Getting your life in order doesn’t have to be a drag. In fact, it’s one of the simplest ways to work on a spot of self improvement. If your personal spaces are neat and tidy, your mind will be clearer. And if your mind is clearer, you’ll feel better in yourself. Simple.
As a style-conscious guy, you’ll be pleased to know there are all sorts of aesthetically pleasing and thoughtfully designed products waiting in the wings to help you achieve organisational nirvana. We’re talking space-saving, clutter-clearing tools and receptacles that are easy on the eye to elevate your personal style and living space rather than drag them down.
Watches shoved haphazardly into a sock draw? Desk looking like a hand grenade went off in a pencil case? Sick of arriving at every business trip destination with a crumpled mess of a suit? Don’t worry. We’ve got you.
Here’s everything you need to get your sh*t together the Ape way.
Watch Roll
If you’ve spent the time and money to get yourself a nice watch or two, it’s worth spending a relative fraction more to give them somewhere suitable to live. That vintage Omega deserves better than being left out on a bedside table to gather dust when not decorating your wrist, and that Rolex certainly shouldn’t be sharing a drawer with your pants… clean or not.
The solution? A watch roll.
Often made from leather with a soft, velvety lining, these containers usually hold three to four watches. They fold shut to keep dust out and protect your timepieces from scuffs and scratches, and they look much better than having your watches strewn all around the place.
You can get something cheap but functional from Amazon for around £30, or you can pay significantly more for a luxury leather version from a big-name brand. Omega, for example, offers a two-watch leather case for £260.
Passport Wallet
You need to keep your passport in good condition for 10 years. That’s not easy if you’re a frequent flyer. Getting that little booklet in and out of bags constantly, invariably in a hurry, can quickly lead to it becoming dog-eared, torn and needing replacing prematurely. Keeping it in a passport wallet is a great way to avoid this.
Passport wallets look a little more stylish too. They’re often made from leather, and many feature card slots so that you can keep all of your valuables organised in one convenient place while travelling. Some even come in gift sets with matching luggage tags.
In our opinion, Smythson makes some of the best in the game. Check out Aspinal of London and Bellroy too.
Card Holder
They say cash is king, but every monarch’s reign must come to an end eventually. More and more businesses are going card-only, and carrying notes is becoming increasingly unnecessary. This makes now a good time to streamline your pockets and switch your cumbersome wallet for something a bit more low profile.
A cardholder is our favourite way of organising our money on the go. It has just enough room for a few cards and an emergency note or two, making it much slimmer than a traditional billfold wallet. This means it’ll slip neatly into a trouser pocket or even that of a suit jacket without spoiling the lines of the garment.
Go for leather to get the most for your money.
Desk Tidy
How can you expect to be focused and productive at work if your desk looks like a landfill site? A bit of organisation will help keep your workplace clutter-free so that you can concentrate on your work rather than get distracted by the mess around you.
Desk tidies come in various forms. They can be little pots for sorting pens, pencils and the like, or they can be fancy trays for organising documents. Sometimes they’re a combination of the two.
Most retailers specialising in design-led homeware will have an office section where you can pick up a cool desk tidy to sort your papers and stationery.
Classic leather options, like those made by Lucrin, are available, or you could go for something more contemporary, such as Hem’s wooden ‘Gemma’ box.
Dopp Kit
We see you, stuffing your toothbrush, beard trimmer and contact lenses into a plastic sandwich bag at the very last minute before leaving for the airport. Needless to say, this is not the best method of transporting toiletries, nor is it the most hygienic. This is where a dopp kit comes in handy.
A dopp kit is a small zip-up bag designed to carry grooming essentials when you travel. It’s just the right size for things like a razor, toothbrush and aftershave, and most have a few compartments inside to keep things organised and separated from each other.
You can pick one up for next to nothing, but if you want something stylish and well-made, take a look at brands such as Bennett Winch, Filson and Smythson.
Folio
If you use a tablet, a folio case is a great way to protect it when you’re on the go. They look smart, and they keep screens protected from damage whether you’re carrying the tablet on your own or transporting it in a bag.
A good folio case will have a clip to secure your tablet, a folding design to keep the screen covered when it’s not in use, and some will also have a built-in stand so that you can prop your tablet up hands-free.
Suit Carrier
Even the most stunningly tailored high-end suit will look like trash if it’s been stuffed into a sweaty holdall for several hours. Creased and crumpled aren’t two adjectives that should ever be used to describe your smartest outfit.
To keep things pristine, a suit carrier is the way to go. These specially designed bags incorporate a hanger, include pockets for accessories, and zip up at the front to keep dirt and dust out. Most of them fold in two, making them easier to transport while keeping the garments crease-free within.
If you often travel for work, a good suit carrier is a must. Expect to pay somewhere around the £100 mark for something fairly basic and anywhere up to £1,000 for a fancy one from a high-end luggage brand.
Valet Tray
You know those bits and bobs you have lying around that make things look messy but don’t really belong anywhere in particular? Well, why not give them a home?
A valet tray is a neat and convenient place to put loose odds and ends—things like spare change, receipts, jewellery and reading glasses.
It’s the perfect organisational solution for a bedside table, dresser or kitchen counter, keeping everything sorted in a stylish manner.
Cool Box
Up your beach game by ditching the tote bag and arming yourself with something that actually keeps your lunch and drinks cold. A cool box may seem like an unnecessary luxury to some, but if you spend a lot of time outside, then it’s money well spent.
Sure, they take up a lot of space, but if you get a ‘cool’ cool box, you can easily work it into your living space so that it looks intentional and not just like more clutter.
Our favourite brands are Yeti and Dometic, both of which make great quality products in some nice bold colour options.
