From the Venice Beach boardwalk to the streets of Echo Park, there is one thing that you may find common sitting on sandy chairs, hooked onto a coworker’s tote bag, or sitting in the passenger seat of cars on the 405 in the morning. Wherever you go, they’re seemingly essential – the infamous stainless-steel water bottle.
Right away, you may think of an Owala. Or is it a Stanley? The everlasting Hydro Flask?
One can say consumers have an array of options for quenching their thirst. Apparently, it matters whether the thirty-dollar can they’re sipping from holds the logo of their favorite brand.
When did the mundane survival act of drinking water become a status symbol?
The root of the trend may be found in the 1990s water bottle brand, Nalgene. Initially intended for hydrating while hiking, the water bottle became a small status symbol in the mid-to-late ‘90s. Students would carry the colorful plastic canteens across campus, and later on began customizing them with stickers.
Somewhere between the 1990s and TikTok, Hydro Flasks were Americans’ go-to water-holder. In 2019, the “VSCO Girl” trend popularized them as a trend – 13-year-old girls were buying the bottle to fit in with their peers. Hydro Flask notes that the craze was not manufactured by their marketing analysts, and instead sprouted organically on TikTok. Gen Z content creators began boosting the trend, purchasing Hydro Flasks and promoting the brand online.
The water bottle found fame at the perfect time – influencer culture was seeing a major rise in traction.
Fast-forward to water-bottle culture circa 2022, and we see the introduction of this new contraption called a “Stanley.” These bottles are finally original – or as original as a water bottle design can be, that is. They are larger, have sharper edges, and are more cylindrical, with a protruding straw at the top rather than a round mouth. The best aspect of these new bottles? They come in many, many different colors and designs.
The appeal of the Stanley water bottle was, of course, backed by users on social media. They were seen as accessories rather than necessary tools of survival. Once younger kids got ahold of them, the question became about who had the coolest design or style.
The hydration accessory can be matched with a pair of purple shoes. You’ve seen your hairstylist match hers with the neon-green of her hair. That man at the bodega paired his Stanley with his shiny silver car. Your favorite Erewhon cashier gets his nails done to suit that new floral Spring line.
This new form of expression can only be appreciated. Sure, water-bottle enthusiasts might be catalysts for this new wave of consumerism. The fun fades quickly, though, when the brand of the water bottle becomes more of a status symbol.
Some of these bottles range up to $40 on their own. Some require additional accessories to replace. There is a question of material dependency for consumers of the new trending bottle, and outsiders may look upon those with amazement at their need to have the “next big thing.”
Are we always climbing towards the top of some invisible ladder which might predict how people view us? Can a stainless-steel water bottle really determine how much respect we receive in our everyday lives?
The question is a complicated one. Regardless, the ever-changing bottle remains a fun way to spice up outfits, conversations with friends, and a water-drinking hobby. There is a comfort – almost a safety – in knowing that no matter where you go, your blue-pink Owala will always be by your side.
The post Water Bottle Status War: When Did Hydration Become an Accessory? appeared first on LAmag.
