Slim wallet solutions
Marshall Roy — October 12, 2009 @ 9:06 am
Few accessories are as uniquely masculine as the wallet. It evolved from a little pouch of leather that men in the Renaissance wore dangling from their belts—its shape, placement, and function (holding valuables) led to not-so-subtle connotations. Maybe that’s why men in the twenty-first century often think bigger is better.
It’s not.
Once you’ve found better fitting pants, you notice things that interrupt their flattering drape. A bulky wallet is culprit number one. Ditch your butt-brick, time to trade in for a slim wallet, one that can be carried more flatteringly, comfortably, (and securely) in your front pocket.
There are many different kinds of slim wallets—some basic, some futuristic, others ridiculously minimalist. Like umbrellas, wallets are an area where there really aren’t hard-and-fast rules; you should choose one you like and that works for you.
That said, I have some suggestions:
A man’s wallet should be leather (unless you use a money clip, but more on that later). Wear white after Labor Day. Pair patent leather Chuck Taylors with your tux. Go for it. Break the rules. But seriously, a nylon-and-Velcro wallet makes you look like you’re waiting for your mom to pick you up from the arcade.
A leather wallet does not have to be boring! Paul Smith has a variety of amazing wallets; alas, they are pricey. On the other end of the spectrum, you could always follow the example of Bonobos VP of Technology Dustin Vain, a man so utilitarian he keeps a multi-tool on his person and routinely shaves his head. Dustin uses a truly one-of-a-kind slim wallet which he constructed himself out of an old pink suede jacket and Kevlar thread. (How badass is that?)
I favor a simple cardholder style wallet: a rectangle of two-ply leather folded in half and sewn on two sides. I’ve been using one from Tucker Paisley for the past year, and it performs excellently. And at twenty bucks, it ensures I don’t have to carry it empty.
Money clips are sleek and functional, but I find them a bit clumsy to use, and dislike that they require unclipping everything in order to access one card or bill. But hey, that’s just me. If you dig ‘em, by all means, use one! A simple binder clip is one of the most reliable and least expensive money clips you’ll ever use, and they even come in diverse colors.
Last, but not least, there’s the Slimmy, which is pictured at the beginning of this post and touts itself the slimmest front-pocket wallet on earth. This wallet is pretty cool, and is used exclusively by Bonobos graphic and user-interface designer Brad Smith. The Slimmy is made of four layers of leather sewn together on perpendicular sides. Cards and cash are wedged inside, accessed by flipping through the Slimmy like a book.
The Slimmy costs about thirty bucks, but I’ve got one here on my desk that we purchased for research. The first person to tweet this blog post, and leave a link to that tweet in the comments below, wins the Slimmy!
Anybody else have a wallet you use and recommend?
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Billykirk
http://www.billykirk.com/page.cfm?id_product=11523771&type=1&product_group=86027920&xid=53753800
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While I’ve been rocking a sterling silver money clip for quite some time (it’s developed an awesome patina), I’ve been jonesing for a Makr wallet.
Various different slimness profiles, all made in the US and they use Horween leather (a Chicagoan myself, I love this – http://horween.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/upgrade-wallets-from-makr/)
http://www.makr.com/wallets
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Marshall Roy Reply:
October 12th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Don—
I’ve actually read up on Horween cordovan—amazing stuff! I didn’t know Makr’s used it. Thanks for the tip!
The Horween blog is terrific, gents! Check it out here: http://horween.wordpress.com/
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Twitted! My second one ever on it as well.
http://twitter.com/leeviolon
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Marshall Roy Reply:
October 12th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
We have a winner! Where should I mail your Slimmy? (Also, did you ever get those pancakes?)
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Lee Reply:
October 14th, 2009 at 3:48 am
No, I never did get the pancakes
I was quite devastated…
Um, yeah! Where to send it, well is there a way to get my address safely to bonobos, preferably not over blog replies
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lee Thompson. Lee Thompson said: Check out this Bonobos Wallet Blog! http://bit.ly/pjGPj [...]
I’m a big fan of front pocket wallets. You need to check out the guys at Braithwaite Wallets: http://www.braithwaitewallets.com/
They’re a little pricey, but the quality and attention to detail are very impressive. I’ve been using The Sunrise (http://www.braithwaitewallets.com/wallets/10-the-sunrise) for the last few months and love it!
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for those into money clips, duck bill designs (http://www.duckbilldesign.com/) has a large capacity, affordable clip that is easy to use.
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Hlaska’s another company that makes a beautiful, well-designed, slim wallet. They can be somewhat pricey, but I recently picked up one of their Merge wallets for 50% off. You can too.
http://www.hlaska.com/NOMINAL-MERGE-50-OFF?sc=13&category=3331&colorItem=51
I have the Mocha version and the functionality and craftsmanship are both fantastic.
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I pretty much go to uncrate whenever I’m looking for a new wallet. I’ve been semi-minimalist lately so I’ve been rocking the jimi.
http://www.thejimi.com/
Whenever I want to class it up I go for DB-clay though. Great artistic prints.
http://www.dbclay.com/
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Braithwaite Wallets are to wallets what Miles Davies are to Jazz.
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I have had a slimmy for a few years, and love it. It is definitely not for everyone, but if you are willing to limit what you carry, and to keep the wallet in your front pocket, it’s great…
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I’ve gotta buck the leather wallet trend/suggestion, I’m afraid. My all-time favorite wallet, and coincidentally the wallet that gets more comments, oohs, and aahs than any other I’ve ever seen, is the Mighty Wallet:
http://www.dynomighty.com/products.php?s=mighty%20wallets
It’s crazy slim (paper thin), durable, and comes in tons of conversation starting designs. I never carry a leather wallet anymore.
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Marshall Roy Reply:
October 14th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Don—
Okay, that is pretty cool. Love the funky designs!
Do they last long?
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The Mighty Wallet looks mighty awesome.
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I have a wallet from from Alt-ett, its pretty slim, gives more versatility then just a card holder. but still gives a budge.
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Since I switched to my ultra-slim Prada wallet with the money clip inside, my life has never been better. My old unnecessary fatass of a wallet was nothing but a hassle. Now I only carry around what I need and rarely notice my wallet is there.
However, there is one drawback: far too often I think I’ve been pick-pocketed when in fact my wallet is safely chillin’ in my back pocket. One would think this would stop happening after having the wallet for almost two years, but no. Happens at least weekly. Manhattan paranoia?
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I was given a money-band from my dad, and at first I was skeptical, but after I got over the initial shock, I haven’t gone back.
http://www.money-band.com
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Thanks for the Slimmy mention! We appreciate it.
Jay
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I got a slim number in Beirut not too long ago. I love it.
http://www.johnnyfarah.com
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I came across Stewart Stand recently. Loving my wallet. I have a leather one, but they also have alumninum wallets. Very cool stuff, and security enhanced.
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As cash is less and less used in Denmark (where I’m from). I have skipped the use of cash almost completely, and I have sworn to cardholders for many years.
My all-time favorite is the Piet Hein:
http://www.piethein.com/photodb.nsf/pictures/HPHN-6HHSSJ
Holds 4-5 cards, and has taken a few notices whenever traveling in the US.
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