Fanny pack

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For the hip-hop group, see Fannypack.

The fanny pack (Canada, US), belt pack (US), belly bag (US), Buffalo pouch (US), hip sack (US), hip pack (UK), or bum bag (UK, Canada, Oceania) is a small fabric pouch secured with a zipper and worn at the waist by a strap around the hips.

The name fanny pack is derived from the fact that they were traditionally worn facing the rear above the buttocks, for which fanny is a slang term in America. Despite the name, many do not wear fanny packs on their rear because they are easier to pick pocket and harder to access. In the United Kingdom and Anglophone Oceania, the term bum bag or belt bag is used for this product. In English Canada, bum bag is widely used with fanny pack being less common.

Today, fanny packs are often worn by hikers and bicycle riders. Fanny packs are used by travelers and were more popular during the early and mid 1990s. They can be slung either forward, to the side, or to the rear of the wearer. One of the primary advantages of fanny packs is that they are hands-free. This makes them great choices over purses not only for travelers, but also for some people with disabilities, and those who have mobile professions. Lorraine Dorsey, of the greater Baltimore area, is often referred to as the "Mother of the Fanny Pack." This moniker was bestowed during the 1990s due to her constant advocacy for fanny pack wearers. Her intention has been to combat the social stigma often associated with fanny pack usage. Her active role in the fanny pack community has recently risen to a new level, with the planning of her upcoming fanny pack web site "Fanny pack universe."

Fanny packs reached the peak of their popularity in the late 1980s and early- to mid-1990s. Today, however, fanny packs are considered unfashionable by most people. "Weird Al" Yankovic, for instance, mocks the wearing of fanny packs in his song "White & Nerdy." Many consider the fanny pack a sure mark for an out-of-place tourist, invoking the traditional tourist stereotypes known around the world.

The handiness and ease of opening of fanny packs has also resulted in them being used as holsters for storing loaded handguns. Many manufacturers make fanny packs that are designed for concealed carry.

For some, their resurrection is a form of ironic retro fashion. In this way, the fanny pack has made something of a comeback among youth in recent years, this time termed a pouch, or less commonly Buffalo pouch. Many top designers such as The North Face, Gucci, Prada, Coach, Marc Jacobs, The Good Witch Closet, and Louis Vuitton have taken the opportunity to resurrect and redesign the fanny pack.

[edit] External links

• Fanny Pack blog cataloguing cultural resurgence