Neck Wallet
Portable shirt pocket
Since I switched from dress shirts a few years ago to polo shirts without pockets, I’ve been forced to find a better place for my pen and misc items I like to keep up close and handy. I settled on neck wallets, which come in various colors and cost about five dollars. (I’ll buy a new one perhaps every six months, so I have five or six colors, partly for variety, partly because they wear, and partly to avoid looking *too* geeky. I give myself extra points when the color matches my shirt or the school colors of the high school where I’m substitute teaching.)
I always keep a pen, a pencil, my cellphone, a little booklet, and a few cards: ID, charge card, a few discount cards. On days when I work, I put my work ID in the front-most plastic sleeve to display. Sometimes I customize by stripping of zippers or cutting away the side pencil holder. I stuff store receipts up front with my cards until the end of the day. Sometimes I’ve kept a few pills or toothpicks up front, too. I prefer to keep the front (shorter) compartment zipped partially shut, over my cards, with just enough open for the pen and pencil to protrude.
Comfort: I have to carefully set the cord length, and it’s uncomfortable with collar-less shirts. When I’m relaxing the weight annoys me (with my cell phone), so I lay it down when I’m in a restaurant, but I had one stolen once, so I’ve learned to keep an eye on it. I think most buyers use them for passports and travel cash they want to keep under their clothing. I’ve never seen anyone use it like me, as a front pocket replacement, slightly ungainly but controllable and secure.
12/28/16Neck Wallet ($6)
