The second group is for people who need more than cards. This group really does run from compact to continental, and only some of these name their shape: the GG leather bifold wallet in black says bifold, and the GG Marmont continental wallet says continental. The rest go by size words such as small or mini.

The Marmont line is the center of this group, and it has a good story. Woman & Home says Alessandro Michele launched the Marmont collection in 2016, with double G hardware inspired by an archival Gucci belt from the 1970s. A second source adds that the name comes from the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. So when you see the GG Marmont leather wallet in black, the GG Marmont Small leather wallet in brown, or the GG Marmont Mini leather-trimmed wallet in pink, you are looking at that belt's double G hardware on a wallet.

I would break the Marmont pieces down by size word. Mini and Small are for pockets and little bags: the Marmont Mini wallet, the GG Marmont small wallet and the Double G Mini leather wallet in black. The GG Marmont leather-trimmed wallet in beige and the GG Marmont chevron logo wallet sit in the middle, and the GG Marmont continental wallet is the biggest of the family.

Ophidia is the other path: the Ophidia Small GG leather-trimmed wallet in beige and the Ophidia leather-trimmed wallet in beige. The Essence GG canvas wallet in beige, the Small wallet with Web, the Horsebit leather wallet and the GG Supreme Horsebit wallet finish the group.

How to test: hold it next to your phone. If you want the phone and the wallet in one hand, the smaller names are your answer. If you carry a few receipts and a key, look at the bigger ones.

Then there is the third group, wallets on a chain. These are wallets first and very small bags second, and I love them for evenings when a real bag feels like too much. They hold the essentials, usually a card or two, a lip balm and a key, and a phone only if it is a small one. Try it before you decide: put your phone in, and if the wallet will not close flat, you have your answer.

Horsebit is the star here, and it appears four times. The Horsebit leather wallet on chain in black and the one in white are the same idea in opposite moods: black for jeans and a blazer, white for a slip dress or a summer linen set. The Horsebit GG Canvas wallet on chain in brown is softer and more casual, and the Horsebit chain-strap wallet is the extra option in the family.

The GG Marmont pieces repeat the double G hardware that Woman & Home ties to a 1970s archival belt. The GG Marmont wallet on chain in pink is the playful one, the GG Petite Marmont leather wallet on chain in black is the easy everyday option, and the GG Marmont Petite leather wallet on chain in burgundy is my pick for fall, especially with a camel coat. The Dionysus GG canvas wallet on chain in beige is the one with its own name, so it is worth a second glance.

What I would skip: a chain wallet as your only bag on a day you carry a lot. It is a small bag, and it will not forgive a charger, a water bottle and a book. Also skip wearing it long and low on a heavy knit that tugs at the chain, and try the strap length in the mirror first.

Here is how I would pick. Start with what you carry on a normal day, not the day you imagine. If it is cards and a key, take a card case. If it is cards, cash, receipts and a coin pouch, take a wallet.

Then pick the code you like. The monogram canvas is the classic, the Web stripe has that saddle-strap story from the 1950s, and Horsebit is the one named for the hardware. Color is the last step. Black goes with everything, beige is the easy choice with denim and a trench, and the pink and burgundy ones are for the days you want a small accent.

One last test: open it once in the store light and once in daylight, and check how the closure feels with one hand. A wallet you use every day should be easy to open when you are standing in line with a coffee. That is all I look for, and it has never let me down.