Why You Should Get On Board with the High-Fashion Fanny Pack Trend

My first fanny pack had legs. Literal legs. It also had eyes, ears, and polka-dotted fur, as it was in the shape of a Dalmatian, presumably one of the 101. This was back when I was too young to care what people thought of me, and a few years later, I would not only discard my four-legged waist bag friend in a fit of self-consciousness, but also shun my own mother for wearing one.

Hers was black leather with a magnetic clasp. I can still remember the sound of it clicking with each open and close, which was frequent. Situated front and center on her hips, it symbolized motherhood to me: Money, house keys, and tissues. I swore I would never, ever grow up to look like that. But looking back, it was actually a very chic and sophisticated fanny pack, all things considered. And, of course, we all grow up to be our mothers. Whether we like it or not.

But this summer, I not only ordered a fanny pack; I had it shipped overnight. In 2017, fanny packs are hot again, thanks to luxury fashion brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Alexander Wang, as well as celebrity adopters like Kendall Jenner, who have been around town lately looking like young Carrie Bradshaws.

Fanny packs started trickling into mainstream fashion during the Fall 2016 men’s shows, when we first spotted them as a street style trend. Supreme was the brand of choice, so when Louis Vuitton collaborated with the streetwear pioneer for its Fall 2017 men’s wear show, the accessory finally got the high-fashion treatment.

Gucci, in all its quirkiness, was bound to show a fanny pack at some point, and for the Alexander Wang party girl, a fanny pack is the perfect “hands free” purse. Both brands included the accessory in their most recent Resort and Pre-Fall collections, and they’ll no doubt fly off the shelves.

Kendall Jenner agrees. “The best place [to wear a fanny pack] is the club, it keeps your hands free and you are not afraid of losing anything,” she told W last month.

“I don’t think there is a ‘worst’ place [to wear one],” echoed her sister, Kylie Jenner. Together, they designed fanny packs for the latest collection of their namesake brand. “We’re loving the fanny pack comeback!”

So, there you have it: Just as we wanted, these are not our mother’s fanny packs. But we might still owe them an apology.

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