Trawling through online leather goods specialists to find the perfect purse can be an extremely confusing task. Typically you’ll be a given a few bullet points of information about each purse such as the dimensions, the type of leather and whether it’s double flap, matinee or a card holder purse. But what do all these different terms mean? At Just4Leather we give you the lowdown on the different styles of ladies’ purses helping you to make the right choice for your individual needs.
Coin Purse
Coin purses are the simplest kind of purse available. They consist of a leather or fabric pouch that fastens either with a zip or a metal clasp and are ideal for carrying a large amount of coins but not for cards or notes. This makes them great for taking on holiday when you need lots of small change for ice creams, postcards, parking etc. Small coin purses, especially those that come on a key chain are also good for carrying inside a clutch on a night out. Instead of carrying a bulky purse and jangle of keys, or even letting them slide around in your clutch you can safely fill your coin purse with the cash and cards you need for the evening and attach your house key to the outside.
Mywalit gypsy rose coin purse (£22.99) Harness Union Jack coin purse (£11.99)
Trifold purse
Trifold purses either fold in half but have an extra flap or fold three times. Trifold purses are generally neat and compact and great for carrying in small handbags. Trifold purses often feature a clear ID-window suitable for a driving license or photos.
Fossil popstitch raspberry purse (£30)
Cardholder purse
Cardholder purses are specifically designed to hold a large number of cards, as the name suggests. This doesn’t mean, however, that they don’t accommodate notes and coins too. Many cardholder purses also feature pouches for notes and coin pouches or zipped pockets. However, those that don’t are either like an accordion or a basic men’s wallet in design.
Saddler cardholder purse (£15.99)
Prime Hide cardholder purse (£15.99)
Double Flap Purse
A double flap purse is literally a purse with two flaps. They come in a range of different designs but typically have a flap on each side when closed. The flaps then open out to reveal various card slots and ID windows and a central zipped compartment.
Prime Hide double falp purse (£15.99)
Zip around purse
A zip around purse has a zip that goes all around 3 sides of the purse. They typically open up to reveal card slots and ID-windows and have a zipped pouch for coins on the reverse. Zip around purses are ideal for those who like extra security for their cards.
Hansson zip around purse (£44.99)
Matinee Purse
Matinee purses come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours but they have a number of key features in common. A typical matinee purse opens like a book. On one side there are card slots and often also an ID pouch. The number of these will depend very much on the size of the purse. On the other side of the purse is a zipped coin purse that folds out like a concertina. There may also be further pouches and pockets on this side and another zipped section on the back. Because of the large coin purse that is integral to the design, the typical matinee purse is longer than other ladies’ purses so that notes can be slipped in vertically, either inside the concertina coin purse or in a pouch just behind it. Matinee purses are ideal for carrying lots of change in that the concertina shape allows you to see at a glance and access quickly exactly what you need and have the added advantage of card slots. There really is no better style for an everyday purse!
Mywalit Matinee Jamaica purse (£60)
To view our full range of stylish ladies' leather purses, click here.