this rule is the "Les Planetes" line, which features handles in a leather and color that match the canvas of the bag's body. For example, a black Les Planetes bag features black handles, while a green one features deep green crocodile leather handles.

In addition to being lightweight and waterproof, these bags are as roomy as you'd like, and fold up into a small, flat rectangle, making them easy to pack and store.

The prices range from $100 to $150, depending on where you purchase it and which style you purchase. An official Longchamp store, or a department store such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, or Neiman Marcus is a safe bet when you decide to purchase one of these bags.