Italian Fashion Tip No. 2

The humble waist pack known here as the "bum bag" (and on the other side of the Atlantic with a term that uses an F word considered impolite here) is a useful little accessory. I admit to wearing them during outdoor activities when mobility is at a premium but spare cargo room is necessary, such as running, hiking, cycling, or nordic skiing. But the bum bag is to fashion what the doorstop is to architecture: ugly and utilitarian. There's really no good way to wear one. Behind, you run the risk of theft from the purse-snatching, pocket-picking gypsies we hear so much about (although seldom see). In front, it makes you look like you have a gut if you don't have one, and enhances your gut if you do. So I was surprised to see them so popular among men in Italy.

Except worn like this:

(Seen on the causeway between the old city and the modern city of Taranto.)

Now I pondered the reasons why somebody might wear their bum bag like that.

1. Didn't want to put wallet in pocket because it would interfere with the cut of their trousers, but;
2. Didn't want to wear bum bag around waist for the aforementioned reasons, and;
3. Didn't want to get a so-called man-purse for fear of accusations of being girly.

This last attitude is best exemplified by tennis star Andy Roddick, who, during his most recent Wimbledon foray (lost in the third round to Scotsman Andy Murray, which is a little like saying you lost in basketball to a Pygmy) made headlines for saying the following:

Self Chuck of the Week-- I have seen some guys walking around with man purses here in London.... anything bigger than a money clip or a wallet is to be left to your girlfriend / wife...and just so we are clear you should not be able to throw your "wallet" over a shoulder...if you have a man purse, the wall is waiting.

(Just so Roddick knows: Most of us Londoners don't get chauffered about this fine city in limosines, as millionaire tennis players are. That means we often take the Tube, the bus, and walk. Walking entails knowing where you're going. Knowing where you're going in this ancient, sprawling city entails carrying a London A-Z street atlas. It doesn't fit in a pocket. Nor does an umbrella, which you should probably have on hand almost every day. Therefore, we sometimes find it necessary to use "man purses." So if any snotty Texan millionaire tennis star comes up to me dripping wet from a sudden London shower and asks me for directions ... well, the wall is waiting.)

So, given the choice between this ...



... worn as intended, and the bum bag around the shoulder, I've chosen the former. I know which one looks less silly. I'm sure Andy would agree.