Female here, I wear smart outfits that aren’t particularly fitted. I generally carry only a wallet and keys. The keys are on a carabiner that clip to my belt loop OR I clip my keys to the wallet. I’m a fairly active individual so often I have shorts that have flat pockets with a zipper. For example they make short for mountain biking so you can carry a wallet and not really feel it because it’s flat against your leg and also zipped securely in place and can’t fall out. If I absolutely must, my trif-old wallet can also be attached to my belt and converts to a passport wallet. Thusly unfolded it can hold a lot more, in addition to passports, such as a phone. Generally, the well-designed wallet has zippered compartments. Change goes into the same compartment as the as the paper cash. It its normal wallet mode, its not much larger than the regular leather wallet that most men carry. It’s just slightly wider.
Guy’s pockets are much bigger. I rarely feeling like they are “bulging.” I don’t leave the house without my keys, wallet, and phone in my pockets. I only take them out of the pocket to use them, and then they go back. When I get home, keys and wallet go on the dresser, phone stays with me. Even when I carry a messenger bag, only big stuff goes in there (books, camera, etc.)
I am jealous. Sooo jealous. I suffer from a severe case of pen envy. Also a milder case of shirt pocket envy.
All you people who don’t carry a bag, where do you keep your books? I always carry at least a couple of books with me. And now I carry my Nook, which won’t fit into any normal sized pocket.
I don’t carry around books. And if I must read something I just read it on my phone.
If you’re a guy you say - “Hey babe, throw this in your purse would ya? Thanks”
Yup. At least that’s what my husband does. Variant: “sweet girl” instead of “babe.”
Wallet with cards and cash in back pocket
Small leather change purse in front left pocket (I pay with exact change where possible, so this never gets bulky)
Small bunch of keys in front left pocket
Phone in holster on belt
On working days:
Rail travel pass in shirt top pocket
(my ID pass lives there too, but is also attached to a lanyard around my neck)
That’s it. I do carry a bag to work, but that’s a shoulder/messenger bag and contains my insulated coffee mug, a few books, a razor (for the bit I invariably miss) and a tiny box with pills and plasters in it.
My mom has always said that I’d cave and get a purse eventually. The thing is, if I had a purse, I’d lose it along with everything else that was important, all in one go.
In the winter, summer and spring I automatically have pockets. In the summer I usually have pockets, otherwise I carry things.
Phone, wallet, keys. It’s all you really need. Really, honestly, truly. You don’t need tissues, or a huge checkbook, or a bottle of water, or handwipes, or makeup, or flashlights, or books, or anything like that. Try going without for a couple of weeks - you’ll be surprised how freeing it is. Nothing dragging at your shoulder, no need to keep track of it or keep it on your lap or by your feet in restaurants.
If I absolutely have to carry something bigger, like lunch when I walk to work, I’ll take a backpack. If I know I need a book, I’ll carry a backpack. Those things wouldn’t usually fit in a normal sized purse anyway.
I keep a couple books in my car, and home is full of books. I don’t take books into work because if I am reading anything, it should be essays. If I end up at the doctor’s office or the DMV or something, I just carry in one of the books from my car. It’s really not hard to have a book, phone, wallet/keys all in one hand. The slight inconvenience is more than evened out by the lack of inconvenience the other 99% of the time.
It rarely comes up that I am somewhere without my car and I suddenly realize I wish I had a book.
Does not compute. Every pair of pants I own has plenty of pockets for wallet, phone and keys. And btw, I never even feel their presence, so it’s not like it’s uncomfortable carrying all that super heavy stuff around.
don’t carry too much stuff
If I’m going to work, I have my work bag for extraneous things (like lunch or papers), but in general my wallet and phone go in left front, change in right front, tissue in either back pocket. If I’m wearing a coat my keys go in the right pocket, if not they go in the right front pocket of my trousers. Cigarettes go in left pocket of coat/suit jacket or in the back pocket of my jeans.
Pocket’s a funny word if you type/read it too much.
I’m a 32yo female who doesn’t and never have carry a purse.
Wallet in the back pocket, keys and phone in one, previously cigarettes in the other front pocket. Now that I’ve quit smoking I have all this extra room!
If I need to carry feminine supplies I use those pocket-sized ones. I don’t chew gum or wear sunglasses or have contact lenses. If I need tissues I fold a few up and put them in my pocket.
If I am wearing something that is totally pocket-free, yes I have a purse. Sometimes if I’m with a dude or with my mom, they get to carry my stuff.
I am actually getting sort of miffed with finding a new phone because my RAZR is so lady-pocket-friendly. I hope I can find a suitably flat replacement.
Female, and I’ve always been a minimalist, I loathe carrying things so only necessities for me.
Left front pocket = cash/ID/one credit card
Right front pocket = keys
I wouldn’t even wear pants if it wasn’t generally expected.
Quoth Lynn:
It looks like you can get them online. That looks like the same one I have, and I’d about agree with that review (except to note that the ink reservoir is tiny, and doesn’t last long).
As for shirt pocket envy, it is somewhat annoying that I can’t wear pocketless shirts any more. Well, I could, but that would mean going without some of my nifty gadgets, and we can’t have that, now can we?
I’ve mentioned this Kiwi friend before, but it tickles me, so here it is again: This Kiwi, who lives in Jakarta now, always carried this large purse-thingy that he insisted on calling his “man sack.” Even he could not say it without laughing though.
Seems I always have books and other stuff with me, even during leisure time, so I feel lost without at least a backpack. At the very least, I always feel like I’ve left the bag behind somewhere on those few occasions I’ve not got one with me.
I’m probably as rough cut as they go and I carry a purse.
There I said it!
I always emptied my pockets into a dish on my nightstand every night and then didn’t have the stuff I needed while the dish overflowed. One day I dumped everything into one of those canvas LL Bean bags and threw it in the car.
I liked it! I liked having all my stuff with me.
I just grabbed my bag for a cursory inventory.
It’s got a pocket on the front with all the keys I have to be able to grab in a hurry. Some go to cars I no longer own, some I can’t remember. There’s also a zipper pull in there. Usually I throw a bottle of water in there.
The main part has some mail I need to drop off, a calender book, 3 pairs of sunglasses and 2 pair of reading glasses (all in cases), an extended warranty for a compressor, a bunch of those alcohol swab things, 3 x 5 cards with things I want to remember, a new pack of mechanical pencils, instructions for a norseman swage fitting, my phone charger, a razor knife, a lot of receipts, a cheap foam paint brush, ipod shuffle in it’s case, a bottle of aspirin, a couple of large o-rings?, various pens pencils and sharpies, a zip tool for siding, a bottle of cayenne pepper, keys to a boat, nuts bolts and screws, about $25 in ones and fives, some wire nuts, 3 drill bits, a few bandaids, maybe $5 in change, and some 1/4 20 bolts I don’t remember.
That’s my stuff and I want my stuff with me. If I need something it’s probably in there, but if not I’ll get it and put it in there. Staying organised and prepared was always a problem and this feels way more comfortable.
No one gives me any shit about it.
And if you’re in the bar and ask me if I have a 3" 1/4 20 bolt?
Why yes, yes I do.
I also have a book bag and an overnight bag at all times.
Joey, is that you?
Handbags are Og’s way of telling you you’re carrying too much stuff.
Handbags are the best, and most convenient way for thieves to get all that stuff Og thinks you shouldn’t carry around with you.