Even something as timeless and classic as the wallet undergoes seasonal trends. These are not necessarily going to stay, but they do make you fashionable and trendy. Every once in a while, a trend becomes more than a passing fad and makes its way into the basic design of the wallet. Who knows which ones will pass away and which ones will stick around? Certainly in 2009, there are some trends that have the potential to change the look of the wallet forever. So what are they? Let see…

2009 trends for the leather wallet

Multifunction wallets

These days, its all about convergence. As devices are invented to make all our services come together, the same logic is being applied to our accessories – including wallets. Say hello to wallets that come with bottle openers and attached key chains. What the functions are varies distinctly from person to person. One may choose to have a digital photograph pane in the side of his wallet, whereas another will find a built in calculator more appropriate.

In addition, you can have wallets that have attached USB drives, or a mixture of all of the above. There really is no limit to what we can come up with when we think hard enough. Is this here to stay? Partly at least, I’m sure!

PDA Cases cum Wallets

There’s been a recent blending between wallets and cases that are meant to hold things other than money – like PDAs for example. Whether the PDA case has become the wallet, or vice versa, is a moot point. Designers are realizing that the “straight” wallet can be adapted to fit a phone/PDA into it, allowing a wallet to be used for both purposes.

As a rebel sort of trend, some people prefer simplicity. They are eschewing wallets entirely in favor of trendy money clips. These are usually made of high quality Italian leather and are particularly amenable to be branded by high end fashion houses. They can be very expensive!

The famous designer Castello recently unveiled a wallet that doesn’t fold and is a sort of board for credit cards, bank notes, and even cheques. It’s a bold design and is surely one of the latest trends in 2009.

Taking the wallet to the highest level of personalization, some people have had their wallets laser engraved with their personal design choice that resembles a coat of arms. This isn’t as narcissistic as you think. It’s merely an expression of one’s individuality. And an extremely stylish one at that – especially if you design your own unique emblem!

Personally I think that the wallet/PDA case combine is definitely going to stay, as well as the occasional multi function innovation. That’s not to say that the others aren’t trendy – they are very much so. But will they stand the test of time? I’m not very sure that they will.

There is much confusion about what Italian leather is, and why it is called the best in the world. While it is true that many types of the finest leather are created in Italy, there are other countries that produce exceptional leather as well.

What exactly Italian leather is, is also a matter of debate. Many factors can lead to a piece of leather being called Italian. Hides that are processed in Italy (though they originated elsewhere) can be called Italian leather. Also, some firms that are registered in Italy, call their products Italian leather though there may be no connection between the final product and Italy!

Great leather is largely determined by the quality of the rawhide – and that in turn depends on the health and the quality of the animal from whom the hide was taken. Most leather comes from cows, but much of the fine Italian leather is actually Ostrich hide.

Regardless of what the definition is, Italian leather has come to be synonymous with quality. So what are the qualities of this magical leather that is superior to all others?

Full Grain Leather

The skin of an animal is made up of several layers. The outermost layer of the hide is the strongest and the most beautiful. You can clearly see the grain of the skin and it is therefore called Full grain leather.

The best leather is always made of Full grain leather and it also the longest lasting. With proper treatment, it can be tough or soft depending on the use. As it ages, it acquires a lovely sheen that adds value to the object. It can be used in high end furniture and carefully crafted leather accessories.

No Markings

The best quality leather has no blemishes. Several factors such as injury can create marks on an animal’s skin that don’t affect it’s integrity, but takes away from it’s status as a perfect product. The finest Italian leather is always blemish free.

Accessories

These characteristics make Italian leather suitable for high end purposes. Let’s take a look at some of the applications they can be put to:

Wallets and Purses

Wallets and purses are ideally suited to fine Italian leather. This is because they are luxury items that can be taken care of, thus ensuring that the leather remains unblemished. They can be viewed as status symbols and only the finest Italian leather is worthy of being the best.

Shoes

The best furniture can come covered with Italian leather to add to it’s luster and luxuriousness. You sometimes find antique furniture that is coated with quality leather and they are highly prized. Furniture is easier to take care of than shoes with regard to scratches, and so they are ideally suited for being adorned with Italian leather.

Additional considerations

You must always assume that leather wallets that have a distressed look are not made from pure leather. This is because under normal conditions, a good leather wallet will become softer and will wear it’s age gracefully. There isn’t any shortcut technique to achieve this and you would do well not to believe anyone who claims the contrary.

Distressed leather wallets have a poor texture and are probably flimsy as well. Don’t invest good money in one – get a real good quality leather wallet instead. You’ll find it serves you better in the long term.

All things being equal, this is the single most important factor you need to look at. It will depend entirely on your needs. There are two places that a man is going to keep his wallet – trouser pockets and the breast pocket. If you’re never going to wear a suit, then you need to pick up a wallet with a small enough size to fit into your trousers.Also, think about how much change you’re going to need. The bulk of the wallet is taken up by small change. You can have a much smaller wallet if you’re not going to carry it around. The number of credit cards you have as well as the ID you always carry with you are all factors to be taken into consideration when deciding the size.

This is a very personal subject. Many feel that the wallet should be for the purposes of utility and not fashion. And even if they are for fashion, then the brand doesn’t mean anything. However, it’s so much more fun to have a branded leather wallet! For the truly fashion conscious, a branded wallet makes a very great difference and who’s to deny that the good brands are really very stylish indeed?Aesthetics apart, it’s also true that good brands will have the best quality – at a premium price. You can be sure that the wallet will last for a long time and will withstand a good deal of stress. If you’re a person who thinks of the long term, there can be little doubt that a branded wallet is something to look out for.

True full grain leather is the highest quality of leather and only grows better with time. It gets softer compared to other leather types that get harder. However, it’s also more expensive and so you can go for a compromise between the two if your budget doesn’t allow it. Depending on your personal preference there are many types of leather made from the hide of various animals. Crocodile or Alligator leather for example is a very distinctive type. You can pull it off only if it suits your personality.

Color

The leather color is the most personal aspect of the wallet. You can’t go wrong with traditional colors such as brown and black, but many people are experimenting with more daring colors to suit their wardrobe and lifestyle.

Bifold or Trifold

Overall, there are many choices for fine leather wallets. Ensure that you take a good look at what’s available before making your choice – it might stay with you for life.

Wallets have always got the short treatment when it comes to fashion, and for good reason. They’re one accessory whose sole purpose is one of utility. We have seen in an earlier article how brand names can make a wallet more trendy, but in general, you find that people don’t shop for wallets keeping the latest trends in mind.However, there are different styles of wallets, each of which has it’s own advantages and disadvantages. The wallet is such a piece of equipment, that an advantage in one area is always balanced out by a disadvantage in another. This is why it is so important to carefully choose a leather wallet that suits you. Let’s take a look at some of the basic wallet styles and what each has to offer.

Long leather Wallets

These are handy for storing a large number of papers and documents. They’re usually kept in the breast pocket of the apparel for the simple reason that they’re usually too large. They have the space to conveniently hold all your identity cards and credit/debit cards. In addition, they also keep the banknotes straight and crisp without having to fold them like traditional wallets. This lends an air of sophistication to the possessor of this style of wallet.

They can also be used to hold checks without folding them which can be extremely useful.

Short leather wallets

These are the types of wallets that you see everywhere. Convenience is their middle name, which is why they’re so common in the first place. Their size makes them easy to carry around in the front or back pockets of your trousers, and still leave space for other things.

They have sufficient room however, to hold your credit cards, a few business cards and banknotes – though you might have trouble fitting in some of the larger ones. Though they’re not as roomy as their long counterparts, they are more than enough for most people. They don’t do a very good job of carrying change though, as they’re prone to bulge out. Fashion conscious people need to always ensure that they don’t carry too many coins.

Flip down leather wallets

Some wallets have a flap that lets itself down in order to display an ID card. This makes it easy to quickly show it when necessary without fumbling to find your ID in your wallet. Best for frequent travelers, it’s not something that everyone will want to have since it uses up a dedicated slot in the wallet that could be used for something else. It also adds a bit of bulk.

Most men already have a preferred style of wallet that they use even though it might not suit their needs anymore. If you’re buying a wallet for yourself, this might be a good time to change it to more aptly suit your needs. If you’re buying it for someone else, take a look at what they really need and if it’s different from what they use, convince them that they need to change and then buy the wallet for them – they’ll thank you for it later.