Of all accessories we use, one that is perhaps most universal is the humble wallet. Men and women both use wallets to carry cash and important cards, and a great quality and stylish artwork wallet can last well and be used for a long time.
People have used bags and sacks to carry currency and goods for hundreds if not thousands of years. In the 1300s, the word “wallet” referred to a bag or knapsack which people used for carrying whatever they needed to transport with them.
The term “wallet” as we know it now means a flat case used for carrying currency, particularly paper notes. Wallets as we’d recognize them were developed in the western world after the first paper currency was introduced in the 1600s; in the US this occurred in 1690 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Elizabethan merchants in England carried a flat leather pouch attached to the belt for holding money and account books. To carry a wallet in a pocket at this time was considered to be uncommon and somewhat uncivilized.
Wallets were also used in the 1800s for carrying dried meats and other personal items, including paraphernalia for tobacco smoking
The modern men’s wallet, in the bi-fold style with slots for cash and cards, became standard in the 1950s. Men’s wallets are designed to fit into a pocket, whereas women’s wallets tend to be more decorative and designed to be carried in the hand or in a handbag. Women’s wallets usually include a compartment for coins.
Wallets are available in many designs, many materials, and at many price points. By far the best material for a wallet is genuine leather – it is durable, waterproof, and looks fashionable, appealing, and expensive – even if it was available at an affordable price. Real leather even smells good!
Stand out and express your own personal style and aesthetic with a stunning, handmade leather artwork wallet from United Streets of Art. All of our men’s and women’s wallets are handcrafted to the highest quality and decorated with unique and eclectic designs that are street art-inspired. Our women’s wallets are unique in design and will fit not only cash and cards but other small items. Check out our fantastic range of men’s and women’s wallets today!
