The resurgence of the fanny pack

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I’ll be honest, I used to think fanny packs were pretty damn ugly. And to be fair, they’ve never really been stereotypically attractive as an accessory, no matter what brand plasters their logo all over them or what a model looks like wearing one.

But ever since they slowly started edging their way back onto the fashion scene, I’ve found myself liking them more than I ever thought I would.

Although losing its favour with the average person because of overexposure with branding and marketing, fanny packs have retained their appeal among the fitness and outdoorsy community due to their convenience and versatility.

My late Aunt Judy was a dedicated fanny pack-wearer back when it had lost its appeal and they became uncool once again, but as a person who never cared what people thought of her, it turns out she was merely sporting a conveniently sized carrying bag that would gain popularity once again. I like to say that she was ahead of the game, in many ways.

Fashion is funny and predictable that way. It’s constantly reused and recycled again and again no matter what the style is or the decade an item of clothing is from.

Fanny packs gained massive popularity in the 1980s and 90s as recreational style pieces that Gucci and Nike marketed as decorative, yet handy, fashion statements. After that, they soon transformed into tacky, hipster-marked outfit jokes that lost their mainstream appeal. They universally transformed into dorky dad staples and were no longer an acceptable accessory for someone with any fashion sense.

Although losing its favour with the average person because of overexposure with branding and marketing, fanny packs have retained their appeal among the fitness and outdoorsy community due to their convenience and versatility.

I don’t know when they became so well-liked again, but one day I was shopping at the mall and nearly every store I walked into had a group of employees wearing them, from LuluLemon to Aerie.

Except this time around, there was one notable difference: they were being worn slung across their torsos rather than belted around their waists. Somehow, this made fanny packs look exponentially better and more natural.

I’m not about to go out and purchase a designer label fanny pack from Louis Vuitton or Valentino just because this fabulously weird fashion piece has made quite the respectable comeback, but it’s fun to see people wearing them nonetheless.

Will I be buying into the consumerist hype around these compact bad boys just because I saw Olivia Wilde wearing one and I desperately want to relive the style days of my youth? You bet.

Until the day comes when they’re slandered for being ugly again, and maybe even beyond that, because who cares what people think, I’ll be living a life with my free hands and belongings safely zipped away around my torso.

Whether you love them or hate them, fanny packs seem to be here to stay — for the time being.

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