The Only Accessory You Need If You Want to Stop Carrying a Purse
Can someone tell me why everyday wallets and purses for women are so big? No shade to people who tote around a sh*t ton of stuff all the time, but my back just can't take it. So when I recently interviewed a NYC stylist who refuses to carry a handbag, I wanted in on all her secrets, which she dutifully outlined to me.
The one thing that seemed to make the biggest difference: her wallet choice. She doesn't leave home without a vintage Chanel tri-fold key wallet. It's adorable, but more importantly, it has a place for everything she needs to carry around all day (keys and cards) in one small, convenient location. She holds her phone separately.
I wanted to give this lifestyle a try so I purchased this $275 number from YSL-and let me tell you, it lives up to all the hype. I haven't used a purse once since it arrived in the mail.
When I first ventured outside my apartment-wearing just jeans and a tee, nary a handbag in sight-the door closed and automatically locked behind me, as it always does. I looked down, saw I had only my wallet and phone, and had a minor freakout, thinking I had lost my keys. After making a fool of myself in front of my neighbors, I said to myself, "OMG, everything I need is right here" and was flooded with pure elation: I was free.
Since then, this wallet and I have been co-stars in an undying love story. Sure, as a fashion editor, I'd seen key wallets before. But I hadn't given them much thought until I bought one and truly understood the service they bring to anyone hoping to downsize their everyday load.
It fits most pockets, whether they're on the back and front of your jeans or a tiny blazer, so you never have to wear a purse again, if you don't want to.
Why is it so revolutionary? It comes down to size. Every wallet I had owned in the past, whether it could hold keys or not-aside from card cases, which, TBH are great, too-was a long one, with a row of little slits for a plethora of cards and a pocket for coins and uncreased bills.
Those are so large, they often don't fit in pockets of any size, so they pretty much require a purse, lest you carry them around in one of your hands. They also don't usually fit in small clutches-not ideal when you have to hit a fancier fête. But with my new baby, I simply take it out of the back pocket of my jeans and drop it into my tiny evening bag. No drama.
Bye-bye, bag life.
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