Built to carry weight
A tote is a load-bearing product rather than a package, which puts the specification in the handles and the seams rather than the surface. Handle attachment, handle drop and fabric weight are all set from the load you expect to carry, and all three should be confirmed on a physically loaded sample. State the heaviest expected contents and whether it is carried on the shoulder or in the hand.
How the open-top construction works
No closure at all: the pouch is a sleeve or liner that protects against dust, scratching and contact rather than containing contents. It is used as an inner within a box, or where the item is inserted and immediately placed inside something else.
Confirm depth relative to the contents — an open-top sleeve that is too shallow leaves the item exposed at exactly the point it needs covering.
The fabric
Corduroy is a ribbed pile fabric, so it behaves like velvet in some ways and like a structured cotton in others: it has directional nap that affects how colour reads, but enough body to hold shape. The wale runs one way, which means panels have to be cut consistently or the finished bag shows a visible change in tone between them.
