Story Mfg
Big Shop Tote - R.T.S. CO-64SF
From Story Mfg
Product details
Inspired by a vintage newspaper bag our Big Shop Tote has enough space for all your belongings. Featuring a thick shoulder strap loop-tie internal compartments and made from a naturally dyed 100% organic cotton.
The Sun Faded Capsule
One of the things we’ve always loved about vintage is the way garments fade after years of wear in the sun. Sometimes brands recreate that look with chemicals or artificial processes (some of the better ones use lasers which is very Star Trek). Natural dyes naturally fade (or in some cases darken (tan)) over time with exposure to the sun making them more beautiful every day they’re worn. We don’t - we use the sun (also this is a reminder to always wear sunscreen).
The Sun Faded Capsule is a little slice of our R.T.S. line where we pre-fade items a little to get them started. They look gorgeous and vintage but their story isn’t finished. It's on to you to wear and love them to keep developing them. We’re releasing this in batches and they’re quite time and labour-intensive so grab one if you like it because we aren’t sure when we can get more out in the sun.
CO-64SF
Our R.T.S. we use a naming system for colours that was started by one of our natural dyehouses to keep track of experiments. It usually secretly encodes what dyes are used and what pre-treatments came before it. It was a way to keep things more simple. In this one single case it’s more complicated than the plain truth. It’s natural indigo.That said the plain-ness ends there. Our natural indigo is different to 99% of what everyone but the most dedicated home-dyers call natural indigo because not only is the dye natural but the process by which we dye is too. We use a fermentation method similar to how wine is made. They say comparison is the thief of joy but it’s worth knowing (because we pay extra and wait longer for it) that most brands using “natural indigo” then use chemicals to actually dye with it because they’re cheap quick and predictable even to a novice. The natural way is expensive slow and only replicable by an expert.To fade them as you might have guessed we place them in the sun. It’s an homage to the sun-faded vintage we love. Again to get this effect anywhere else you’d use chemicals or in the most up-to-date wash houses maybe lasers. Nevertheless we prefer the sun. It will continue to fade and change as you wear and love it but this gives it a good nudge in a beautiful direction.Speaking of when me and Katy were abroad once we overheard someone in a vegan cafe post-yoga telling some other westerners about the power of walking outside naked in the morning light to “absorb the divine masculine” via your genitals. She was really passionate about it. I don’t think we finished our toast but that really stuck with me so in an effort to let go I’m passing it on to you.
*Each bag features a unique fade making every piece one of a kind. Fades will vary and we’re unable to accommodate specific requests.


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