The Resurrection of the Fanny Pack

I remember this nifty little gem of a carry all back in the late 80’s/90’s. What was it about these bags that made them so appealing?

Maybe the fact that you wore it around your waste- making it super easy to unzip the pack just enough to slip your hand in and pull out your favorite cherry flavored lip smackers slightly tinted lip balm or was it the versatility of the pack? Front wear, side wear or fanny wear. So many styling options. 

I heard a rumor that Weird Al Yankovic single handedly destroyed the coolness of these packs with one song, White & Nerdy. That my friends, marks an era of body wear style & functionality we never thought would resurrect itself from the shelves of Good Will. 

Fast forward decades later and here we are with these handy little bags now being called bum bags or crossbody bags. A classier departure from the casual and slightly raunchy fanny pack name (we do realize bum is just the British term for butt, which in hindsight is much more proper than fanny). Carry on, my good Sir. 

Whatever you prefer to call them (I am still in the classic fanny pack camp) they have made a huge comeback. At first I laughed and thought, really? I can’t. But I must confess, lately I have found myself in certain situations where I thought, if only I had a bum bag AKA crossbody AKA fanny pack, my life would be so much easier. 

For example, we have been riding bikes a lot more lately. Not for sport (still trying to make it up that neighborhood hill) but just for fun exploring and enjoying different areas. We all know a gal can’t leave home without her purse (graduated from cherry lip smackers to Dr. Bronner’s) and so biking around in nature with a purse smacking against your leg isn’t the most enjoyable way to ride (yes, I have thought about a backpack but too big and bulky). Not only are bike rides unpleasant with a purse, how about taking a brisk walk, hiking, climbing a mountain or diving off a cliff? I find myself longing for simpler times ALA 1985. 

How nice would it be to have something that hangs around my chest?  Notice I didn’t say around my waste. Times have changed and so has the way you can wear this tried and true carry all. 

At this point, it really seems like I only have one choice. This little blast from the past is portable, pretty cute and just big enough to carry all of my essentials. Did I mention if worn the new & trendy way, it won’t be slapping up against me while attempting to participate in low impact recreational activities? 

I have been sold! This just goes to show, yesterday’s problems are still here today and all the world’s conundrums can be solved with the fanny pack. Interested in bring back this functional pack? You can find it here:  Bags & Totes – Southern Soul Collectives The Crossbody Summer Bag. Happy Shopping!

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Blessings,

Meredeth, Southern Soul Collectives