I’ll freely admit to being one of the many people who viewed Apple’s new crossbody strap with some bemusement. Internet comments on it mostly use terms like “bizarre” or worse.
But a new piece today suggests that many of us are misunderstanding Apple’s latest iPhone accessory, and that it does in fact have a valuable role …
I once saw a meme which said that women want only two things in life: equality, and pockets. It’s the lack of the latter in women’s fashion which creates demand for this type of accessory, says The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed.
Pockets have been a longstanding issue with women’s clothing in particular — fashion designers started shrinking or removing them entirely in the late 1940s because they interfered with the form-fitting silhouettes popularized by Christian Dior’s “New Look.” Bags and purses became the de facto replacement, but phones have since evolved to replace most of the stuff we carry. You can use an iPhone to make payments, check your makeup, read a book, and even unlock doors. You don’t need to carry a bag, but most still need to carry that phone.
While this type of product may be new to many of us, she points out that they are a fairly common sight in some European and Asian countries. The form factor has apparently existed for at least a decade, and a quick look on Amazon confirms that there is a wide range of these available, some of them with thousands of reviews.
Chance Miller, who was in the audience at Apple Park, said it actually got cheers from the audience when they showed it.
So yes, it might be a new concept to many of us, but it’s clear that there is demand for it.
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Image: 9to5Mac composite of images from Apple and Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash