the quest for a classic black wallet

I began my search for the perfect wallet approximately 3 days ago. I haven't made much progress.

I love my current wallet to pieces but a) It's old, b) It's monogram (kind of), and c) I see it everywhere. I decided that I needed to expand my investments into 'classic pieces' to a 'classic wallet.'

I had three basic requirements. It has to be black leather with silver hardware, must be the long chequebook style, and must have a coin pouch (I need somewhere to store my Starbucks money!)

I started by going through the various websites I know, looking for those that met all or most of my specifications. This did not go well.

This Prada was the first one that caught my eye.

Black leather, coin pocket, chequebook style and GORGEOUS!, but alas; gold hardware. I had to press on.

I then happened upon this Gucci.

I can live with the monogram, I really can. I own a purse with black on black canvas monogram and it really is quite tasteful. It's hard to actually see the print unless you're up close. What I cannot live with is the coin pouch. Buttons to hold in coins? Really now, it should be functionality before fashion. And buttons do not hold in coins nearly as well as zippers do!

After finding nothing else on Raffaello Network, I moved to the the Purse Forum to search through what other members had been using to stash their cash. While searching through the Hermes sub-forum, I fell in love.

This is a blue lizard Hermes Bearn (owned by Potiron on tPF). It is the most beautiful thing that I have ever laid eyes upon. I was in mid-dial to find out if Hermes Toronto had the colour, leather and style in stock and stopped when I found out it costs $2,400 USD. Really.

A colleague pointed me in the direction of this little cutie by Marc by Marc Jacobs on the Neiman Marcus website.

Unfortunately, it does not come in silver hardware! That didn't stop me from purchasing the matching Marc Jacobs coin purse that does.

Then, finally, I found it. It. And in the most unlikely place too.

I despise Coach for everything but their wristlets. The quality is good for the price, but I don't know what it is about them that just screams "I'm a high school girl and I think I'm awesome."

But it was Coach that showed me the perfect wallet. Black leather, silver hardware, coin pocket and long cheque-book style. It's pretty fabulous looking too, I must say.

My search is now complete! Now all that's left is convincing them to ship to Canada.

her first time.

So my mom doesn't really care all too much about labels and brand names. Her friend goes to Hong Kong every once in awhile and brings back a (very obviously fake) designer bag as a souvenir for her. She has a Burberry (fake), Prada (fake), and one more that I cannot recall. She is... frugal at best. She likes to buy a lot, but at good prices. You'll always see her at Talbot's when it's clearance time and buy a dozen things that she kinda-sorta-maybe likes whereas I end tend to buy one or two things that I adore.

I finally talked her into a designer purse. A real, live one that requires an investment. A Prada Napa Sport Hobo. She absolutely adored her Prada (fake) and wore it even when the strap broke. Stock photo of her very first designer purse purchase below.

I can't remember my first. I just don't remember. But I do know that I love my tiny collection (2 Vintage Guccis, a Paddy, and a Prada... possibly more, I can't think right now) and the only thing that could possibly make it better is a Louis Vuitton Black Epi Passy for when I go to work. Perfect understated elegance. I love it.

I love purses.

image from Neimanmarcus.com