Conversations with Grey

Styletalk: Wallet-Mania

“Yea, I know Braun Büffel. Why you ask?”
“Because, you know all these fashion fashion things. I thought you might know of Braun Büffel.”
“I happen to have a Braun Büffel wallet too.”

Braun Büffel Kunst Money Clip Wallet

I don’t deny that I’m fashion conscious. Being conscious does not mean I follow trends also lah. While my sexuality has absolutely nothing to do with it, I don’t subscribe to the term ‘metrosexual’ either. ‘Metrosexual’ men are SO last year. In my point of view about style - you either got it, or you don’t. You can’t force a style onto someone, like how you can bring a horse to a river but can’t force it to drink. And when you got style, you don’t need to have lots of money to look good. Style isn’t defined by the value of the individual items that one wears. I believe, with sense of style, one can make a rag cloth look a million dollars. Ultimately, style = confidence.

This inspired me (sorta) to start a section where I talk about style and fashion. I call this section (none other than) ‘Styletalk’. Hopefully I’ll be commited enough to keep it a regular feature.

So let me talk about wallets in this first post about style. Wallet as in both men’s wallet and women’s purse. ssbd. (same same but different)

Hugo Boss Leather Billfold

Wallet style is actually a difficult topic to discuss. “Why?” I hear you ask. Because it’s so personal. A wallet is something you carry at all times with you. You store your most personal items in them, ie; your ID, driving license, cash, credit card, membership card, discount card, condom, scented perfume sample cards, receipts, guitar pick, in-case-of-emergency comb, rock show wristbands, toothpick, contact lens, et cetera. Ultimately, the content of your wallet defines who you are, therefore the wallet becomes your identity. And loosing your wallet means loosing your identity, albeit temporarily. Trust me, I know. I lost my wallet before. (with fresh RM200 inside dammit!) I’ve seen people unable to function without their wallet for a day. Just plain out stoned, just because they left it at home. It’s crazy, but this happens in real life.

Function
There are plenty of design functions to a wallet than most of you know. You just call a wallet ‘wallet’ like how you call a denim pants ‘jeans’. There are differences really. There’s the billfold, the money clip, the cardholder, bi-fold, tri-fold, zipper, passport, business, travel, chequebook, keyholder and more. Each of the functions are aptly named so, without the usual confusing fashion jargons or moniker. Billfold means your bill (paper money) will fold. Money clip means your bills (see previous sentence) will be clipped. Bi-fold means folded into two, tri-fold, three. They are pretty self-explainatory. I’ll come to the make and material of the wallet a little later.

Design
Now some may not agree with what I think, but I believe that the number/design of the compartments when choosing a wallet may not be the most important thing, after the function. I think that more often than not, people end up wanting more or fewer compartments AFTER they have bought the wallet, even after they tried it a million times at the purchase counter. They just live with it because they already bought it. How many times do you see people returning a wallet to the sales counter, just because it has too much/too little compartments. Living with it, they make do with the less compartments by forfeiting or filling the extra compartments with unnecessary items.

Material
One of the most important feature to look out for in a wallet is its material. Be it made from sturdy hard leather or soft buttery suede, shiny nylon or waxed canvas, enamel or plastic, cotton or denim, PU or velcro (remember your first wallet?), choose one that suits you best. This you should already know. Think of the best and worst possible everyday scenario when you will use your wallet. People often only think about showing it off to impress the next person (fuuyoooh, new wallet sial!!) but they fail to picture fairly bad situations. For instance, taking it out to show the cops your ID after kena breath-liser-ed, to paying your sweet and sour crab dish with your dirty hands, or leaving it on your one-night-stand’s side bed table, to leaving it in your sweaty damp pocket of your jeans in a rave. You get what I mean. From that, you will roughly figure out what kind of material would suit your lifestyle best.

Wallet materials are specifically chosen to be breatheable, light weighted and long lasting. It is important, that the material be able to make the wallet invisible, in a way, undetectable by your body, until you consciously want to feel it. What a wallet’s material should not do is make you feel like you are carrying yeast infected damp bread everywhere you go. Where you usually keep your wallet, on your body, also matters a lot in choosing a wallet’s material. On your shirt’s pocket, back or side pocket of your pants, chained, in your handbag filled with impossible amount of items, clutched or in the inner pocket of your coat. Surface of cloth rubs against each other. That leads to the wear and tear of the product. If there exists high pressure where you store your wallet (i.e. thicker wallet, back pocket of denim jeans), go for a sturdy leather or canvas. Chaotic surroundings (i.e. ladies with their tote), plastic, leather or nylon seems alright. Never get a suede or cotton wallet unless you keep it in your side or front pocket, or unless you are ready to be very careful in handling it. It is not unusual to see people with several wallets for different occasions and social engagements. One for work, one for play, one for the beach. If you are willing to go through with the whole removing and inserting the content, you are not allowed to bitch about it.

Final say, a wallet is a container of everything you hold dear. It becomes a part of you the moment you get your first. I remember mine when I was either 9 or 10. Yes, it had velcro. When buying one, consider the above criteria, and choose. Invest. Invest in it because like a loyal friend, it will go with you to the places others may not. Cheap, low quality imitation products are way out of the league to compete if you truly understand a wallet’s value.

Lambertson Truex Pebbled Leather Billfold

Gucci Basic Wallet White

Porsche Design P3330 ClassicLine V8J Wallet

Porsche Design P3330 ClassicLine V9 Wallet

Burberry Check ID Bifold Wallet Black

Burberry Check ID Bifold Wallet Biege

Images from either www.nordstorm.com or their respective brands’ website.