A Walk Through the History of Luxury Wallets
Luxury wallets have become an item that is necessary for day-to-day life, allowing you to carry safely small important items, such as cash, credit cards or important documents like your ID or driving license. But have you ever wondered when did humanity realize that they needed such a compact way to carry their essentials? Well, the history of what is known today as luxury wallets, actually stretches back many centuries, and it all started with some simple pouches. First of all, where did the word wallet even come from? It is believed that the word has its origin somewhere in the 14 century. Even so, it is not exactly sure where it came from. Some believe that it is from the Norman-French word golette, which directly translates into little snout. Other sources say that it has its roots in Proto-Germanic, coming from the word wall, meaning roll. Shakespeare also used the term but, in his description, it talked about something that resembled more of what is called a “backpack” today. th
Ancient Greece In Ancient Greece, people would often carry wallets on them, attached at the hip or hidden away in their clothes. They were shaped like a small pouch and were used to carry essentials such as coins or reminder notes. There is also the ancient Greek word kibisis, which was used to describe a pouch carried by Hermes – the herald of the Gods. It was also used when talking about the satchel in which Perseus, the Greek hero, carried the severed head of the Gorgon, a monster also known by the name Medusa.
Many archeologic discoveries have stated that wallets were found in different Greek locations, proving how important wallets were even in these ancient civilizations. Other sources show that it was also used by those surrounded by poverty. Unlike the “luxury wallets” of that time period, these wallets would usually be filled with provisions. Sometimes, people would be spotted even eating straight out of them.
The Renaissance Wallets started taking a more familiar form somewhere in the 17 century. That is because of the introduction of paper currency. The world would leave behind the very heavy coins made out of precious metals, such as copper, silver or gold and start using a more utility based currency, easier to carry and to use. The paper currency was introduced in 1690 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The introduction of this currency reduced the need of big bags to carry money in. th
Now, you could carry all your money in a more compact and smaller container, that would be the predecessor of what today is the men’s leather wallet. In the Renaissance, wallets would range quite a lot, from simple designs to the more ornate. They could be decorated with unique stiches and many of them would display crests. Unfortunately, due to them having to still be attached at the hip, there was a big issue with wallets being easily stolen.
19 Century th
In the 19 century, carrying goods in one’s pockets had become uncommon and was considered even uncivilized. Wallets have become mostly made out of leather as well. In this time period, the men’s leather wallet was used to carry currency but also would be used for carrying dried meat, victuals or “treasures”. th
In Spain, wallets were not only used for carrying money but they also served a practical purpose, of holding smoking paraphernalia. A men’s leather wallet would be versatile enough to often include compartments designed to store items used for smoking, such as tobacco, rolling papers. This reflected the cultural significance of smoking during the Industrial Revolution.
20 Century th
In the early 1950s, the bi-fold wallet was standardized, with the introduction of the credit card. This is a wallet in which all the banknotes get folded over just once. In this type of wallet, cards and IDs get stored horizontally or vertically. Many innovations to the wallet were made in this century, such as the introduction of the Velcro-closure wallet, in the 1970s. Even to this day, many wallet designs that appeared in the 20 century are still popular, such as the bi-fold wallet or many types of luxury wallets. th
In this century, a men’s leather wallet was needed also because of the introduction of credit cards and the many types of them. For example, different cards were used for different purposes. Diners had a certain type of card that they would use for eating, air travel had another card, and so on. This was why wallets needed to be larger and have more pockets. Not only did people need to keep their money in them, but they also needed more space for the plethora of credit cards they had to own for different purposes.
Luxury Wallets Nowadays Nowadays, a men’s leather wallet is as indispensable as ever. Many people still carry cash with them daily, more and more types of cards are appearing and people need to carry small documents that they always need to have on them. Wallets have become more customizable than ever, not only being a very useful piece to carry with you but also a fashion statement that can show who you are, your style and status. Wallets also have regional differences. For example, in Europe wallets still contain a coin purse compartment due to the existence of larger value coins. Today there are many types of wallets, such as: • Breast wallet –also called a secretary wallet and used when you do not want to fold your banknotes. They are generally created for men’s pockets or for a handbag, due to their size. They are also used for keeping cheques or documents. • Tri-fold wallet – unlike the bi-fold wallet, this one has two folds that stack credit cards. • Wristlet – this type of wallet is used when the owner prefers having their hand free, since it can attach to the wrist • Digital wallet –computer file used for maintaining digital currency. • Many more.
