Fashion trends have produced some strange inventions over the years, but this might be one of the most gloriously bizarre yet.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Meet the DadBag — a bum bag designed to look exactly like a middle-aged man’s stomach, complete with body hair, belly button and the kind of “I’ve had three pints and a barbecue” energy usually reserved for summer beer gardens.
Yes, really.
With bum bags (or fanny packs, for our American friends) officially back with Gen Z, the ultimate design has been created that’ll not only deter thieves and pickpockets, but also make quite the fashion statement.
The unusual accessory was created by London-based art director Albert Pukies, who decided to combine two trends that absolutely nobody expected to collide: the rise of bum bags and the internet’s long-running obsession with the “dad bod.”
The result is something that looks less like designer fashion and more like your uncle Dave falling asleep on the sofa after Sunday lunch.
But despite the internet treating it like a joke product at first glance, the DadBag has actually become a viral talking point online — and there may even be a surprisingly practical reason for owning one.
After all, who exactly is going to try pickpocketing a fake hairy stomach strapped around your waist?
Pukies originally came up with the idea after seeing the endless discussion around “dad bods” online.
“My inspiration was seeing all the posts about dad bods being cool,” he told HuffPost. “I think people want them because of that reason. You can have a dad bod without any health issues.”
The designer later expanded on the thinking behind the product in a post shared on Bored Panda, explaining that he wanted the aesthetic without the lifestyle that usually comes with it.
“I made the dadbag because I’m desperate to have dad bod but I’m also very concerned about the health risks associated with it. The solution is quite simple, a bumbag with a proper dad belly printed on it. Now I can put on a dad bod whenever I feel like it and even store my valuables in it.”
And honestly, that might be the most efficient fitness shortcut ever created.
The whole “dad bod” craze first exploded online back in 2015 after a college student claimed “girls everywhere are going nuts” for a body type that supposedly sits somewhere between athletic and “definitely enjoys takeaway nights.”
Pukies leaned directly into that idea, creating multiple versions of the DadBag with different stomach styles and details.
According to reports, potential designs include variations ranging from hairy to sunburnt, with names including The Allen, The Derek, The Magnus, The Bobby, The Wolfgang and The Sherman.
Because apparently fake stomachs now come in collectible editions.
What started as a one-off joke design quickly snowballed after photos of the bag spread online, with investors reportedly approaching Pukies about mass production.
“It’s obviously meant to be funny but I do want to produce them,” Pukies told HuffPost. “I’m looking for manufacturers at the moment.”
He also revealed he was considering launching a Kickstarter campaign, with the bags expected to retail for around $30 each.
And while plenty of people online were horrified by the idea of willingly wearing a fake beer belly in public, others immediately saw the comedic potential.
The DadBag can technically hold all the usual essentials you’d carry in a standard bum bag — although Pukies had a very specific image in mind when asked what owners should store inside it.
“I’m thinking of typical dad items, like beer, medicine, a sandwich, wallet, sunglasses, keys.”
The sandwich inclusion feels particularly important.
Social media reaction to the product has been split right down the middle ever since images first surfaced online.
“Hilarious!!! Perfect Father’s Day gag gift,” one person wrote on Instagram, with another commenting: “I would totally rock that.”
Either way, it’s difficult to deny the commitment to the bit.
And in an era where fashion brands are charging ridiculous money for intentionally ugly trainers and luxury rubbish bags, a fake stomach that doubles as anti-theft storage somehow doesn’t feel quite as ridiculous as it should.
The DadBag may have started life as an internet joke, but it’s rapidly becoming one of those novelty items people genuinely want to own — even if only for the reaction it gets in public.
Which probably says a lot about modern fashion.
Or dads.
Featured image credit: Instagram/TheDadBag
