The Comeback of Cash or Perhaps the Cache of Cash

Until about a year or two ago, it was “in” to flash your platinum card or the most ostentatious card you had when paying for a meal or tossing back a brew.  However, with the advent of a recession and the new “in-ness” of frugality, that’s all out the window.  What does this mean for the card-toting cadre of high-rollers?

You have three options (well presumably more but, for the sake of time, space, and attention span, let’s stick with three): a rubber band, a money clip, or a wallet.  A rubber band is the quintessential symbol of frugality but, let’s agree to leave that to the grandpas who believe in keeping their money under the mattress, and hip punksters who have not yet subscribed to the philosophy of ‘treating your money well so that it treats you well’.

Today’s topic for Men’s Week is money clip vs. wallet.  The wallet gives you space to carry ID, credit cards and cash.  The money clip gives you space to carry ID, credit cards and cash.  The wallet leaves room to add other unnecessary pieces of paper (i.e. receipts, notes, phone numbers from the lady at the bar, etc).  The money clip leaves much less room for forgiveness or hiding.

If you go with the wallet, you have a few rules to live by:

• It’s not a paper receptacle therefore, the most classic of wallets is a bi-fold (vs. tri-fold)
• When it bulges, it’s not a status symbol- it’s the sign of a pack rat
• Don’t ‘double-up’ on the card slots – one card per slot only please!
• The nicest wallets have the simplest features – not too many card slots, not too many/any plastic coated sections for ID, not too much contrast stitching or showing of thread, not too many emblems or insignias.  A few stellar recommendations include:

Ferragamo wallet, $270

Braun Buffel wallet, $107

Nordstrom wallet, $50

If you go with the money clip (and what’s new, chic and sophisticated), remember

• The ‘wad’ should allow the money clip to lay flat (that’s ID, 2 pieces of plastic and about 8-10 bills)
• No extraneous pieces of paper
• ID and plastic on the inside, bills on the outside
• Keep the money clip simple and bling-free – solid sterling or matte-black.  Blueprint’s recommendations (some directly from the Men’s Style Manual) include:

Jan Leslie Black Money Clip, $65

Visol “Gio” Stainless Steel Money Clip, $35

Colibri “Vex” Stainless Steel & Titanium Money Clip, $50

Either way, minimalist thinking is appropriate.  Bulging pockets are still uncool and bring back memories of mobster movies.  Last I checked, our goal was silent machismo not in-your-face braggart (plus if you’re trying to show it, you usually don’t even have it to show)!.