Trivia time.
What comes to mind when you hear the words fanny pack? For me, I think of overheated, unhappy tourists and those sunglasses from the 80’s that were black and had neon on the sides.
Or worse:
Fanny pack, belt pack, hip pack, or bum bag (my personal favorite)… call it what you want, but they are making a comeback. Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Prada – they all make one. But this time around designers are referring to them as a pouch.
From an accessibility standpoint, they totally make sense. You can wear it forward, to the side or in the back. They are hands free and eliminate the nuisance of keys and a cell phone bouncing around in your pockets.
The European men have always loved them. They either stick to wearing it around their waist or sling them over their shoulder like a messenger bag. But seriously, can American men pull them off?
I decided to do a little research and check out who exactly was sporting the fanny pack and if it worked for them.
Here are my conclusions:
+The younger you are, the easier it is to pull off.
+The more unique your style, the more a fanny pack looks at home resting around your waist.
+A fanny pack is a casual wear accessory.
That means no wearing it with dress pants (yes, I witnessed that and it wasn’t pretty). Ooh and stay away from the leather variety. Those just don’t work for anyone. Go with more of a retro-vibe. A friend of mine wears a Le Sport Sac one that he scored for under $20 and it is awesome!
No, not at all.
But I have to admit; they’re slowly starting to grow on me.
is that an ultimate warrior varsity jacket i see in that triple shot?!?!
OMG
July 28, 2008 at 2:40 pmI think the less it looks like a traditional fanny pack, the better… i.e. pretty much every still from above.
July 28, 2008 at 2:52 pmStill a stupid look, I don’t care what fabulous designer is making them.
July 28, 2008 at 2:52 pmpeople can dress up the perrrrty models however they choose to—and at the end of the day they call that “fashion”—were fanny pacs ever meant to be fashionable?!?
July 28, 2008 at 3:11 pmAlright, a few of these souped-up versions look pretty good, but like most risky style items that are best left in the hands of a few, a lot of people will try to rock them in inappropriate ways, ruining the whole thing. I get the appeal though, from a practical standpoint. The cargo pant cycle is over for now, and it definitely got convenient to stash more on my person when I was on the go. It’s tricky trying to balance a wallet, keys, phone, and camera and/or iPod in two back pockets during a night out (and screw you, I’m not getting an iPhone yet).
But it’s a fannypack, and like a lot of things I just don’t know that we need it again. I’m already hurting over the revival of denim shorts.
July 28, 2008 at 3:43 pmmy dad has had one for about fifteen years because my sister gave him his first one. he doesn’t wear them correctly though. he wears them across his chest (often used as an arm rest when at amusement parks and the like) or on his shoulder. he calls it his “purse.”
my dad also has a santa beard, enjoys wearing hawaiian print shirts with plaid shorts, and socks with sandals. all with his purse.
fanny pack = bad.
i agree with pete, though. the “souped up versions” don’t looks so bad, but they’re not the real deal. and people that wear the real deal usually look ridiculous.
July 28, 2008 at 4:22 pmbomb the suburbs
July 28, 2008 at 4:33 pmI work at Coach, and we have always sold a fanny pack. They’re generally only bought by old women who are going overseas and are paranoid about “foreigners” stealing their stuff, though.
Or gay men.
July 28, 2008 at 6:56 pmDEAR GOD NO
(and whatever you do, don’t call it a “fanny” pack in front of British people. For that matter, don’t use the word “dork” in front of South Africans.)
July 28, 2008 at 9:02 pmThis is about as good an idea as a Hello Kitty backpack.
July 29, 2008 at 6:06 pmJust add irony!
July 30, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Even as a wearer of the fanny, I’m not sold that it can make a comeback.
Reasons why:
+ If you’re a guy, you’ll probably look gay. I look gay with it on, but then again, I am.
+If you wear it out to a club/bar/dance party/concert, you will look like a drug dealer. Ive been approached for a “score” multiple times. In NY, clubs made sure to check the contents.
+You’re probably not cool enough to be a gay drug dealer.
That being said, I love my lesportsac fanny. I also own two more, one my sister got at an Indian goods store and the other has mickey mouse on it from when I was 6. Sadly it doesn’t fit.
American Apparel also sells them, but they are solid and probably lame.
July 28, 2008 at 2:31 pm