One of the icons of schooldays will again take its rightful place in the cafeteria this back-to-school season. The lunchbox - aka the lunch tote - has over recent years morphed into a virtual buffet of shapes, colors and designs, giving families an array of options.

Some are traditional shapes in plastic or metal. Others are vinyl totes that feature additional compartments or come with insulated containers.

"For back to school, a lot of it has to do with color, characters and functionality," says Ana Williams, spokeswoman for Target.

Shoppers will find totes with sports emblems and ones that showcase popular children's characters such as Hello Kitty and Thomas the Tank Engine. There's a dome-shaped lunch kit that comes with a paint set so you can create your own lunchbox design.

FUNCTIONALITY

The functionality of lunchboxes has increased - most notably in the area of insulation.

These days, back-to-school shoppers will see more of the soft, insulated lunch totes that zip closed, says Mike Dobbs, vice president of public relations for Lunchboxes.com.

"And because they are insulated, they help retain food temperature," Dobbs says.

Zojirushi America Corp., a Gardena, Calif., company, manufactures a Lunch Jar collection featuring lunch totes that include insulated, stainless-steel jars with microwaveable and washable bowls and containers.

"I believe people are looking for more than just a tin container," says Marilyn Matsuba, the company's marketing manager. "It's quite different from the usual 'lunchbox."' The idea, Matsuba says, is "so users can have 'real' food for lunch."

Some insulated lunch totes come in a variety of nonconventional shapes and are designed with extra mesh pouches and storage space.

Lunchboxes.com, for instance, markets a cylindrical lunch tote that looks like a girl's tote bag. "We call it the fashion lunch tote, and that one actually has a mirror built into it," Dobbs says.

Another tote is shaped like the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine. It features a small round zip pouch in the front that resembles a spare tire. "This would be perfect for like, maybe, spare change or a mini bag of peanuts or something," Dobbs says.

POP ART

Pop culture has always played a big role in lunchbox themes, and this year is no exception.

Colorful images of Barbie, Polly Pocket and Hot Wheels grace the latest line of lunchboxes from Mattel.

And Lunchboxes.com has an alphabetical list of lunchboxes reflecting a variety of movie characters, celebrities and legendary musicians - from Harry Potter and Shrek to Jimi Hendrix and Elvis.

Retro culture, in particular, is a popular theme for adolescents, Dobbs says. "When you think of someone who is a big, let's say, Pink Floyd fan or Rolling Stones fan, it makes a great gift."

And some are actually collectibles, Dobbs said. "Some lunchboxes these days are specifically made in limited editions to be a collectible, even though they are perfectly functional as a lunchbox if you want to use it like that."