How to Level Up Your Career And Your Life With Everyday Carry
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The featured picture is sourced from Unsplash member Zarak Khan.
Everyone knows it’s important to make a great first impression, but I’m fairly certain no one thinks about the second impression, or the third, or even the tenth, twentieth and beyond.
Haven’t we all faced a situation where our date sounded great over the first dinner, but quickly became someone else entirely? What about the supposedly rock-star employee who had all the answers during the interview but refused to work with the team?
It’s one thing to try hard once, it’s completely another to bring your A-game each and every time, so in my view the line between “making a good first impression” and “fooling someone” is thin. For me, the later ways you present yourself are just as important - if not more - than the first, consistency being a highly desirable attribute in any setting.
The great news I have for you is that you can project this consistency (among other positive qualities) and reap all the rewards that come with it, by indulging some of the passions that lead you to this site daily, particularly those associated with Everyday Carry, or EDC.
If you’re here you likely know what this is, but here’s a quick primer if not. The practice of EDC is curating the things you have with you and on you every day, in such a way that you can efficiently handle the various tasks you might face. Everyone always has some measure of “stuff” on them, but ultimately it’s the consideration that goes into that stuff that makes it “EDC”.
That consideration is also what makes everyday carry such a potent way of making yourself look good: the more you carry around nice things, the more you use them, and the more you enjoy the reputation of being a solid “go-to” guy who does everything thoughtfully. Then, the more you can enjoy the associated benefits!
With that out of the way, let’s get you on the path to a great 100th impression. I’ve offered my picks for several budgets, but remember that once you have an idea of what you like, there can be some stunning deals out there if you’re willing to do some searching on online marketplaces.
A briefcase
If you manage to get yourself a Frank Clegg Commuter briefcase (or any other model from the brand), you’re set for life (Image source: www.frankcleggleatherworks.com).
When I was an analyst, just starting out, my father gave me an old Dell laptop bag he had lying around. It wasn’t attractive, it wasn’t high quality, but I didn’t have much money of my own so I was grateful to have it. Still, it made me look exactly like what I was: a junior analyst.
Trying to portray myself as something beyond that led me to upgrade dramatically; that mania has since stuck with me, as I’ve amassed a large collection of briefcases in the years since.
Now, you don’t need a bag for every day of the week, you just need one good one. I may make some of you angry when I say this, but avoid getting a backpack. Yes, backpacks are very useful on hikes and in airports, and I know that we may spend far less time in offices going forward. The reality though is that when you do go in, a backpack will absolutely make you look like a junior analyst, or generally someone who’s not on track for the boardroom (I can already hear the possible objections…if you are the CEO of a tech firm, carry on with your backpack and the satisfaction that you are far richer than me).
Going beyond the association with grade school, backpacks defeat you immediately in your goal of projecting considered curation: the larger the backpack, the more you’ll want to put in it!
Fair warning, even at the various prices below, there’s nothing I would call “cheap”, because a cheap bag will always look like a cheap bag. Save your pennies if you have to and again, do some exploring in the online marketplaces!
Affordable option #1: Filson Rugged Twill Briefcase
Affordable option #2: Stuart and Lau Cary Briefcase
Next level: Linjer Soft Briefcase
Boardroom-ready: Frank Clegg Commuter Briefcase
A journal
The Smythson Panama Soho notebook is expensive, but it packs a punch (Image source: www.theprojectgarments.com).
This is a great example of a case where buying high quality accessories can contribute to developing positive behaviors.
When you go into a meeting, surely you don’t walk in with your hands in your pockets or empty-handed (right?). While you could just carry in a legal pad or something similar, my experience is that these tend to look tattered pretty quickly.
If you opt for something more upscale and carry it into meetings consistently, you’ll telegraph that you are present and ready to contribute. Even more importantly, carrying a nice notebook around will make you actually want to use it, and then you’ll be the one taking notes that everyone talks to when they need a recap.
Downright cheap: Moleskine Cahiers 3-pack
Affordable: Moleskine Classic Notebook
Boardroom-ready: Smythson Soho Notebook
A pen
The Parker Jotter is a phenomenal writing instrument, it feels great and looks fantastic; you won’t believe how much you get for so little (Image source: www.amazon.fr)
The principle here is the same as above: you could just raid the supply closet, but why not opt for something higher quality to demonstrate that you take things a step further? And, of course, the more you like what you carry, the more you’ll want to use it, thus setting in motion a range of potentially life changing activities: the above-mentioned note-taking, daily journaling, and perhaps even handwriting notes to your special someone.
The world of pens is enormous, and while you may want to up your game even further to fountain pens at some point, I’ve found that a nice ballpoint or rollerball option works best for office and day-to-day carry.
Classic #1: Fisher Bullet Space Pen
Classic #2: Parker Jotter (opt for this one over the Space Pen for long writing sessions)
Boardroom-ready: Diplomat Esteem
A card case
You may not have heard of Il Bussetto, but they offer a very well done set of leather goods, with their own distinctive style, for an attainable price (Image source: www.harold-paris.com).
I’m willing to leave a little wiggle room in the briefcase vs. backpack discussion, but will not budge a single inch when I say no one should ever opt for a wallet over a card case.
I’ll grant you that a luxury wallet can look stunning in a store’s display case, with its huge panels of leather, but aesthetic considerations go out the window as soon as it goes in your pocket. A bi-fold is already large to start with, and then, just like with backpacks, the more you can put in, the more you will put in. With a card case, you are forced to pare down to the essentials, and for you bi-folders, you can still fit a few bills.
The card case is actually my favorite part of my everyday carry, because it’s where you can cheat a little on the goal of being consistent. There are just so many options out there that it’s really easy to have one for, say, Spring and Summer, and another for Fall and Winter.
Plus, the price of a card case is usually not heart-stopping (I wouldn’t say “cheap”), so if you want to own a piece of, say, the Tom Ford magic without dropping several mortgage payments on a suit, you can do it with a Tom Ford card case. Trust me, when you pull that out after a dinner date - the first or tenth - you’ll make an impression.
Affordable: Herschel Charlie
Next level #1: Pioneer Molecule
Next level #2: Il Bussetto card holder
Boardroom-ready: Tom Ford card holder
A watch
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 is a fantastic watch but some might find it a bit too large and attention-grabbing. If you agree, the Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic 38 mm provides very different vibes but could still almost be the last watch you’ll ever buy (Image source: www.lepage.fr).
Not an Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin…an actual, proper watch. Sure, the gadgets tell time and are great for the gym, but that’s what they are: gadgets. Plus, they are so common now that to wear one would defeat our intended purpose of subtly standing out.
A “proper” watch can cost a fortune, but then again, it doesn’t have to, given the abundance of choice in the market. Also, when you consider the cost of having to upgrade your gadget every year or two (not to mention the aggregate destruction that type of waste does to the environment), the watch doesn’t seem like such a terrible deal at all.
I won’t go into the nuances of quartz versus mechanical versus automatic. In short, if you want “set it and forget it” convenience, opt for quartz, if you are after something with the potential to last longer, opt for mechanical or automatic (though be aware you’ll incur a service cost every 5-10 years to keep the mechanism running in top shape).
Affordable automatic: Swatch Sistem51 x Hodinkee
Quartz go-to: Timex Expedition North Field
Last watch you’ll ever need: Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
A flashlight
I love my Olight flashlight because it’s quite powerful for its size, and because it’s so small it fits perfectly into my jeans’ fifth pocket (Image source: bhpphotovideo.com).
Now we’re starting to get a little more fanciful, but believe it or not there are times you’ll wish you had one (it’s then you’ll realize your smartphone’s built-in option is not nearly as powerful as you thought).
In everyday carry, there are tools for literally every “what-if” scenario you can think of, but you have to resist the urge to acquire them all because the goal is to strike that perfect balance of preparedness and efficiency. That said, with flashlights, some options are so small nowadays that you can be prepared for that hypothetical need with little cost in terms of added bulk.
Furthermore, it’s usually in these less-frequent times of need that we can stand out the most. For instance, if a colleague loses something down the back of their cubicle, and you pull out your tiny-but-mighty flashlight you just happen to have on you to help retrieve it, you’ll make a lasting impression.
I don’t have options to offer here, because this OLight I use regularly is very compact, it works well, and won’t break the bank (it’s hard to suggest anything else!).
A Swiss Army Knife
For the money, the Victorinox Huntsman Swiss Army knife could be the most versatile multi-tool out there (provided you’re allowed to carry one in your country) (Image source: www.amazon.fr).
The everyday carry community is home to several sub-groups, one of which is knives. Two common refrains among knife enthusiasts are that “a knife is the most useful tool you can carry” and “you’ll use a knife multiple times every day.”
Frankly…
I just don’t buy that. In an office setting especially, the person carrying around the latest tanto-blade flipper has a good chance of being known as “that guy with the knife”, and that’s not who you want to be!
A Swiss Army Knife is completely different. First, to me the knife is almost secondary these days, I prefer to think of this more as a multi-tool with some cutting implements. Second, a Swiss Army Knife is so common-place that it will barely raise an eyebrow wherever you carry it (though keep in mind that depending on where you live, it may still be illegal). Third, it is a truly, truly well-built and useful thing to have with you; I really do use mine several times a day, and some days I’ve even used all of the functions on my own Rambler model.
Trust me, when you pull this out to tighten a loose screw on a chair, the person you’re continually trying to impress (because relationships require showing up every day…) will be, well, impressed. Your life will actually also be improved because you can address these types of small-but-annoying problems immediately, rather than putting them off until you have a tool in-hand.
Victorinox, the maker of Swiss Army Knives, still manufactures them in Switzerland and offers a ton of options. I recommend anything from the Alox line for a luxe look and feel, though you will lose out on the toothpick and tweezers (more useful than you might imagine), so if you go that route opt for a non-Alox Classic SD as well.
Bonus #1: A lighter
Do you need a lighter as expensive as the S.T. Dupont Ligne 2? Of course not. Will you lust after one once you’ve held it in your hand? Absolutely (Image source: www.amazon.fr).
Other than smoking (which I don’t condone at all), it’s hard to think of a realistic reason you’d want this on you at all times. But, you never know, and a Zippo is a beautiful thing to carry around (it’s also a huge canvas for engraving or stamping).
If a Zippo is too large for you, try a Japanese Tsubota Pearl Stick Lighter, and of course the classic Bic is an option, but I recommend pairing it with a leather case, like this one from Will Leather Goods (you can also buy one for your Zippo).
Finally, if money is no object you want a lighter from S.T. Dupont. Not only are they beautifully made, but also the distinctive “cling” sound you hear when you open and close it makes this tool one of the most satisfying fidget toys you can carry with you (just make sure those around you appreciate that “cling” sound as well!). The classic S.T. Dupont lighers are also available in a smaller keychain format.
Bonus #2: Jewelry and accessories
If you thought Tiffany only offered jewelry for women, think again. Though a woman could absolutely wear this Tiffany Venetian Link ID bracelet, it is classified as a men’s bracelet and I can attest that it looks great on my wrist (Image source: www.tiffany.com).
If you know what you’re doing when it comes to clothing and accessories, here’s where you can prove it and really stand out, seemingly effortlessly. That said, this is the one category where there is no margin for error: do it well and become the office badass (and radiate charisma in a social setting), do it poorly and just look…weird.
What you wear is quite personal and if you’re able to pull off accessories, you don’t need my recommendations because you’re already rocking your own.
Still, I’ll share my own choices, which I find relatively safe. If you’re looking to explore the deep-end of everyday carry, you can’t go too wrong with similar items:
A university ring (less relevant if you went to university outside the US, but you could substitute a signet ring).
A ring I bought off Etsy with a Southwestern theme. When I left Texas to go back to Europe I thought this would be a good memento, and the scene on the ring is evocative of a story (Where is the cowboy going? What is he doing?). Note that I don’t wear both rings together, it’s one or the other on my right ring finger.
A Tiffany sterling silver ID bracelet, which I had engraved.
It takes time to build your everyday carry, and your image
Like everything in life, cultivating a positive image takes time and consistent work. The acquisition itself of your everyday carry should take time as well, because it’s always better to save up for quality than to buy something simply because you’re in a bind and it’s presently affordable. I’d be hard-pressed to call this “work” though, and the journey is arguably way more fun than the destination.
What does your everyday carry look like? Have you enjoyed any benefits (beyond just being prepared to manage various tasks) as a result of your everyday carry?
Let me know in the comments!