Fanny packs used to be reserved for tourists who wore socks with their sandals and grandmothers who sneaked you toffees, but the last couple of years they have become a fashion staple in many people's closets. But one luxury label has just upped the ante on the look, where Prada's oversized fanny pack is basically the size of a duffel bag — and it won't look half-bad cinched at your waist.
When the accessory first started popping up on runways and on the shelves of indie boutiques, people had their doubts. How can anyone pull off this '90s staple without looking cheesy or bringing back strong Fresh Prince of Bel-Air vibes? But since then it has been reinvented, refashioned, and reworked into all different kinds of styles and aesthetics — from sleek leather belt bags, to elegant hardware pieces, to sporty FUBU inspired reiterations, and everything else in between. Which means designers need to start getting creative if they want their own bum bags to stand out from the rest.
Enter Prada and its "more is more" spark of genius. While a belt bag is already extremely functional and practical — doing everything from freeing up your hands to keeping your credit cards accessible right there in front of you — Prada wondered what would happen if the accessory gave you more room.
Not only will you be able to fit your wallet in here, but you can also store your notebook laptop, makeup bag, and a can of hairspray if you want to. And not even the travel size version. You can go ahead and load up your normal sized aerosol. The possibilities are endless.
Called the Prada New Vela design, this nylon bag is meant to feel luxurious and just a little bit edgy with its Italian craftsmanship and stud accents. Featuring a slightly boxy shape, it has a black leather buckle-fastening body strap to cinch the purse at your waist, and also two front straps made from silver leather that is set in studs to give it some edge.
Inside you have slip pockets to keep everything organized, and it has the traditional zip-fastening pouch to make it a true fanny pack.
At $1,550, you're definitely getting bang for your buck with all the extra space. If you're wondering how a person could pull off something so out-of-the-box and oversized, the label suggests playing up those oversized proportions and styling it with chunky knitwear. For the summertime, another alternative to that "big-on-big" layering would be to pair it with baggy pants or an oversized, boxy shift.
Of course, if you feel like the large size is just too much for your taste, the bag is versatile like all other bum bags. You can easily sling it across your chest to create a more cross-body bag like effect, or even slide it over to your back so it looks like a backpack. There's more than one way to style it, though wearing it on your waist is definitely the most innovative.
With so much room, this could be just the thing to wear on a road trip with friends, or on a free afternoon in the city, where you're just popping from store to store and restaurant to bar. That way you'll have all your snacks and credit cards handy right there in front of you, instead of bothering with rooting around in a big purse. Though, granted, you would first need to have nearly two grand available in order to make that fantasy happen!
For those of us who need that cash for rent money, here's hoping a cheaper, copy-cat version hits the market soon.
