Ladies, get off the grid and look great doing it with the all-new solar powered purse. Doctoral student Jo Hynek has come up with the perfect solution for flat batteries, the Power Purse – a complete portable charging station for cellphones and MP3 devices.

The idea is simple: create a handbag outfitted with solar panels, battery and USB charge cables to juice up various mobile devices while you’re on the go. A fantastic application of solar technology.

But no matter how cool and practical the Power Purse is, it’s useless unless someone actually takes it out. So it has to look good. As fashion design is becoming increasingly functional, wearable technology has to keep up with not only techno trends but also fashion trends; something the Power Purse may fall short of. But this is a first attempt, and a good one at that.

In any case, this is just the beginning. More like products from Solar Jo are expected to follow. In the meantime, you can put a Power Purse on your arm for around $300.