Of all the accessories in your sartorial repertoire, your wallet is probably the one that sees the most use. It goes where you go and bears witness to everything from your proudest purchases to your most shameful spending moments (you may forget that tray of Krispy Kremes but your wallet won’t).

For something that we rely so heavily on, every day, it’s shocking how little pride many people take in their wallet. Far from being a sleek, classy number, which sits subtly in the pocket without spoiling the line of your selvedge denim, more often than not it’s a tattered, bulging behemoth, force-fed six months’ worth of receipts, train tickets from journeys you don’t remember making and loyalty cards for coffee shops you never visit.

A good wallet or card holder on the other hand, can quietly advertise your personality or status – and not by the bank notes or platinum card poking out from it.

“Style is not just about your clothes, but your accessories too, and if you have a bulging wallet that distorts the lines of your clothes, it’s never a good look,” says Sarah Gilfillan, stylist and founder of men’s personal styling service SartoriaLab. “When choosing a new wallet, take time to make sure it has the right amount of pockets, including card, note and coin space. You could split the load and have a cardholder and a wallet so you can carry them in separate pockets.”

It’s important to be smart with what you choose to carry your money in and, contrary to popular belief, if you shop with your wits about you, you might even have something left over to put in it.

The Best Brands For Men’s Wallets

Dunhill

Alfred Dunhill was a leather apprentice for 15 years before he took over his father’s business and turned it into one of London’s premiere destinations for high-end menswear. That expertise endures more than 100 years later in wallets handmade from calf leather and treated to protect against abrasions and water damage.