Bum flap

The modern bum-flap is a piece of removable material that hangs from the waist to cover the rear end, most often worn within the punk subculture. Bum flaps are normally decorated to demonstrate affinity for a particular band or political cause and attached by pinning or patching, depending on the whim of the devotee.

Although the use and origins have been misunderstood, it is fact that bumflaps originally appeared in the punk boutique SEX on the bondage trousers as a primal gesture, or referring to the loincloth.

Originally a feature of pajamas and military uniform, punk rockers adopted bum flaps as a part of their ethic of sartorial disruption. The flaps, typically thick canvas, denim or plaid, were also practical as a protection against the natural wear and tear of clothing and, in some cases, to help prevent hemorrhoids caused by sitting on the cold ground. In their awkward resemblance to the butt-flap on certain types of loincloths worn by early man and some present-day aboriginal tribes, and even to diapers, bum flaps frequently invite ridicule from other subcultures. While bum flaps primarily serve to advertise a predilection, a fair number repurpose their excess material by doubling the fabric to alter the flap into a pouch.

Creating a bum flap is very simple in design. The most simple pattern is a 13" x 13" square from canvas, denim, or other similar material that is hemmed at the edges, then has safety pins or tabs with D-Rings and a spring-loaded clip. A better quatlity bum flap has a two-ply stitched construction, and has the D-ringed, spring loaded clip attached by a loop tab.