Bearn.. full size or compact?

Yodabest

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Jan 1, 2016
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I posted a couple days ago about the color for a compact bearn and decided I’m going to wait for a pop color. Now I’m second guessing the size. I’d love any input on the full size vs compact Bearn wallet. I have seen them both in person, but could use help brainstorming!

My most used bags are a Evelyne 29, Halzan 31, and Jypsiere 28. In my bags I usually carry a pouch with my keys, hand sanitizer, and a calvi, and my phone is separate. The wallet would be in addition to those things. I have used a LV zippy and Chanel zip wallet in the past and found them too big and moved on to smaller wallets, although the Bearn is smaller than those. Anyone with experience, please chime in! :flowers:
 
Like you, I’ve always been a full size wallet girl but with a calvi, I found I don’t need a big wallet or really a wallet at all. I can fit about 8 cards (could probably fit more but don’t want to over do it) in my calvi plus a little bit of cash. I bought a compact bearn a few months ago and it’s plenty big on days I want to use a wallet.
 
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Like you, I’ve always been a full size wallet girl but with a calvi, I found I don’t need a big wallet or really a wallet at all. I can fit about 8 cards (could probably fit more but don’t want to over do it) in my calvi plus a little bit of cash. I bought a compact bearn a few months ago and it’s plenty big on days I want to use a wallet

I love my calvi, BUT, I realized for cards I use often they need to be easily seen and cash needs to be flat!
 
Got the tri-fold (smaller than the compact) earlier this year! Perfect size!

I remember a fellow tpf’er who recently got hers (it may be in the H purchase thread) and she slipped/hacked additional card holders into the slip pockets on either side… I thought it was brilliant!

Edit: it’s very similar in size to LV Victorine (maybe slightly thicker because of the hardware/strap)

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I suggest a compact. If you need more cards, you can carry a calvi. I regret not getting the compact because I do have some smaller bags that don't fit my wallet. I also find the standard takes up a fair amount of room in my Evelyne 29.

I love the ease of opening the classic bearns so the tri-fold did not work for me. It's a good option if you like that opening but keep in mind it's thicker than the standard wallet.
 
I posted a couple days ago about the color for a compact bearn and decided I’m going to wait for a pop color. Now I’m second guessing the size. I’d love any input on the full size vs compact Bearn wallet. I have seen them both in person, but could use help brainstorming!

My most used bags are a Evelyne 29, Halzan 31, and Jypsiere 28. In my bags I usually carry a pouch with my keys, hand sanitizer, and a calvi, and my phone is separate. The wallet would be in addition to those things. I have used a LV zippy and Chanel zip wallet in the past and found them too big and moved on to smaller wallets, although the Bearn is smaller than those. Anyone with experience, please chime in! :flowers:
Have you ever considered a compact silk’in wallet? I had the full sized Bearn and I didn’t like getting in and out of it quickly. I preferred the zip of the silk’in (and the smaller size). YMMV though!
 
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Got the tri-fold (smaller than the compact) earlier this year! Perfect size!

I remember a fellow tpf’er who recently got hers (it may be in the H purchase thread) and she slipped/hacked additional card holders into the slip pockets on either side… I thought it was brilliant!

Edit: it’s very similar in size to LV Victorine (maybe slightly thicker because of the hardware/strap)

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I think what I have is the victorine, actually. That looks like a really convenient size, isn’t that harder to come by than the compact? (And yes I know everything across the board is hard to come by these days) !
 
I suggest a compact. If you need more cards, you can carry a calvi. I regret not getting the compact because I do have some smaller bags that don't fit my wallet. I also find the standard takes up a fair amount of room in my Evelyne 29.

I love the ease of opening the classic bearns so the tri-fold did not work for me. It's a good option if you like that opening but keep in mind it's thicker than the standard wallet.
That is very good to know about the bearn taking up space in the Evie! Of my H bags, those see the most use so it would annoy me if the wallet took up too much room!
 
Have you ever considered a compact silk’in wallet? I had the full sized Bearn and I didn’t like getting in and out of it quickly. I preferred the zip of the silk’in (and the smaller size). YMMV though!
I did actually but I need to see my bills straight, not folded! (Part of why I love my calvi, but not as a replacement for a wallet!)
 
The full size bi-fold bearn wallet is the most classic and popular among H long wallet. You can check out the clubhouse thread.

What did you not like about the full size zipped wallets? It took up room in the purse? Or how it handled when taking things out, or the zipping action?
 
The full size bi-fold bearn wallet is the most classic and popular among H long wallet. You can check out the clubhouse thread.

What did you not like about the full size zipped wallets? It took up room in the purse? Or how it handled when taking things out, or the zipping action?
I thought I’d like the zip wallets but realized it took too long to get in and out and the LV zippy in particular seemed cumbersome to me. The Chanel was slightly sleeker, but neither are wallets I used very long.

I’m most drawn to the appearance of the full size bearn, but may prefer the functionality of the compact, which is why I’m torn.
 
If I may weigh in....I've been carrying a full-sized bearn for over 10 years. Originally orange epsom, then replaced by violet lizard. At this point my lizard bearn is pretty worn, and I was looking to replace it. After tons of research and thread-studying, I decided to search for a smaller one. The long one is VERY convenient for me, but it's rather large for some of the bags I like to carry and I don't always want to carry ALL of my cards with me, and I hate switching wallets. I started putting lesser-used cards into other SLGs and searching for the smaller. None were available on line and I am not near a store, and when I had the chance to get a Calvi online I jumped on it to see how I'd use it. I love it. It holds my essentials, and the extra cards etc I'll put in something else and if I can get a small bearn that will do. In a nutshell, I don't think I'll go back to a full-sized bearn.


Edited: I don't know how many times I have to go back and fix because autocorrect keeps changing bearn to "beard"!
 
I had been using a compact bearn for as long as I can remember - that together with a calvi. Prior to that, I used to have a long wallet and while that had been pretty useful too, I find the compact bearn and calvi easier to use and fit in smaller bags. Honestly though, I could go just with the calvi since I don't carry cash and that happens most of the time.
 
I have the bearn wallet with a gusset in bordeaux & mykonos blue which I alternate (spring/summer
fall/winter)
I also carry a 35 Kelly as well as other larger size bags where there is no "fit" problem.
If size is an issue I would explore the other options as suggested, but really at the end of the
day the bearn is a beautiful wallet that will wear well & hold all of your daily essentials
There are times if I have to do an errand quickly, I will just carry my bearn which I did
throughout covid
And I do like the pop of color in my bag as the wallet is easy to identify
 
I thought I’d like the zip wallets but realized it took too long to get in and out and the LV zippy in particular seemed cumbersome to me. The Chanel was slightly sleeker, but neither are wallets I used very long.

I’m most drawn to the appearance of the full size bearn, but may prefer the functionality of the compact, which is why I’m torn.

Bearn is very easy to use. The bi-fold would take up less space than the tri-fold version. I just prefer full size wallet. I'd use a card holder like Calvi if space is limited.