I mentioned in my What’s in my Bag? post a few weeks back that I’m not happy with my current wallet. Though I love the design and colour of it, I’m really unhappy with the fake factor and I feel pretty icky about it being a knock-off. Though I picked my Mui Mui lookalike up for mere pennies in a Hong Kong market, I’m now willing to splash a little cash to try and wash the guilt away and rebalance my retail karma.

So while I was shopping for holiday shoes (post to come) and my weekend holdall on Spartoo, I took a little browse of the wallets. I knew what I was looking for in terms of functionality: I need a big wallet with plenty of room for cards, plus a fold out type layout if possible and a plenty roomy coin section. But other than that, well, no idea. I’d seen on Rachel’s blog that she’d bought herself a Vivienne Westwood beauty and in the sale I noticed that they’re going for a pretty attractive price. But I have to say that I love the colour pop that my current wallet brings. So now I face a dilemma.

There’s no debate that the Vivienne Westwood offerings are classic and ladylike. They remind me of peaking into my mum’s handbag when I was little and thinking I’d never reach the dizzy heights of glamour she existed in. These wallets are timeless, they look great in any handbag, on any occasion. Problem is though… they’re not really me. My style isn’t, and has never been, classic. I’m all about the novelty, the bold, the brash, and I think I have a few years left in me before I have to start making more sensible choices. I feel like since I turned 25 I’ve been subconsciously toning myself down. This makes me sad, so I’ve decided to fight back.

The D&G offering above is a lovely petrol blue, so a good compromise between functional and flashy. Both it and the Sabrina tan wallet look like they’re made from leather so buttery soft you’d want to, I don’t know, rub it on your face or something. The only problem with the D&G option is that it’s still a little pricey at £151.90. The Sabrina is a much more reasonable £60.99, but like the Westwood wallets, is tan just a little too grown up for me? Maybe.

I really like the mint green on the Nat & Nin pictured above, and it’s well within budget at £42.60. The inside looks roomy and I like the vintage inspired addition of the snap clasp on the coin section. It’s on trend and it feels a whole lot more Lil than the more classic options above. Both the orange Brontibay Paris wallet and the Red Carre Royal pictured are simple, colourful numbers, but while the former has a more feminine finish, the latter has a modern, functional look I really like. Both come in at under £90 too which is a bonus.

Readers, I’m still not sure what to go for. I do like the mint one but I think it may be a bit “busy” in design. I think I’m split between the Blue D&G wallet and the Red Carre Royal less formal choice. With the D&G coming in at almost 3 times the price though, can I really justify it? The jury’s still out.

What kind of wallet do you carry? Have you ever invested in a designer model? Is there certain criteria a wallet must meet before you’d consider buying it?

This post was written in partnership with Spartoo