If three-figure sums seem a little steep for something you reckon you could find for a tenner at a beach shack, remember it shouldn’t be too cheap – if it is, someone is not being paid properly. That, or it will lack the integrity to hold your essentials. The Colombia Collective, which works with artisan communities across the country, sets a good benchmark, with bags between £58 and £198.
It’s worth seeking out quality if you consider what we may demand from a basket: a robust investment that can carry a water bottle, Kindle, airport magazine haul, sun cream and a towel. Strathberry founders Guy and Leeanne Hundleby take this seriously. ‘It doesn’t matter what fabrication the bag, we load them up,’ Leeanne says. ‘When we made our first silhouettes, Guy used to put in weights and swing them, like: these handles must not fall off.’