The Small Accessory I Use the Most

If you don't have a card case, now is the time to buy one

The other day lyrics from famed song and one of the most iconic movie scenes, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”, popped into my head. Immediately I was transfixed to another time, sitting in my parents house when I was younger watching one of my dad’s favorite movies for the first time. I love that song, I love the memories it brings back, and for some reason when I thought of that song the other day it made me think of my life pre-pandemic. I think we’ve all found ourselves in a rut during different days and times during this pandemic, and I’ve found myself really just feeling blah the past week. So as those lyrics played through my mind (and though they are intended for a relationship losing its spark), I found myself agreeing that at this time in my life, I’ve lost that love for things of my past.

I miss the excitement changing out my bags brings me, which while I know is on the very low end of importance it’s still something that brought me such immense joy so many days of my life. I look at my bags now longing for days past, worried about life to come, and each of those bags still signifies a semblance of normalcy that I so desperately crave to have back. I do still use my bags, but less than before. On the days I need to run to the store, I opt for a small bag that’s easy to get in and out of. When I’m taking my kids to the beach or a park to run around, my tote has become a staple. The one accessory that I have found most integral to my new bag carrying ways is a card case.

And hear me out: the card case is an unsung hero of our bag collections. While a big continental zip wallet was my go-to for much of my daily carrying previously, I now find myself carrying a pouch or small bag with a long strap into a store and that only allows for a card case. I can easily reach for it, take out my card to pay, and get my card back in without much touching of other items and fumbling around. When I’m at the store now, my goal is to be as quick as possible without touching a bunch of items, and a card case allows for that. I’ve also run into a store with only my card case in my back pocket, as this is as seamless and easy as it comes.

While many brands offer a variety of card cases, some with zippered areas acting more as a wallet, the card case I think we should all have is the very simplistic one; the one that offers a few slots on the front and back and can transfer from bag to bag so easily. Card cases work for your small bags, your clutches, and can even just sit in your pocket safely when you run into a store. And for those reasons alone, the card case is the item that sits in the backseat of the designer accessory world but deservers far more praise.

I’ve been using the same card case for many years now: a pink crocodile skin case from Lambertson Truex. It has held up so well and the bright pop of color makes it easy to locate in my bag. Vlad has card cases from Bottega Veneta as well as Goyard. Both of his are incredibly nice as well, both are gifts from me (and they wound up being some of my best and most practical gifts I’ve ever given). I can speak to the quality of the cases I have, and there are plenty of options from other great brands as well. If you aren’t sure about adding a new bag to your collection, a card case might be exactly what your accessory game needs. Here are a handful of my favorite card cases right now.