Backpacks are Back, and They're Flat
Empty Backpacks become the New Skinny for Teens
Teens love skinny backpacks. "With the new 'skinny' style, if you carry anything in your pack, it makes the bag bulge out, and kids pull on your pack because it looks funny," says 14 year-old Laura Barbosa, a high school student living in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, about an hour from New York City. "It's important to wear them empty for the smoothest look."
Barbosa says her own colorful pack by DC was recently voted "coolest" by her friends. The most popular brand by far, she says, is JanSport.
"Theirs are the best, especially for guys, who mostly want basic, neutral colors. Even their patterned backpacks don't overpower your outfit."
Beware the Uncool Big Pack
"On the first day of school, some kids brought those gigantic hiker-style backpacks, loaded with supplies. It was so obvious they were Freshmen," Barbosa says, rolling her eyes.
To get the right look, a backpack must fit closely, and feature waist-straps long enough to fasten around the bag itself.
"You would never actually tie it around your waist," Barbosa says, horrified.
Backpack Basics Revisited
Nobody is sure where the empty, skinny-backpack trend started.
"I've heard of backpacks as an accessory, but never that they should be carried with nothing inside," says Sarah Lynam, public relations manager for PBTeen, Pottery Barn's online store carrying fashionable teen furnishings and accessories, including trendy backpacks.
Monograms on backpacks are out, but are okay for gym bags, Barbosa reports. To personalize backpacks, she says using fabric paint or Sharpies markers gets the best results. Correction fluid is also a popular medium for decorating backpacks in solid, dark colors.
Color My Backpack
Pink and basic black are popular solid colors, but trendy prints and patterns are equally hot right now.
"Polka dots are definitely in," says Lynam, and adds PBteen's Black Dottie backpack has proven very popular with shoppers.
According to Barbosa, girls tend to prefer chunky patterns and colors. Guy friends continue to play it safe with packs in black or Navy blue.
Books? What Books?
"Of course, you still have to carry books," Barbosa explains. "You make deals with friends whose lockers are near your classrooms. We store each others books so nobody has to carry a big load around all day."
It's also important to wear the pack all day without removing it.
"My after-school voice teacher noticed I left it on during the lesson," Barbosa said. "She asked me to take it off, though, because she thought wearing it would affect my singing."
Look Cool and Learn
Barbosa says the most important accessory is "friends you can trust."
"We keep our books in each others lockers so we don't have to carry them far. As long as someone has a locker near your classroom and you have one near theirs, it works out great."
PBTeen Black Dottie
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Flat Packs are Max
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