This Small and Stylish Wallet Keeps My Dual-Country Lifestyle Organized

The whimsical wallet-pouch from 2014. Photo: Morgane Croissant

I used my woolen pouch for 10 long years, and during that time, I received countless compliments from cashiers the world over. “How cute! Did you make it yourself?”, is the remark I got the most. While I was honest about its maker and my lack of talent with a needle, I never told them that despite being adorable, that pouch was the bane of my existence. Because it had no compartment whatsoever, all my cards and bills were mixed together in one big mess, making it impossible to find my American Express in a hurry. Also, I had to slip two little coin purses inside of it to keep both my Canadian dollars and Euros contained and separated, adding some bulk to the already hefty object. But the worst part was the fact that its closing button was just for show. The pouch would open and spill its content throughout my bag just about every single time I went out.

As part of my anti-overconsumption mindset, I like to use things until they are completely falling apart, but when I tried mending the unraveling button hole of the pouch for the fifth time, I decided it was time to give it up and find something more suitable.

Because I spend three to four months of the years in France and the rest in Canada or traveling, I have a lot of stuff to fit in my wallet, and a lot of it needs to be separated: cards, coins, bills. Also, unlike my colleagues, I’m not a minimalist and I like to keep knickknacks and keepsakes so my wallet (or whatever passes for it) needs to be on the bigger side — or so I thought.

Mom’s lovely present. Photos: Morgane Croissant

On my last visit to France, my lovely mother, aware of my wallet situation and well acquainted to my twee, granny tastes, got me a soft, quilted-fabric pocketbook with two zipped pockets. Here was the solution to all my problems: I could separate everything properly and nothing would ever fall out. Unfortunately, after tidying up all my stuff into it, it quickly became apparent that it was much too small to contain my dual-country lifestyle. I tried to make it work for a few weeks, but I was concerned that the zippers would break from the bulk of all the things I stuffed into it.

I was back to square one.

As fate would have it, however, a couple of days later, the good people at Fjällräven made me an offer I could not refuse: Testing out the Norrväge Wallet, a classic-looking wallet made of recycled wool. It took me less than five second to say accept. The stars were aligning and my coins were finally going to find their forever home.

Photos: Morgane Croissant

Fjällräven’s Norrväge Wallet is on the small side, but its clever design with four large card slots and a coin compartment allows for much more room than I previously anticipated, as well as for good organization. The card slots are big enough to hold multiple cards (up to seven as to my test), the middle section is the perfect spot for bills and receipts, and the coin compartment, while too small to my taste, is located away from the rest and zipped, preventing any spillage.

Photos: Morgane Croissant

What I like the most about Fjällräven’s Norrväge Wallet, however, is the fact that it’s made of recycled wool. It’s not only a good use of fibers that would otherwise end up in landfills, but it also looks beautiful and feels robust and durable. Like any brushed wool products, it tends to attracts a little dust and fuzz but that doesn’t take away from its looks.

The Norrväge Wallet, much like many other products from Fjällräven, is a candidate for the brand’s Lifetime Repairs program, so if the zipper breaks or the push button gives up on me, I can make my way to any Fjällräven Brand Center and get it fixed. If a hole appears in the wool, I can use the repair patch that came with the wallet.

Photos: Morgane Croissant

Fjällräven’s Norrväge Wallet only comes in two colors: gray and night-skye blue. I have the blue version, and while it’s a lovely hue, I would be happy to see a larger variety of shade on offers to match more people’s preferences. The brand’s other wallets come in many more colors, including mustard yellow and olive green, both of which are very attractive.

Photos: Morgane Croissant

I thoroughly enjoy the brand’s subtle efforts to make this item special despite its simplicty, namely adding Fjällräven’s signature fox-shaped leather patch on the front and the discreet Norwegian flag along the seams. Both the solid push button on the front, and the metal zipper tab on the back, feature the same, very cute, curled-up fox for a coherent branded look.

Photos: Morgane Croissant

• Capacity: Holds up to 28 cards, several bills and receipts, and a handful of coins
• Dimensions: 3.73″ (H) x 4.9″ (W) X O.5″ (D)
• Weight: 2.6 ounces
• Materials: exterior is 80 percent wool, 20 percent polyamide; interior is 65 percent polyester and 35 percent cotton
• Details: Unisex
• Price: $60

Despite all its qualities, however, it was clear from the start that I could not fit both my Canadian and French belongings in Fjällräven’s Norrväge Wallet. Therefore, I opted to keep the French items in the quilted pocketbook kindly gift to me by my mom, and have all my Canadian stuff in my brand new Fjällräven wallet. It turned out to be a compromise I should have made a long time ago, but now I have two beautiful and spillage-free wallet to do it.

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