Black and silver companion wallet

Open it and the pattern takes over

From the outside this is a quiet accessory. Lift the flap and you find the inner panel that holds the cheque book lined edge to edge with a fan print in white, grey and ochre, a small scalloped motif that nobody else is ever going to see. Nothing about the front hints at it. If you like that trick of a plain shell over a printed interior, wallets with a patterned lining in the same aisle play the same game in other colours.

Three bands on the front: black, glitter, washed grey

The front panel is built in three horizontal bands: grained black synthetic along the top where the zip runs, a silver glitter strip through the middle, and washed anthracite canvas filling the lower half. A stitched tab sits upright in the centre and folds over to hold everything shut. Turn the wallet over and the back is plain canvas, with a single zip pull engraved with a letter M and a small star.

A long companion wallet measuring 19 x 12 cm

At 19 x 12 cm it belongs to the long-wallet family rather than the pocket-sized one. That length is what lets notes lie out straight and what makes the difference when you are standing at a till with a queue behind you. It also sets the limit: a handbag or a deep coat pocket will take it, a back pocket will not.

Card slots, cheque book panel and two zipped pockets

The card slots are stacked in a single stepped row, so each card sits slightly below the one above and you read the whole set at once. Behind them runs a wide flat section for notes and folded paperwork. The two zipped side pockets run along the long edges and hold coins, receipts and a spare key so that none of it works loose inside the wallet. If you would rather keep change out of the way altogether, the change-only formats next door are sold on their own.

The wrist strap, and keeping it looking new

The strap is short on purpose: two fingers through it and the wallet travels with you to the corner shop without a bag. For cleaning, a barely damp cloth over the canvas and the grained panel is enough; leave the wallet to dry flat rather than on a radiator. Keep a dry cloth for the glitter band, and rub it as little as you can.