Whether we’re seeing fanny packs on Dwayne Johnson (above), Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey or Leonardo DiCaprio, these form fitting lifesavers are gracing our screens with increased frequency. From where we work, to what we drive, to whom we socialize with; we live in a land where life decisions can be made on a unique and personal level. What most don’t realize is that many of these decisions are extremely calculated and purposeful.
Take our wardrobe as an example:
Every morning, we have 2 options: dress how everybody else wants us to dress, or dress most efficiently around our personal style and goals. Founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is famous for wearing the same gray t-shirt every day. As Mark stated in a recent Telegraph article, “I really want to clear my life so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.”
I agree with Mark.
The standout example of my simple and efficient personal style is that I wear a fanny pack, and I am proud of it. In it, I keep my phone, wallet, business cards, cell phone charger, and keys. My go-to fanny pack is black leather, has a zipper, and buckles in the back. Not only does match most of my outfits and draw positive feedback from the fashion community, but it also has several health benefits:
Physical:
With credit cards, business cards, cash, and receipts; my wallet is oftentimes not the slim picture of modernism I’d like it to be. In this article from Men’s Health, they attribute sitting on your wallet to be a cause of sciatica and spinal problems. Having a wallet in one back pocket causes you to tilt the pelvis slightly and effect the spine. Putting it in the front pocket is not a good alternative, this leads to pinching between the thigh and torso; which also directly affects where I put my phone. Instead of putting my chunky wallet and phone in my pockets, I can put it in my fanny pack.
Psychological
Instead of the seamless entry of a pocket, the simple act of having to unzip the fanny pack for me to access phone and wallet actually makes me text and spend less. Not only does this help keep my wallet chunky, but the psychological effect of me taking those purposeful actions makes me a happier and more mindful person.
As stated above, I keep an extra phone charger in my fanny pack. How many times have you been stranded somewhere with a dead battery and completely miss the arranged plans. Matthew McConaughey defends his fanny pack usage the best, “Practicality wins out”.
My purposeful fashion style doesn’t just end with fanny packs, here are some of my other fashion hacks:
- I rotate between 5 of the same shirts. They are all made by Joe Fresh and cost $16.
- I rotate between 3 of the same pairs of jeans. They are all slim fit, and have cuffs.
- I always wear bluetooth headphones, but only listen with one earbud. Not only is it great because I’m Italian and talk with my hands. But it’s also less hassle than having a cord and walking through a crowd. Keep in mind, I only wear one earbud. This allows me to be attuned to the world around me, while still listening to my favorite Frank Sinatra song.
- When I wear a suit; I always make sure to wear cuff links, a lapel pin, a pocket square, and collar stays.
This is what we’re all craving, isn’t it? Our own unique identity in a digital and disconnected world.
There’s a reason the airplanes have you put on your oxygen mask before helping others. Now let’s take their cue and stop worrying about others opinions on your style…create one that you truly value.
Hope ya’ll are having a phenomenal day on earth.
It’s Your World Go Explore!
Chris Schembra.
Originally published at medium.com