The reputation of the fanny pack (or “bum bag” as the UK and Australia prefer to call it) is, let’s face it, not the best; the tourist staple has long been consigned to the depths of sartorial hell – somewhere near cargo shorts and flip flops. That’s all set to change if the Spring/Summer 2016 menswear collections are anything to go by; Valentino, Lemaire and Carven all dispatched looks down the runway featuring high-end takes on the humble waist bag, often slung across the chest rather than around the hips. Dutch streetwear label Patta, meanwhile, included some the handy luggage piece in their latest collaboration with Levi’s.
Backpacks have been all the rage among fashion’s high end for a while now, and given that wallets, smartphones and keys can often disturb the clean lines of trousers and jackets, perhaps it’s hardly surprising that designers are starting to turn to alternative ways for men to carry their daily essentials. Practical and (for the most part) highly affordable, fanny packs are popular among European drug dealers and hoodlums; grime MCs, keen to continue the time-honored hustler-rapper style relationship, are fond of the accessory, too.
If you feel like dipping your toes into some alternative ways of carrying your essentials, then there’s plenty of hip bags out there for you to choose from; ranging from small one-compartment numbers to more substantial offerings for larger payloads. Given that both fashion establishments and street-savvy youths are turning to the tourist’s favorite bag as a new way to carry their day-to-day gear, don’t be surprised if you see a lot more from the humble fanny pack in the future.