For a change of pace this time, we decided to take a surprise peek inside designer Sola’s wallet to see how the designers themselves actually use their products. This should be helpful for anyone considering a slim mini wallet or compact wallet. The contents aren’t specially organized—this is simply what’s inside on a typical day.
The wallet she uses is the Tenuis Slim Compact Wallet (Zipper Type) in Toscano Leather, Jet Black. She’s been using it for about 1 year and 4 months. She carries it in her front pants pocket every day.
What’s Inside the Wallet:
First, the bills: 3 10,000-yen bills and 3 1,000-yen bills—6 in total. I usually try to keep the number of bills to 7 or 8, and the total amount to 50,000 or 60,000 yen.Even though I rely mainly on cashless payments, I maintain a balance by carrying a certain amount of cash. As for
coins, I have 2 100-yen coins, 2 10-yen coins, and 4 1-yen coins—a total of 214 yen. I happened to have a bit less than usual on this day, but generally, I try to use up my loose change frequently to keep it from piling up.When putting them away, I gently spread them out up and down with my fingers and make an effort to prevent unevenness—for example, by placing the larger, heavier 500-yen coins and 10-yen coins toward the bottom as much as possible. If the amount gets too large, I transfer the excess to a coin purse at home.
I keep three cards in the top slot and three in the bottom slot, plus my health insurance card and hospital registration card. The latter two are as thin as paper. The breakdown is three bank cards, two credit cards, my driver’s license, health insurance card, and hospital registration card. The number of cards is generally fixed, and I don’t carry any loyalty cards.(I might join a rewards program if all it takes is signing up on LINE.) Since I’d rather not have my driver’s license seen, I keep it in one of the slots after the first one. *It’s a small detail, but I avoid using bank or credit cards with raised lettering.
Hidden Pocket 1 holds 6 band-aids, business cards, and a scrap of anti-skimming fabric. Hidden Pocket 2 holds 2 keys and a membership card for a members-only supermarket. I keep my house keys in the hidden pocket at all times; I only put them in the coin pocket when I’m out on my bike and have removed the keys. Even with a compact wallet, one of its key features is the ability to store these small items in separate compartments.
How I Use My Wallet:
I basically only carry my wallet and smartphone (plus my car keys when driving). Since I keep everything I need in my wallet, I almost never have to frantically search for things right before heading out. Because my house keys are also in my wallet, if I’m out and don’t have my wallet with me, I’ll quickly realize I don’t have my keys either.
I keep my wallet in my front pants pocket. This keeps surface scratches to a minimum compared to putting it in a bag where it rubs against other items. However, in the summer, I’m concerned about sweat in my pocket, so I sometimes wrap it temporarily in plastic. Also, the metal rivets on the small pockets often found on the right side of jeans can easily cause scratches, so I make a point of putting my wallet in my left pocket.My smartphone has a screen protector and doesn’t get scratched that much, so it’s fine even in the right pocket.
I keep shopping center parking tickets in the bill compartment along with my cash, and train tickets in the top slot of the card section temporarily. I put important receipts in the hidden pocket and regular receipts in the bill compartment. When putting items in my pockets, I always check which way is up before putting them in; while they rarely actually fall out, it’s a habit I’ve adopted to ease my mind.
To sum up, I believe that using a slim, compact wallet like this offers not only the advantage of keeping your belongings slim and organized but also the major benefit of streamlining your daily routine. I’m not particularly forgetful or blessed with a good memory myself, so I think the ideal tool is one that helps even forgetful people establish a routine that makes daily life easier. This wallet was born from a desire to contribute to the convenience of many people’s daily lives.
Tenuis Zipper Type (
Canvas) https://solahanpu.com/products/tenuis-zipper-canvas
Tenuis Zipper Type
https://solahanpu.com/products/tenuis-zipper
Tenuis Flap Type
https://solahanpu.com/products/tenuis-flap
