Leave it to the Brits to devote an entire website to a discussion of the fanny pack, though if you’re running around England wearing one of these, you’d better refer to it as a bum bag or nobody will know what you’re talking about.
These ubiquitous bags are handy and safe, but there was nothing remotely safe about this concept’s origins: the design is a derivative of military and law enforcement pouches, so while yours may stow your energy bars, they were originally made to hold handguns.
Fanny packs gained a reputation for being nerdy and the preferred carry-all for traveling seniors, but leave it to contemporary designers, operating on the “everything old is new again” principle, to resurrect the idea with designs so innovative, even fashionistas of both sexes feel comfortable wearing them for all sorts of occasions.
This idea has been around forever
If you’ve been away from mainstream fashion for so long, you hadn’t heard about the Kardashians clothing empire, you may be surprised to learn that fanny packs have been around for about 5,000 years. Archaeologists say that tourists exploring the Italian-Australian border happened upon a corpse wearing a calfskin belt lashed to a pouch that held essentials like a bone awl and boring tool. Travel to Italy and you can glimpse what’s being called the world’s first fanny pack (http://www.iceman.it/en/clothing/).
Over time, versions of fanny packs were worn by ancient Egyptians and Romans, 17th Century Japanese officials and Native Americans, each iteration made of readily-available materials and showcasing that society’s style. “The concept of waist-hung items is almost universal across all cultures,” wrote Genevieve Cummins for “Collectors Weekly,” so it was just a matter of time before the fanny pack exploded onto the contemporary fashion scene in the 1980s.
“Adweek” named the fanny pack “the hottest product on the market” in 1988, yet the trend quickly dissipated–only to be resurrected again in 2011 and 2018. From high-end designers to sportswear manufacturers and novelty manufacturers, everyone’s getting into the fanny pack act these days and you’re the beneficiary of all of this largesse.
12 Trendy must-haves (or not so much) for your wardrobe
When Quartzy.com announced in December 2018 that, “Fanny packs are generating nearly a quarter of the US accessories industry’s growth,” you can only imagine how fanciful the 2019 versions had become, given the fact that fashion is nothing if not an excuse to push design limits and the fanny pack is no exception to the rule.
1. What’s sex got to do with it? The Usher Colorblock Denim belt bag doesn’t gender discriminate when it’s worn by either guys or girls eager to make their mark, even off the catwalk. Traditional blue denim with accents of hot and soft pinks could masquerade as a crossbody for either gender.
2. Heavy petting. Animal lovers who hate leaving home for work every day because their dogs get “that expression” can now take the pooch to the office, even if it’s not “bring a pet to work” day. You send the Etsy artisan a photo and the dog’s name plus $10 and voila! A fanny pack featuring your dog’s face and name lands in your mailbox. Still feeling guilty? You wouldn’t be the first pet parent to keep treats in one of the pouches.
3. Rhianna-approved styling. If everything Rhianna says, wears, sings or totes winds up on your radar, her Fenty Puma by Rihanna Bow Crosspack, a hybrid design sold at Nordstrom, looks just like a bowtie on steroids when it’s rolled up and held in place by a fancy cuff. Plan to take out your wallet to buy this quirky bag.
4. Fanny pack formal. You’ve got a formal occasion to attend and your outfit perfectly suits the occasion. There’s just one problem: you must be fancy free to get around and a regular purse won’t do it. How about an affordable, unique Kinies fanny pack so artfully designed with ruffles, nobody could guess that it wasn’t plucked from a formalwear accessory rack.
5. Feeling grumpy on occasion? Strap on a Grumps Convertible Bum Bag offered by Tory Sport shopbop.com and you’re going to get the attention of folks walking toward and away from you, depending upon whether this upside-down happy face rides on your butt or over your tummy. Even the color pink does little to cheer a fanny pack that wins style kudos for whimsy, so perhaps you should choose the blue one!
6. Light up the night. Never met a sequin you couldn’t adopt and bring home? There’s an affordable iHeartRaves Fanny Waist Pack covered with sequins and glitter that’s as practical and affordable as it is outrageous waiting for you on Amazon. There are other versions of this product but if you’re going for drama, what’s the point of picking another?
7. Your face on your fanny (pack). All you need is a photo of yourself or someone you want to perpetually wear close to your waist to have an Etsy artisan custom-make a fanny pack just for you. The disembodied head featured on the sample bag is a bit creepy, but your baby’s head (big or small) might look cute repeated all over this bag and if you’re looking for an affordable gift that nobody will replicate, you can stop shopping now.
8. When you wish upon a belly. This fanny pack is likely to turn more heads than anything on this list because the screened art features a giant beer belly, replete with navel. It costs less than 10 bucks. Wish shoppers can choose between a variety of skin tones, but our favorite is the hairy belly style fit for man or Yeti.
9. Channel your inner Marie Kondo. Part masculine utility belt, part efficiently compartmentalized dangling mini-bags and all high-quality leather, we can promise you that you won’t see this JW Anderson black, multi-pocket belt bag coming and going. It’s pricey to the max but very unisex. This bag has your name written on it if you were born under the sign of Highly Organized.
10. Calling adventurous vegans. Just the word Etsy is enough to prepare the mind for something out-of-the-ordinary, so you won’t be surprised that we’ve unearthed a fanny pack with this uber-long name: the Astral Traveller Green Canvas Vegan Festival Doof Utility Pocket Belt. It ships from Australia where folks know a thing or two about efficiency. Affordable and lightweight, this fanny pack holds a ton of stuff.
11. Oh, Louis: You had me at quilted calf leather. The house of Louis Vuitton needed no excuse to launch its summer 2019 fanny pack artfully called the New Wave Bum Bag. The vintage, gold-colored “LV” is so huge, your fashion sense can be ascertained from quite a distance—even for nearsighted strollers. It comes in black or white, so feel free to hand over your credit card for both.
12. Gotta-have-it Gucci. Admit it: while leather turns you on, the mere sight of the Gucci logo and signature color accents is enough to increase your pulse rate. This Gucci fanny pack should be a top your wish list if the brand is a favorite. Crafted in Italy (would you expect anything less?), the inspiration comes from the 1980s but this bag works wonderfully with contemporary fashion. This Gucci fanny pack turns heads. If that’s your goal, better order one before it sells out.