If your anything like me carrying a purse is a chore! I’m constantly battling an internal conflict of wanting to be girly and having the perfect double wallet by Chanel but also hating carrying a brick around, and putting my cards in my pocket. Personally I dislike purses. Throughout my 23 years I have tried with great difficulty to be a purse type of gal, because who doesn’t want a purse with organised card compartments, a place for your change and notes so they don’t end up horribly creased.
Then at the same time, I struggle to maintain a purse. I mean, first of all, I hate carrying bags, which means I would have to hold the purse and that just fills me with fear of being robbed. But one of the main reasons I absolutely dislike purses is because it gives me more reason to hoard receipts. Somehow all my receipts just end up in the purse. Instead of a purse full of cash, it’s a purse full of receipt’s and I begin to hoard them, which makes the purse heavier to carry. Then a dilemma is created of well where and how do I carry my cards and any change or cash around? Fear not though lovely fashionistas, I have found not only the perfect alternative but the perfect designs for all your needs. Just one word; cardholder.
Cardholders have been more marketed towards men and possibly seen as more of a masculine item to obtain. However, in more recent years cardholders have become more popular among the female population, seeing more brands release cardholders for women. Let’s face it we live in a cashless society were we no longer even need to enter a pin for purchases under £20 due to contactless technology. With the evolving times of technology many more stores now accept card payments without the annoying minimum spend, so less of us are travelling with that odd bit of change or notes. Therefore the cardholder has become a staple piece and become more popular among the female population. This can be seen through an increase in designers now releasing card holders in different designs, styles and even colours.
Being against the purse I have purchased and used many different styles of card holders and through using each for a prolonged period of time, I have put together a handy guide of choosing the perfect card holder for you and your needs.
Seriously how fierce is this card holder, and everybody needs to own at least one item from Alexander McQueen. This sleek simple design will never be dated.
This card holder is the basic card holder. It doesn’t have any pouches or separation slots for cards. So not only does that mean you can put in as many cards as you desire but you can also put in that spare bit of cash. There is also no fear of safety attached with this card holder, as your cards and cash are secure because they won’t be falling out.
With this type of design in the past I personally have it is difficult to get to the card you need. Leather always gives and loosens, however if you travel with quite a few cards getting to the one you need takes time to find. But this design is just way too beautiful and classic to miss!
Mulberry does a similar design with just a zip instead of a flap to get to cards quicker. – £100
This sassy six-slots card holder is perfect for the organizational Queens out there! It even allows for extra cards or cash to be put in the middle compartment. This Fendi holder allows you to be able to organize and get to your cards easier than one without slots. Its easy, quick access and the design is just beautiful. The colour and the small flower just adds to the elegant design. This type of design is very minimalistic for those that just want a holder to place in their pocket or a small bag. It is very convenient and easy going.
My only issue with this type of holder is the limited slots and as a loyalty card junkie it’s hard to only be able to take six or possibly eight cards out at a time. The minimalistic design has safety concerns over whether the cards will fall out. However overall it is a very compact small card holder that you can pop in your pocket or even the smallest of bag. It will be perfect for those with restricted room for carrying bigger holders or purses or just want to travel light and with the bare minimal, and with a holder looking this pretty how could you give it a miss.
Keeping with their staple chain outline design Stella McCartney has released a faux-suede card holder that has the perfect balance of carrying cards as well as lose change or cash. Perfect for those that carry both but don’t wish to carry a purse. This is more organised, as cards are placed on the outside and change or cash inside so the two can be kept separate and organised. That provides more convenience and easier to find what you are looking for, instead of cards mixed or jumbled with cash.
This is my absolute favourite type of card holder. The design, the way it fans out and the compartments and the simplicity. It is a new design and I have only seen two designers release this type of card holder; Fendi and Céline which retails for around £305, but trust me — so worth it. This design allows for more than one card to be placed inside each compartment as well as cash whilst providing the security of not cards falling out through the fastening.
