Is it 1994? Are we wearing Doc Martens, flowery black dresses and Revlon Raisin Rage? HAS ANYONE SEEN MY NIRVANA CD? Sorry, for a second there, I could’ve sworn we took a hot tub time machine back to my late teens, which was when the little black backpack was the undisputed Queen of All Accessories.
Believe it or not, enough time has passed for them to slingshot back into style again. It’s only a matter of time before the beauty gods also bring back pencil thin brows, but that’s a discussion for another day.
I’ve been wearing this tiny black nylon one I got at Target practically everywhere lately, and ya know what? I cannot help but wonder why I ever stopped carrying a little black backpack, because they’re freaking great.
This one is from A New Day, and it’s an affordable $19.99. The nylon is feather light, so I’m not hauling around three extra pounds of purse, and it’s juuuuuust big enough to hold the bare necessities. (You know me; if there’s an opportunity to overstuff a bag, I will totally do it.) This one’s the perfect size.
Best of all, my hands stay free, so I can scoop up the Coywolf at a moment’s notice, or pet a passing kitty.
But wait, this particular bag also easily converts to a cross-body bag. You just pull the straps up at the top!
If black nylon is too retro for you, check out the black-and-white striped one instead. I came this close to picking it up because it has a slight J.Crew vibe. The pale pink one is also pretty cute (but it would probably pick up more dirt), as are the bright blue and the canary yellow.
Some reviewers on the Target website say that the zipper gets stuck, and yeah, it happened to me once when I shoved one too many things inside. It was an easy fix, though. I slowly pulled the zipper back to the starting position, and the teeth slipped back into place. I think as long as you don’t push the maximum capacity, you’ll be OK.
I bought it mainly to take with me to the playground and have both hands free to play with Connor. I don’t feel comfortable leaving my purse on a table or bench, which the moms do here all the time, but I ugh, I just can’t. I feel safer with my wallet and phone physically on my body. I looked online, at Marshalls and at T.J. Maxx, and this Target bag was the lightest and cheapest hands-free option I found. It fits my wallet, phone, keys and a pouch for Connor’s Travel Potty, and then I usually bring my water bottle in a separate bag, along with snacks.
