JOIN USSling bags have always been a favourite with youngsters especially those who like to team them up with denims and a cool carefree attitude. Earlier, they used to be brightly coloured, beautifully stitched pieces of handicraft, but now, computer generated prints on sling bags are the new rage. Travel to any college or watering hole and you can see sling bags with all sorts of hippie prints on them.
Suchitra Khemkhani of the Sizzlers brand says, “Sling bags have a long history. They are inspired from the messenger bags used in earlier times by messengers and postmen for carrying goods and documents. Over the years they have become a style statement, combining fashion and functionality. In the past few years, of course, beautifully tie-and-dyed, bead work and stitch work embellished sling bags were a hot favourite. Now, computer generated prints on bags are dominating the market.”
The reason she says is that today’s youth likes to make a statement through whatever they don. “It includes T-shirts, their blogs and everything – the youth today is outspoken and likes to make itself heard on political and social issues. Computer generated prints on bags make that happen. You can have prints of animals on your bags if you care for the environment and even Anna Hazare if you support him.”
Online shopping stores which provide the option of choosing from a range of prints and even customizing one’s computer-generated print on bags is also fuelling the trend.
Fashion designer Gautami Gupta says, “There is hardly any online store now which does not offer computer-generated prints on sling bags made as per your choice, size and colour.”
“They are easy to do and very cheaply available. The flee markets are also flooded with Che Guevara and Stop Climate Change print sling bags. No doubt youngsters are attracted to them. It is the easiest way to flaunt one’s attitude.”