Wallets are one of those things that say a lot about a person. Not only what’s actually inside of a wallet…but what the wallet actually is.
They have a main purpose; to hold your money, cards, license, and whatever other random things you may carry. But they also have another purpose that many people overlook…to express who you are and how you want to show yourself to the world. For example, if you want to convey yourself as a young professional, do not (I repeat do not) carry around a Velcro wallet.
You’ll notice that there are a lot of options in the world of wallets…but of these options, there are only a few that you should actually consider using. We’ll go over some aspects of a wallet, and what you should be looking for your next purchase.
Material – There are a mind-numbing amount of materials that can be put into a wallet…from repurposed wood, to the traditional leather, metal and everything in between. While you’re going to have to use discretion for a majority of these (just because there’s no way we cover all of them), there is one thing you absolutely must stay away from: Duct Tape. No one…and I repeat, no one, outside of Middle School should have a duct tape wallet.
As for my advice, stick with leather. A good leather wallet is one of the classic items of clothing and accessories, like a good pair of jeans that is a necessity in any wardrobe.
Fold – While there a lot of minimalist wallets that have surfaced recently and the classic travel wallets that don’t fold the bills and are meant to be put in your coat pocket have been around for a long time…these are the exceptions to the rules in the wallet world. Most of the wallets you’ll see are either a bi fold or a tri fold, so the main question becomes: which one?
The one I always recommend is a bi fold. It won’t be as bulky as the tri fold, your bills will look crisper, and you’ll see more of them than tri folds from stores. Regardless of whichever fold you choose…just promise me one thing, you won’t get one with Velcro, a band is fine but Velcro is not.
Design – There are literally hundreds you can choose from. This is one of the areas where you can express yourself the most and I encourage you to do so…hell, you can even choose a Pokemon wallet if you want, but be prepared to get weird looks whenever you take it out.
When in doubt, go for this type of wallet:
High quality Leather (Brown or Black) Bi-Fold.
You can’t go wrong with that.
