What matters most to women about your wallet?

I'll give you a hint: It's not the contents.

I recently met a male friend for dinner. At the end of the meal, we both reached for our wallets to split the check. As I rooted around the cavernous depths of my purse looking for mine, he flung a wad of cash, along with a few credit cards on the table -- all held together in a binder clip.

Surprisingly, this wasn't the first time I've seen a guy substituting office supplies for real accessories. Another male friend once tried to defend his use of paper clips for collar stays. He did not win that argument.

Guys, you may think you're being pragmatic, inventive and saving some money to boot with these quick accessories fixes. I'm here to tell you how your "ingenuity" looks to a woman. It looks cheap. Immature. Unprepared for manhood. Women do not want to see you McGyvering your wardrobe. We are not impressed by your resourcefulness; we are put off by, well, by your using a binder clip as a wallet!

You have money -- you must if you are carrying it around in binder clips, rubber bands and who knows what else? Why not use some of it to buy a wallet -- a necessary accessory that also allows you to show off your personal style.

Try, for instance, a nice leather number from Chester Mox (www.chestermox.com). The Los Angeles-based brand uses almost exclusively Horween leather, the colour and texture of which gets deeper and richer with age. Like your favourite baseball cap, a wallet or card case made from this material will look better over time, not break like a binder clip inevitably will (and probably at the most inopportune time, too).

If you're looking for something that really hews closely to the binder clip heritage, a money clip will suit your purposes. Go for one that's monogrammed, or sided with an interesting material to lend visual interest.

-- stylegirlfriend.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2013 E10