The use of wallets for men can be traced to ancient times. However, the purpose of its use has not always been consistent. Today a wallet is specifically intended to carry money and identification for a man. While men have also used other devices to carry currency, such as money clips, wallets have long been preferred for their ability to hold a wide range of materials in a small area.
History of Wallets for Men
Today there exists a distinction between the articles which men used to carry money and those used by women. In the past, people tended to carry important possessions as well as money in sacks. Over time, men began to use articles that appeared more like modern wallets, particularly in the western hemisphere. Women around the world continue to use purses, which resemble in many respects the primitive use of bags or sacks for carrying personal items. However, it could easily be said that men and women use these distinct articles for distinct purposes. Men tend to limit the contents to financial materials, such as cash or credit cards, and identification materials such as drivers’ licenses.
- In ancient Greece, wallets for men resembled sacks and were used to carry items needed for survival, such as food and tools. This is comparable, in some ways, to the present use of wallets, since currency and credit cards have become the tools used to ensure survival in a consumer society.
- The wallet transformed slowly through the centuries in the West and, by the time of the Renaissance, had begun to include coins and written financial statements. The wallets of this time period and region might be more appropriately called pouches. They could attach to a belt and were of smaller size than other bags meant to carry more diverse materials.
- By the 19th century, wallets still retained a variety of uses. Besides money, wallets for men were used to carry small portions of food and items that were considered precious or terribly personal. Wallets also served to carry tobacco when smoking and chewing this herb became popular in that century. In contract to present practices, it was not considered civilized for a man to carry his wallet in a pocket. Rather, it was to be hung from a belt.
- At present, the most common form of wallets for men consisted of a folding pouch with multiple slots for business cards, identification cards and credit cards, as well as photos. This became standard sometime during the middle of the 20th century. However, there are many available styles and kinds of wallets.
Examples of Wallets

Photo Credit: Flickr Infinities Menswear
- The breast wallet is a longer type of wallet which does not fold. Therefore the bank notes, checks and other paper items inside do not suffer from folding. This is one drawback of the more typical bi-fold wallet. However, the breast wallet will not fit in a pants pocket.
- A trifold wallet has two points of folding. Credit cards and other such cards are kept in a vertical arrangement inside this wallet.
- The front pocket wallet is also known as a money clip. It is excellent for securely holding and storing cash, but is less convenient for holding the other items that most men like to carry in wallets.
- Use of long wallets is particularly popular among bikers and other counter-cultural groups. These wallets are typically fastened to jeans by a strap or a chain. They are hold bills flat, rather than folded, and come with a coin purse. These are also popular in countries which depend heavily on cash rather than credit.
- The wallet band has become popular, along with a few other types of wallets, because they reduce the discomfort caused by the traditional bi-fold wallet. Wallet bands use an elastic band to hold money and cards secure. They are less bulky than bi-fold wallets.
- Carrying wallets in your pants, as people do with the standard wallets, can cause significant discomfort, especially if you sit on your wallet. The wrist wallet seeks to alleviate these problems by securing cash and other items to your wrist.
- The travel wallet is essential for people who have to travel across foreign borders and carry an assortment of documentation with them at all times. These wallets are large and can hold passports, tickets travelers’ checks, booking information and more. They are, naturally, larger and cannot usually be carried in a pants pocket.
- With the popularity of the Internet and the increasing frequency of online purchases, software programmers have designed a digital wallet to hold digital currency.
Vendors of Wallets for Men
There are a number of designers and vendors of wallets around the world. They make wallets of every style and of nearly every imaginable material. Popular materials for wallets include leather and alligator skin. Such wallets can be purchased from the following vendors among many others.
- Zappos – This online clothing vendor sells wallets made of genuine leather as well as other materials. They have a great variety of styles and a special site devoted to discussing shipping returns.
- Brookstone – They sell a special bi-fold wallet with a clear front window to display ID without opening the wallet.
- Hermes – This is an international vendor of wallets and other articles.
- Burberry – A popular brand in the UK, a Burberry official site can sell you one of their wallets anywhere in the world.
- Sears – They are considered by some to be the leading American designer of wallets for men.