on a BUM note...

Bum-bags are back!!!!

The last time I wore a bum-bag was actually only last year… as part of a Tomb Raider Halloween costume, I had a leather bum-bag to give the look a utility vibe. And it was actually the best thing ever…it reminded me how annoying handbags, clutches and purses are. I didn’t have to worry about losing my phone, money, make-up or keys…all were compactly and safely secured to my body! It left my hands and arms free to dance (badly) throughout the night.

So why is there such a faux-pas stigma against these little gems? Well for years now, they have always been associated with naff tourists on holidays, in grotesque prints and overly neon-bright colours. I have flashbacks of my Mum having a bright yellow one with black exposed zips and my sister with an luminous Simpson’s version.

No longer just made in tacky polyester…designers have given the bum-bag a whole new sophisticated chic. Over at Louis Vuitton, designed by Marc Jacobs, the bum bag has taken a luxe turn. In embossed leather complete with tassels and fur trimmings…even uber cool fashion follower Rihanna has been seen sporting this design out! Brit bag designer Angel Jackson, who has her bags for sale on fashion website ASOS, has brought out a gorgeous python skin bum-bag, which surprisingly enough I am lusting after! And newcomer to the design world Ashish sent his models down the catwalk at London Fashion Week with his sexier bum-bag versions, with studded detailing teamed with cut-away body-con dresses.
Surprisingly enough, the High Street has taken this trend on…and there are cool versions popping up everywhere. Marks & Spencer will launch a studded leather-effect version in May, while American Apparel offers extreme ‘80s’ shiny gold and blue versions. River Island has the most wearable version, in my opinion, with grungy black leather adorned with triangular-shaped studs coming into stores thus Spring, while Penneys currently have their versions in stock…actually ahead of the fashion pack for once, in leather-look black and white options.

Well this ‘90s’ icon has come back with a bang this season, and although there was a mini-revival of the bum-bag by Louis Vuitton a few years back, it never really caught on despite SATC’s ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ endorsing it. It proves that not everything she touches turns to gold, which leads me to think that this new revival may also be short-lived.

I cannot deny their convenience and I may even invest in a cheap one for the festivals this summer - it’s certainly here for the short term on a crazy fashion whim so why not indulge this spring and make like Mr. Motivator.