The Evolution, Decline, and Comeback of the Fanny Pack

In 1954, Sports Illustrated featured an ad for a leather pouch designed as the perfect accessory for cross-country skiers to carry their lunch and ski wax. This hip-worn bag also appealed to hikers, horseback riders, and cyclists, offering a hands-free solution similar to a backpack worn around the waist.

Priced at $10 (equivalent to $95 today), the “fanny pack” gained popularity among outdoor enthusiasts who needed a compact, practical way to carry essentials while biking, hiking, or exploring trails. Over time, it transitioned into a fashion trend, embraced by brands like Gucci and Nike in the 1980s and '90s for both style and function, before becoming a symbol of ironic humor. Despite its playful name—fanny pack—the idea of storing items near your lower back was always intended to be practical, not comical.

For centuries, humans have relied on belt-based storage solutions. Ötzi the Iceman, a 5300-year-old mummy discovered in a glacier in 1991, carried a leather pouch containing a sharpened bone and flint tools. Later, Victorian and Edwardian women embraced the concept with chatelaine purses crafted from silk or velvet.

The fanny pack's 20th-century popularity emerged on European ski slopes during the 1960s and '70s. In Switzerland, they were called bauchtasche, or stomach bags, and were favored by skiers needing easy access to essentials like food, money, maps, flares, and sometimes alcohol. Photographers also adopted them for outdoor adventures, as they provided a secure way to carry expensive cameras and lenses without risk of damage.

The 1980s marked the fanny pack's transition into mainstream fashion, driven by what Jennifer Grayer Moore, author of Fashion Fads Through American History, described as the rise of “athleisure.” This movement brought sportswear like leggings, track suits, and gym shorts into everyday wear, with fanny packs becoming a practical accessory for carrying keys, wallets, drinks, and more. Tourists, in particular, found them ideal for storing cameras and souvenirs without the hassle of bulky luggage.

By the late 1980s, luxury brands like Chanel began producing high-end fanny packs, often referred to as belt bags. Their popularity was cemented in pop culture, with figures like Will Smith from The Fresh Prince and members of New Kids on the Block sporting them. The trend combined practicality with style, as people proudly wore these oversized waist pouches, typically positioned at the front.

As with many trends, overexposure led to decline. Fanny packs became ubiquitous, distributed by major brands like Miller Beer and at sports venues, often adorned with corporate logos. This commercialization made them too common and uncool, and by the late 1990s, wearing one was met with ridicule and scorn.

Despite this, fanny packs remained popular among outdoor adventurers and have recently made a comeback in fashion. Luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Valentino now design high-end versions, often worn across the chest like a bandolier (like so), a style favored by skateboarders for its practicality and freedom of movement.

In 2018, fanny packs contributed to a significant increase in accessory sales, with double-digit growth. While their peak as a mainstream trend may have passed, the fanny pack is unlikely to vanish entirely anytime soon.