Archive for November 28th, 2009
The appeal to own the hobo-bag continues to be one that never ends. The Bohemian or Hobo-Chic look has been around since as far back as the sixties. Many a die-hard hippie is still drawn to a frumpy curved bag when they see them. Currently, they are quite detailed with rivets, straps, buckles and other embellishments. However, the curves and frump hold true to their intent, which was a casual look, but could hold a ton and compliment most outfits.
Many of the Hobo Bags of the sixties and seventies were made of cloth. leather, or hemp. Patchwork was one of the favorites for some time and wore well with the peasant style blouses and bell-bottom jeans that had fabrics sewn in a side seam or applique patch. Then the hemp bags appeared and very quickly out-shined patchwork bags. They came in all sizes and worked with all outfits. The light straw brown was the most popular for many. You could really show off a lot of the peace sign pins and other hippie time emblems by attaching them to the strap or the bag. They held a ton of personal items, but if you got the right size, it doubled as a book bag.
Leather hobo-bags were more popular with those who were into the hippie clothing from head to toe. A leather vest with fringe, a peasant style blouse and a pair of wide bell-bottoms was topped off with a dark brown leather bag that hung with long fringe. They did come in various sizes, but the elongated rectangle was readily available.
As designers reinvented the bag each year, it evolved from the plain brown leather, patchwork, or hemp, to spectacular frumpy classy fun. Hemp is still popular, but now the leathers are bright colored and the embellishments outlandish. The Hobo Skull bags being one of the more popular for teens and bikers now come with buckles, applique, rivets and the skull and bones. The bigger bags the starlets love are spacious, frumpy bags that will hold a days worth of shopping, diapering and tons of other goodies.
The hobo bag will continue to be reinvented year after year to provide its end user the casual frump they have come to love, but in sizes and style befitting all ages. Sizes, materials and embellishments may change, but the hobo bag is here to stay.