Ready Or Not, Here Comes The Capri Sun Purse... Again

Trends emerge, fade, and return with a vengeance faster than most people can keep track of. But when they do, one thing's for sure: Everyone's got an opinion. In Elite Daily's Style series, IMHO, we'll serve you the details, along with some not-so-humble opinions, on the viral trends lighting up the internet. Come to learn WTF everyone's talking about, stay for a hot take you'll eat right up.

On Saturday, March 6, Emma Chamberlain posted a carousel to Instagram wearing an otherwise unassuming outfit, underscored by an ancient relic straight from the early 2000s: a fruit drink pouch purse made from several fruit drink pouches sewn together. She wasn't wearing just any pouch purse, though. Several commenters pointed out the purse appeared to be made of fruit drinks from the Philippines, specifically ZEST-O.

TBQH, Emma Chamberlain could wear a literal trash bag, and the next week, there'd be a global Hefty shortage. Over half of the comments on her recent Instagram posts are some variation of "Emma, what are we wearing for summer???" and her own merch drops have repeatedly sold out within minutes. Luckily, your trash bags are safe (for now), but I'd start stocking up on Capri Suns & Kool-Aid Jammers. The fruit drink pouches that dotted your childhood and that you turned into purses with your friends are going to make their way back into the mainstream — especially if Chamberlain's sway on the zeitgeist has anything to do with it.

Between bucket hats, cardigans, and other 2000s trends, a fruit pouch purse renaissance is one I didn't see coming. The comments on Chamberlain's post prove otherwise; they suggest people are ready for it. "THE BAG IS SO COOL," one person wrote. Another said, "Does anyone know where she got her bag from 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺," racking up 172 likes on the comment. Before you run out to buy Capri Sun Fruit Punch in bulk, I have some thoughts about this trend.

All in all, I'm not mad at fruit pouch purses making a big comeback. There are some things I don't love about the resurrection of this aspect of my childhood. For one, sewing this goddamn purse together scarred me as a kid. Have you ever tried to stick a small needle through two aluminum pouches? In all honesty, I'm not trying to do that again. It's just short of a Herculean task, and I wish — I wish — I were exaggerating. Second, and this qualm may be limited exclusively to me, I always feared some lingering juice remnants would make the entire purse sticky or smelly after a while. I still have nightmares about one father allegedly finding mold in his daughter's Capri Sun, and it didn't even happen to me.

But, I have to admit, the wave of nostalgia after seeing this purse was so comforting and pure, more pronounced in me than any other early aughts trends that've reemerged. Chalk it up to a year of isolation and utter exhaustion, but just looking at this fruit pouch purse immediately took me back to summer days spent crushing three Kool-Aid Jammers in 10 minutes and diving stomach-first down a Slip 'N Slide. The bag is also recyclable, so it might just make people think I get more servings of fruit per day than the two gummy vitamins I take in the morning.

IMHO, these adorably nostalgic purses deserve another moment in the spotlight. I can't help but stan a sustainable, colorful throwback. And if it's good enough for Emma Chamberlain, it's good enough for me. To save your sewing needles and fingers, shop some pre-made fruit pouch purses on Etsy below:

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