Gorpcore Aesthetic Belt Bag

Scope and Purpose:

The goal of this project was to use upcycled materials to create a fanny pack-style bag in a Gorpcore design aesthetic.

Background:

Gorpcore is a fashion trend that combines the elements of outdoor clothing with streetwear and fashion. The aesthetic is typically comprised of versatile, functional, and durable clothing items such as waterproof shell jackets, puffer jackets, hiking pants, etc. The common theme is clean, sleek, sharp edges, and striking colors and tones. Much of the gorpcore wear is in the range of earth-tone-like colors such as greens, tans, and browns along with more vibrant colors such as oranges, yellows, and reds.

My bag design was inspired by my trip to Europe as I would often be going around cities with my essential items that would slightly exceed what I could fit in my pockets but I would still want them tight on my body to avoid being a nuisance or stolen by someone. All the bags I would find in stores looked uncomfortable and square and the colors offered did not fit my style.

Design Overview:

This was my first cut-and-sew project so there was some difficulty with patterning the bag at first, especially with the incorporation of a zipper and trying to hide all the seams. The zipper and attaching the straps were definitely the hardest parts of the construction process due to all the seams present and management of extra material. As far as materials I planned to use a water-repellant nylon fabric in two different tones, a darker brown for the outside and a lighter brown for the inside. Additionally, I used a heavy-duty plastic zipper for the front of the pouch and matching brown straps and thread that I sourced from another bag as well as the BTU lab in Atlas. My primary goal was for the bag to be sleek, sharp, and ergonomic while having it complement what someone was wearing rather than distract.

Materials Used:

• Dark brown water-repellant nylon
• Light brown water-repellant nylon
• Heavy-duty plastic zipper
• Brown bag strap
• Bag strap buckle
• Elastic bind to hide extra strap material
•  Dark brown thread

Process Pictures:

Final Design Pictures:

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I had a great time making this bag and I love that it helped me learn a new skill. The first iteration of this bag (not shown here, my previous post) was extremely difficult and annoying with how tedious some of the seams and inside out flips were but after completing that Version 1.0 I felt like my skills and understanding increased immensely. Creating this more finished version was much more enjoyable and I knew where to take my time in order to make it look professional. I’m definitely going to continue to create cut-and-sew garments with the new skills I’ve learned.

I believe I achieved both my functional and artistic goals with my creation of this product. The pack is functional in the way I intended in that it holds my essential items, iPhone, keys, wallet, and AirPods. The pack also fits the Gorpcore aesthetic with its clean minimal design and earth tone colors on the interior and exterior as well as the fact that it is water-repellant.

I think I may make another version of this bag in another color and potentially experiment with other sizing and shapes. It may seem like the bag is a simple design but so many elements can be changed and adjusted in size, shape, color, material, and texture.