What to carry, where to keep it

[The_Foxx]

Thought this might be an interesting topic. Myself, the mandatory items I make sure to carry whenever I'm in a jacket and tie--

+ Dress Pen, with silver, lacquer, or gold hardware
+ Silver lighter, heavy square model that doesn't lend well to most pockets because of it's weight (hidden waist pocket-- especially in Oxxford suits-- seems to be perfect for this purpose)
+ clean hank or kleenex in back pocket
+ slim wallet, inside left breast pocket
+ if at work, eyeglasses-- if not at work, a pocket hank (either one goes in breast pocket, for me)
+ cell phone-- I carry the sony ericsson T610, as folding phones don't seem to lend well to inside right breast pocket (to me, only Batman should wear a utility belt with attachments and gadgets). I think my next phone may be the Razr, once the price comes down a little.


Thoughts and other advice/ suggestions?

 

[imageWIS]

No wallet, silver or gold non-embellished money clip suits itself (no pun intended) better to a jacket than wallet I find.

Yes, the Motorola is one small phone. Probably the first sartorially inclined phone. I try to carry a handkerchief with a jacket is worn, but never in the chest pocket (to each his own), don't carry a lighter, since I have no use for one. Same goes with a pen, alas I have quite a few decent ones in my collection (Mountblanc, Montegrappa, Cartier, Omas, etc...) I will admit that they rarely see the light of day.

Jon.

 

[Tyto]

I don't habitually carry a lighter, but in addition to the other items you mention, I carry a money clip, usually in my left trouser pocket, and I carry my cell phone in the hidden waist pocket of my jacket.

If out on business, I'll keep a small leather card holder in my right breast pocket, or if I'm not wearing a pocket square, I'll keep the cards in my display pocket and my visor edge (think Palm Pilot, only thinner) in my right breast pocket.

Keys and change go in my right trouser pocket.

 

[mxb95]

Pocket square in outside left breast pocket
Very slim credit card/ID case in inside right breast pocket (no bulky, George Costanza-style wallet for me)
Pen in inside left breast pocket
Cell phone (Nokia 6560) in lower inside left pocket
Sterling silver money clip in front trouser pocket

 

[Ed13]

Pocket square in breast pocket.
Handkerchief in back trouser pocket.
Inside jacket pocket depends on # of pockets;
- always a billfold
- always a pen
If space allows;
- leather business card holder
- additional handkerchief
(one of these items may be placed in outside front jacket pocket)
Cell phone in outside front jacket pocket.
Keys and change split among front trouser pockets.

I carry two handkerchiefs in case I have used one and I need to offer the other to someone else. I can't give them the one I have blown my nose into and I will not allow good silk to be used as a snot rag.

 

[stache]

Sometimes I don't really have a place for the sunglasses.

 

[Urban Warrior]

This is part of my daily rotation: http://img151.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img1...erai0154lo.jpg

 

[kabert]

I like the James Bond thing UW. I try to go as minimalist as I can.... On work days, I carry:

-- very thin black croc credit card/biz card case (usually just 2 business cards, drivers license, Visa and Amex, and pic of my son).

-- A few other loose biz cards in blazer or suit pocket (I have them stashed in most of my suit/blazer coat pockets).

-- Car key (1) in jacket pocket.

-- loose cash in pants pocket (usually btw $30-$50 or so)

-- office key in pants pocket

I don't hang out much with anyone who smokes (can't smoke inside the office anyway), so a lighter would be useless for me.

 

[ken]

Surprised nobody carries a pocket knife. Nobody's ever wished they had a saw/lever/screwdriver/hole-punch before? A simple locking, single-blade knife can fill in for all these.

And, although I don't smoke, a lighter often comes in handy.

 

[bankerjon]

Always:

Gator card holder
Money clip
leather card holder (subway, corporate id, business cards)
one of 5 or so spyderco small folding pocket knives
2 pens (one fountain, one ball or rollerball)

and,

my nemesis (but trusted girl Friday) Treo 600...

Gots to get the suit pockets reinforced for the damn boat anchor phone...

 

[Carlo]

I would add....

A long and slim wallet. I carry mine in the inside breast pocket of my jacket. Simple reason - after selling on ebay for a few years I can absolutely, without reservation tell you that 99% of ruined suits are due to some yutz thinking his pants pockets are for stuffing. Oh, just to bug Ernest i'll mention that mine is brown alligator and has lasted for years.

WRT pens.... I have an unnatural love of fine writing instruments and have carried them all. The one that I've managed to keep for 5 years without losing was one given to me when I inked my first big deal back when i was in tech sales... it's a nice fat Aurora from Italy and the best part is that the lid screws on (doesn't leak in flight) and it is fat (nice if like me you have arthritis in the fingers and are basically a big gregarious oaf)

Other favorite accessories...
Good cigar case, flask and cigar lighter. Jill found me an exquisite flask covered in leather in Italy. When we travel I always b.tch about not being able to find a decent bourbon - not sure if her gift was out of love or exasperation. I can confirm that no matter how stressfult the day, 3 oz of fine Kentucky small batch bourbon, 6 ice cubes and an Arturo Fuente Hemingway 'short story' figurado will cure what ails ya in about 12 minutes.

 

[drizzt3117]

For me:

LV Taiga leather card case (as a wallet)
Samsung P735 cell phone
Keys
H&K USP .45 (optional)

 

[Carlo]

Oh. I forgetted one....

Back when I was travelling to a different city every day I spent WEEKS searching for the ideal laptop bag. I settled on a TUMI that had a few fabulous features:

1. It was huge - I pack like a chick
2. the back panel had a zipper at the bottom so you could slide it over the handle of your rollaboard.
3. I got 500L air miles with it before quittin that industry... Jill got another 250K before she left consulting to do our biz fulltime... bag still looks nearly perfect.

If you travel, invest in the ideal (for you) laptop bag... worth every penny.

 

[Nick M]

Emptying my jeans pockets now - besides the usual wallet, keys, etc. I have: LED keyring flashlight - tiny little thing, but as bright as a regular flashlight, comes in very handy; Leatherman Micra tool - also very handy, knife, scissors, screwdrivers, bottle opener; Lighter(s) - turns out I have two, a disposable and a half-size silver Zippo with an engraved floral pattern on the sides. Another non-smoker, but you'd be surprised how often the ability to make fire can be useful; Cell phone - the Motorola v3 Razr, coincidentally enough. Picked it up at the start of the year. The big screen is great, as is the crazy thinness, and the internal speakerphone is good for talking hands-free in the car. Minuses - the camera lens is a little vulnerable, considering it's not recessed into the phone, nor does it have a protective frame around it. Thus far, I've kept the adhesive plastic stuck to the outside, just in case...

 

[Urban Warrior]

Ken. did you check my link, pic of a custom modified emerson mini cqc-7 I carry...never without some kind of pocket knife...