Chic Leather Wallets

Most wallets come in leather. It's the most durable and the most attractive of materials. As a matter of fact, the earliest wallets in history were made of leather. Wallets came into being right after paper currency was introduced in the West. This happened 1600s. In fact, the first paper currency, which preceded leather wallets but not by much, was then made of corn paper in 1690 in the Massachusetts Bay colony. Prior to that, leather pouches were more serviceable than leather wallets as they had to store coins, the only currency then known. These early leather wallets came from cow or horse skin and had a small pouch for calling cards.

today's leather wallets with all these card slots were nonexistent until credit cards became popular in the early '50s. The only notable change in wallets since then was the 1970s' debut of Velcro. In 1995 Ken Obenski made a flat wallet, but today you will find leather wallets in various models, shapes, and colors.

Leather wallets that are thin enough or flat enough to be concealed in other than the usual places-even on a leather string to hang around the neck and under clothes—became more popular in the wake of increases in theft and especially identity theft.

For men, a bifold is good enough. For women, there has to be one for every occasion and for what they are wearing. Here are several traveling wallets for women:

* For women on the go, there's the space-saving thin wallet. This is flat and rounded making it easier for the owner to carry it around on the front pocket. This can hold the usual wallet contents: cash, credit and identification cards, and change. This is usually made of Napa leather and available in black and brown colors with combinations of other colors for a more glitzy appeal. But you might also want those that has a little splash of colors like pink, blue, and green.

* Another type is the taxi wallets by Tony Perotti. This has three compartments for bills, cards, and change. It also has a front flap to secure the three inner compartments. The taxi wallet is available in chocolate brown and black.

* The Ultimo leather weekend wallet is good for out-of-town trips. It can hold the usual cash, cards, and change and other things you might want to throw in, and what's really cool is you can carry it around inconspicuously. Of course this is made of fine leather, and they are available in cognac, black, and brown colors.

* The classic all-in-one wallet is the money clip wallet. You can bring it with you everywhere you go. It has a clip in the middle that holds your cash and room enough for your cards and change. You can choose from among neutral colors of black, brown, and honey.

* Rustico's leather weekend wallet is designed by Tony Perotti and only comes in brown. The smooth-edged design is attractive and easy to carry. It has two center pockets, two credit card slots, and on the back side is an ID window.