before the invention of the "modern day" aluminum can pull tab, there was the completely removable pop top.  for those of us old enough to remember them (yes, that means you, darling), these sharp little tops met their bitter end after they abundantly and dangerously littered our beaches, parks, sidewalks, and oceans.

during their reign, however, some of these metallic pop tops sparkled their way onto the fashion scene via hats, skirts, vests, and belts.  check out the phab photos (above) from the book Pop Topping!

nowadays, modern pull tabs have, unfortunately, also become a dominant source of litter, sitting atop large seas of abandoned aluminum cans.  however, much like the past, today's designers have also found fashionable usage for the discarded tabs.

for example, san francsico based escama studio works with womens cooperatives in brazil to craft modern and sleek purses from tabs collected along the brazilian beaches.  these fair-trade cooperatives offer women a supportive community and the means to earn a living wage through handicrafts.  over the course of four years, approximately 70,000 bags have been produced through escama's program.

all of the bags pictured above are part of escama studio's collection, with the exception of the top left purse, which was crafted independently by the inspirational brazilian artist neide ambrosio.