Colors

Bloomindale’s Brown Bags

New York City department store Bloomdale's brown bags variously described as "iconic," "signature," and "trademark." These shopping bags were designed in 1967 by Massimo Vignelli, a major figure in design in the second half of the 20th Century, who also designed, among many other projects, the American Airlines logo and the New York City Subway signage.

The brown bags come in three sizes: "big," "medium," and "little."

How It's Used

“Dear Diary:

“Last holiday season, my daughter, Bianca, then 12, invited Francesca, her friend, to spend the weekend with us in Manhattan.

“Frankie had never been to New York City, and she was awed by the usual sights. She was equally impressed by the shops—Saks, Bendel's, Bergdorf's.

“At the end of a long day, we found ourselves outside the Plaza Hotel, munching roasted chestnuts. It was then that Frankie piped up.

“'Maria,’ she said, looking at me with her big blue eyes. ‘Is there a store named Big Brown Bag?’”

"Federated Department Stores Inc. holds claim to some of the most famous symbols in American retailing: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York and the Bloomingdale's trademark Big Brown Bag.

"But for investors, Federated's stock ticker, FD, has been the symbol to beat. Strong same-store sales and the economic rebound have propelled Federated's shares 70% higher over the last 12 months."

"A team of designers at Saks Fifth Avenue envisioned 'a piece of modern art' and hired a renowned graphic artist to create it. Their counterparts at Lord & Taylor demanded five prototypes, even traveling to a Korean factory to oversee manufacturing. Over at Bergdorf Goodman, staff members held secretive deliberations that stretched late into the night for nine months.

"The focus of all this scurrying was not the autumn couture line or next spring's resort collection. It was shopping bags. Once a flimsy afterthought in American retailing—used to lug a purchase home from the store, then tossed into the trash—the lowly, free store bag is undergoing a luxurious makeover...

"For consumers, the sudden emphasis on 'reusability,' as retail executives call it, is creating a surprising new hierarchy. Interviews across New York City suggest, for example, that shoppers covet the heavy-duty plastic bags from Lululemon Athletica, the seller of yoga clothing, above the thin paper version provided by Bloomingdale's, the luxury department store...

"Bloomingdale's also appears to be under pressure to upgrade its bags, whose design dates to the 1970s. The chain says it is developing a thicker reusable bag to join its lineup of thin paper ones, which bear phrases like 'Medium Brown Bag.'

"For Bloomingdale's and Bergdorf, the redesigns may be costly, but missing out on free advertising from spruced-up bags could prove even costlier."

"The shopaholics among you won't be disappointed either. The sheer size andmassive discounts at the Mall at Millenia and the Premium outlet store left me hyperventilating into my Bloomingdale's Big Brown Bag, with a resolution to return in the near future with nothing on me but a wad of cash and a big empty suitcase."

"New York...Iconic outlet: Take your purchases home from Bloomingdale's, 59th Street & Lexington Ave (001 212 705 2000; bloomingdales. com) in an iconic brown bag."

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