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Affordable Men's Style

10 Not So Normal Wallets

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Here’s the chronological progression of how males tend to store their currency & ID as they age:

Sock —> Velcro Wallet —> Plain Leather Wallet —> Estate/Tombstone

As Tony Kornheiser would say on Pardon the Interruption:  “That’s it.”  That’s the list.  Sure some swear by a card case, or a few use a card case only when in a suit, but the vast majority of guys carry one kind of wallet for their entire lives.  Is it a waste of time and money to have more than one wallet?  That’s up to you guys in the comments.  Here’s some temptation in the meantime:
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Win it:  form•function•form Architect’s Wallet – $95.00
If Red Wing made a wallet...

From a brand new Made in the USA, small leather goods / accessories outfit with a real unique 1st line.  The Architect’s Wallet uses the smallest Moleskin Notebook available (the Volant) to create the “enclosure” or flap.  The pen is one model of the legendary Fisher Space Pen.  Pressurized ink cartridges are part of the design that lets this thing write in zero-gravity, underwater, anywhere.  Oh, and then there’s the leather.  Horween, hand stitched… bravo.
Win it:  Enter to win the Architect’s Wallet by sending your first & last name in an email to contests@dappered.com with the subject: “Architect“.  One entry per person.  Deadline for entry is 11:49pm ET on 5/1/12.
UPDATE:  Congrats to George M. who won the Architect’s Wallet.  Again, many thanks to form•function•form..

 

Jack Spade Monza Green – $50.00 or black – $125
Of course the green is the one on sale.

Yeah.  Green.  Could use a sale on the black, since the perforations are odd enough.  You guys have seen these before.  Perforations are made to look like the steering wheels on old sports cars.  But Green?

 

Chester Mox Chestnut Brogue Wallet – $50.00
Personalization available as well.

With just one slot, it’s really more of a card case, but it has an incredible look and feel.  Made here in the USA from especially soft and flexible chestnut Horween leather.  Personalization is available for an extra ten bucks, and usually your name will go on the front under the perforations, with the Chester Mox logo on the back.  They might be able to move that around for you.  Wallet shown on left didn’t have a logo put on there for some reason.  My name is on the back in picture on right.

 

J. Fold Contrast Stitch Wallet – $28.00 ($59.50)
Who's up for ping-pong?

Still has the earth tones of a standard bill fold, but with that white stitched line down the center, it’s no where near a standard wallet.  Leans green.  Heavily.

 

Filson Credit Card Wallet – $55.50
Made in the USA.

Okay all you zero-tolerance logo fellas.  Are you willing to make an exception on this one?  A bit of a rugged odd duck for sure.  Eight credit card slots on the inside, bow-tie shaped cutout on the exterior exposing the canvas.  Available with tan canvas for, well, a lot more.

 

Johnston & Murphy Woven Slimfold – $85.00
Baskety.

A pretty standard color, perhaps a bit lighter than most brown wallets, but you can’t miss the woven exterior.  Looks like if you hold it wrong you’ll find yourself in one of those Chinese Finger Traps.

 

Brooks Brothers “Football” Billfold – $48.00
Stripes at warp speed.

Italian calfskin leather with a canvas stripe on the exterior.  Has more than a little bit of a prep feel to it.

 

J. Crew Cognac Leather Wallet – $75.00
Speaker Boehner?

Most guys don’t usually seek out wallets that share a hue with George Hamilton’s face.  Pull this out of your pocket and you’re likely to hear the color before you see it.

 

Property of… Chuck Wallet – $78.00
A dozen or so colors/patterns available.

You can’t escape gingham and checks.  No matter how hard you try.  Waxed coated canvas on the exterior, calf on the interior.  And one of those moleskin-notebook-type of elastic bands around the outside.

 

J. Crew Factory Inside Out Wallet – $16.50
Black Glenplaid on the left.

Inside out wallets are the mules of the wallet world.  Not quite horse, not quite donkey.  Five different color/pattern options for this one.  Might be a good option for the guy who wants to go light when in a summer suit, but doesn’t want a card case and a money clip.

Thoughts guys?  Are wallets one of those accessories that guys just don’t swap out that often?  Leave it all below.

Comments

  2. Big fan of Chester Mox wallets….one of the best recommendations I’ve found on Dappered.  I own the flap wallet. It was a steal at $55.

  3. I was just part of a menswear pop-up show called Confirmed Stock and got to meet the amazing guy behind Corter Leather. Very reasonable price for handmade wallets that are gorgeous and will probably last longer than many of the ones above.  Check them out http://corterleather.bigcartel.com/

  5. I have the brooks brothers striped wallet. Love it except for I don’t see the fabric portion lasting very long. There’s a reason why wallets are usually made of leather.

  6. I purchased a Chester Mox wallet similar to the above, no holes, 4 or 5 months ago and the leather is stretching so that my cards and cash slipped out yesterday.  Looks great, but…

    Im going back to my ol standby, the Grand Band.  This is the thinnest, least obtrusive money/card holder I’ve found.  I Sat next to an old guy at a bar a few years ago and he pulled this out and dropped it on the bar, the rest is history.  I use the plain black Jumbo Replacement bands, no metal thing, just the band.  They last about 6 months, and are about a buck a piece.

    Anyway, thought I’d share another option.

    http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Stainless-Steel-Rubber-Money/dp/B006X0SL1G
    http://www.grandbandrubberbands.com/ 

  8. I just bought this from Makr carry goods: http://makr.com/angle-wallet-ox-blood-chromexcel
    I relocated from a Slimmy (http://www.koyono.com/Slimmy-Slim-Wallet-Alternative-p/m17546.htm) It is expensive, for a couple pieces of leather stitched together, but I do like it. Simple and straightforward, and the only branding is a ‘Makr Carry Goods’ indentation that is hardly noticeable. I like the angle so it doesn’t stick out of those pockets that are just a little too shallow.

    I’m trying to lighten the plastic in my wallet, so this weekend I ordered duplicates of some cards to leave them in both vehicles. I’m left with a license, credit card, debit card, insurance card, public transit pass, and work badge (thicker than a CC). This will push the limits of the Makr wallet whenever I have cash in there..

    When will we be able to pay for stuff with our smart phones? Come on, future, you’re too slow!

  11. I have the non-brogue version of that Chester Mox wallet. Absolutely love it! Great bargain and top notch customer service!

  12. That Architect wallet is one of the best things I’ve seen on Dappered that’s not Cindy Crawford in shorts.

  14. I was a big fan of Braithwaite wallets before they went out of business. Very classy designs. I have one of theirs and also an Aspinal of London.

  15. I own a ton of wallets but the one I’ve fallen in love with is the Noah Lambert wallet in chestnut.  I actually think I’ll own and use it for life.  Definitely one that gets better with age.

  16. Anyone have any experience with the Chester Mox? It looks awesome, but how many cards does it fit? Is it difficult to get a card out, and do they slip out sometimes?

  17. I have one and it fits 5 quite nicely. I’ve never had a card slip out. Also, the customer service is awesome and I recommend you try them out.

  18. I’ll attest for the J. Crew Factory ‘Inside Out’ wallet. I carry the seersucker one every day. They’re only supposed to hold 4 cards, but once they wear in a bit you can get 8 in there.

  19. Did it stretch out over time to hold more? Also, did you get the Horween or Italian Calf leather? I’m wondering what the difference is.

  21. I have the #101 Slim Black Vertical Dogleg (similar to the one above). It says it holds 8+ cards, I keep only 5 in there. I’ve had it a little over a year. Never had a card slip out once.