Alternatives to standard backpacks have become more commonplace in recent years as hipsters dig up the past in search of trends and industries adapt to changing habits. Even the humble “bum bag” or “fanny pack” has crossed over from decades of ridicule into a standard Berlin trendy “must-have”, perfect for holding some keys, rolling papers, and tobacco in an easily accessible pouch for a day out. Another rising star has been eagerly embraced by designers: the mini backpack.
The mini backpack -unlike the bum bag, which wavered in popularity for so long- seems set to become a set piece of wardrobe equipment for men and women alike, but for very different reasons, best is to find one that suits you and your personality, we recommend checking out the best list at Bestbackpack.com for some ideas and inspiration.
Mini backpacks are perfect for the modern age where we really don’t need to carry many things anymore. Wallets are becoming almost obsolete now that we can tap onto trains, planes, and buses with our smartphones in much of the developed world. We’re not 16 years old anymore; lugging a small library between our homes, locker, and classes.
Tablets are powerful and sleek enough for people traveling to keep all the essentials in one small, lightweight pack. Many mini backpacks weigh only a fraction of their larger cousins and are a handy way of avoiding overpacking to keep the load down.
With the rise of their popularity, there has been an accompanying diversity of options, starting with practical and lightweight nylon bags, or cotton with protective padding for laptops; and more niche vegan leather, anti-theft ranges, and personalized fashion styles. That so many quality manufacturers are getting involved signals the trend is expected to continue long into the future, helped by a shift in what’s expected of us in different environments.
In today’s more casual office culture, the rules are changing what’s appropriate. People can now bring pets to the office or code from beaches in Indonesia. CEO’s like Jack Dorsey carry their enormous net worth with stylish beards, while Mark Zuckerberg sports the same hoodie and jeans combo to limit the burden of choice and focus on creativity. Now, white-collar women have the opportunity to follow and lead in this trend, and the mini backpack offers a way around the rigid formalities and limitations of the more limited purse/handbag.
Women have been stereotyped for having too many of two things: shoes and handbags. But for too long women have been forced to deal with impractically tiny, and often fake pockets; while workplace culture would have scoffed at a backpack. The mini backpack appears more professional due to its size, while its practicality stops the endless cycle of shuffling items between purses, handbags, and backpacks in an almost endless Russian doll style cycle of packing and unpacking.
The rise of activewear has assisted this transition, and the introduction of lunchtime yoga sessions, particularly in the tech sphere has also made people more health-conscious, and a mini backpack is an obvious choice to avoid unbalancing muscles with the constant tension placed on one side of the body, and their sleek look appeals to the overall aesthetic of yoga pants and tank top that a normal backpack could never do.
Not all the fandom around mini bags though can be traced to practical or big cultural changes. Some people like them for the pure aesthetic quality of being cute! Regardless of how impractical, fashionistas have been flocking to the stylish elegance of a mini, and sometimes even micro backpack. Jacquemus, a French fashion brand has recently taken this to its extreme, debuting an insanely small micro bag that would be slightly too big for a Barbie. Someone had to take it too far! But this form of satire shows how seriously the fashion world is taking the emergence of mini backpacks. Once something receives a bit of ironic backlash you know it’s broken into the mainstream.
While often seen as a female accessory, mini backpacks have been making a small splash in the outdoors world as users become more aware of their diversity. With more and more of us looking to escape technology and get out into nature, a smaller backpack is great for the more intrepid explorer who just wants the bare essentials of a water bottle, some sunscreen and some snacks particularly for mountain biking where a weightier bag would. But they also have a lot of appeal for casual woodland strollers who want to move about with their hands-free. Some photographers have discovered that they make the perfect size drone carrier, large enough to hold a drone, small enough to stop it bouncing around while scaling and descending peaks for some aerial shots.
Mini backpacks, like many things mini, are sometimes dismissed as a joke or a passing trend, but looking at how iconic and stylish the Mini Cooper has become over its lifespan would encourage us to look at it with admiration as a fashion statement, a marker of our changing times in the workplace akin to women first wearing trousers, and something we’ll see more and more of as people discover the different uses it can be put to.
Greetings, dear readers! I am Rohini. As a proud contributor to the Worthview blog, I am excited to bring you insights into the realms of fashion, beauty, and health. Let’s embark on this adventure together, where my words become a bridge between my world and yours. I look forward to our shared journey of discovery and connection.
