Susan's Place Transgender Resources

How did you do it? I've lived for about 24 years as female and one thing I have to say is useful is how girls carry purses. I don't leave home without my wallet, keys, phone, MP3 player and maybe chap stick and gum. And it all fits neatly in my bag.

But I don't like carrying the bag itself and Lord knows it doesn't help me pass. So my question to transguys: How do carry the stuff you need in day to day life without a purse? Do you just take advantage of the deep pockets mens clothing seems to have or use something more masculine like a messenger bag? Sorry if this has come up before but I couldn't find it.

Quote from: Antagonist on December 23, 2013, 05:53:09 PM
How did you do it? I've lived for about 24 years as female and one thing I have to say is useful is how girls carry purses. I don't leave home without my wallet, keys, phone, MP3 player and maybe chap stick and gum.

I just wanted to chime in here because I thought this was amusing in a way. I always would carry only a small women's wallet. Which is a harder to find item than most since most women's wallets are friggin huge since they are usually carried in purses. Well, now that I have finally began using a cell phone and MP3 Player (with real headphones. Earbuds suck.) I am thinking about getting a decent purse. The pockets on most women's jeans are way too small to carry much at all and it is beginning to become a problem.

I'm a pocket pack rat. I own a lot of clothing that have pockets in them. You maybe find some nice cargo pants and place things in your pockets. For the pockets I'd keep money in a rubber band (only carry the amount you really need and maybe an emergency 20 in a  hidden pocket) Cell phone goes in pocket MP3 player if you have a nice jacket (im not sure of your weather) you could carry it in your inside coat pocket with extra long head phones. And the other misc items could go in your cargo pockets. Eventually it's down to carrying your neccessities and making sure they are secure.

[addition] There's a store online I got my men's clothing that have generous pockets and they also have a women's store. If you're really casual dresser you could check it out. It's called Duluth Traders.

I've seen the Duluth Traders catalogue, they make wallets and stuff out of firehose. They're indestructible.

This is me speaking in guy mode... I use a small back pack for large items and medicines - I've long considered it my defacto handbag. Use pockets (pants, jackets, shirts) for everything else including wallet, keys, handkerchief, gum, etc. Phone too, usually. Money and cards go in the wallet, most men's pants come with a teensy pocket for the coins. Unlike women, guys often toss out the loose change when they get home - on dressers or desks or tables, the more organised ones have a container they chuck the coins into until it reaches critical mass and then it gets banked into notes! :)

I always thought the teensy one was a watch pocket.

That's the vest pocket!  ;D

Sorry wallet in one pocket phone in the other that's it. Keys are going to have to share a spot.

I ride my bicycle most everywhere so I use a back pack as well  8)  I have had some folks comment that I carry my back pack like a purse when I've been walking about the shops though  :)  I just smile and go about my business

Back in my guy days, roaming across the countryside, I'd always shove everything in my big baggy jeans pockets. Sooo much crap accumulated in them. :laugh: Men's pants can hold a LOT of stuff if they need to. Back pockets, side pockets, sometimes cargo pockets. And if it doesn't fit, you don't need it! I'll admit though, sometimes I used to carry a backpack around with a lot more stuff. Made me feel a bit self-conscious because I felt it was a 'girly' thing to do, like I didn't need every lil thing for every lil contingency. But I secretly liked it. :)

I used to use a bum bag in guy mode. Quite common for guys in Aus.

I'll turn it on for this (not that... eew ;))
<male>
Big, big pockets. I carried all this CRAP in my two front pockets:

• Stuffed Bifold Wallet (left)
• Phone (left)
• Pocket Moleskine Notebook (right)
• Pens/Pencils (right)
• Up to $5 in change (right)
• lip balm (winter weather) (right)
• Kindle for trips to the bathroom (right)

</male>

I really don't know how I did it. Now... *maybe* lip balm or a pen goes in the pocket, and I try to keep even those things out of there!!! Now if only I could bring a purse everywhere... :'( not yet.

Your small amount of stuff can and will easily fit into pockets.
    Unless you have one of those big wallets that a lot of people seem to have.. although, those are more of a clutch, in my opinion..

Anyways. I carry that much, and more, in my pockets.
  Except my keys.
  Those go on my wrist, they're attached to a puppy collar. Simple way to keep up with them. c:

   If you must carry a bag, then maybe a messenger or a backpack, or something like that.

Also, I've never really seen women's pants with small pockets, except the ones for thinner women.
  all the pants i've ever had had okay sized pockets..  some were huge.

Mp3  Shirt or coat pocket.
keys and money cards one pants pocket.
everything els in the other.
If and when i took out a wallet that stayed in my coat. yes i took my coat everywear if no trusted guardian was available.

Quote from: _wut_ on May 15, 2014, 02:00:22 PM
Also, I've never really seen women's pants with small pockets, except the ones for thinner women.
  all the pants i've ever had had okay sized pockets..  some were huge.

I have a pair of 'normal' fitting jeans that have pockets but they simply aren't as deep as in men's jeans. My skinny jeans though, veeery shallow pockets, and my 'jeggings' don't even have real side pockets. They look like they're sewn shut! D; Not that it matters much, my pants are too tight to bother fishing anything more than a hair elastic out of 'em.

Also, I only have two purses (one big, one small) and I've found that I definitely need a good medium-sized purse. :/ Small one is difficult to find things in and the big one is best for long days or overnights stays.. I gotta say, it's nice being able to carry stuff with me. Most of my purse contents have a use at some point or another. :)

What is this mp3 player of which you speak?  I mean seriously, does -no one- use their phone for music, am I the only one?  I have close to 2400 songs and movies on my Droid phone w/16GB micro SD card (rt rear pocket) and ear buds go in left front skinny jeans pocket with my Burts Bees lip balm, my (sorry, still have one) guy wallet goes in left rear pocket, cash on right front (change too).  Keys (for now still in guy mode) are on a carabineer on my belt loop.   Guys, if you don't want to keep it in your pocket, get a belt clip/case for your phone.

I've never carried a purse or a bag (unless I was packing clothes)... I can't imagine needing so much stuff that I need to lug something around.
I have my wallet... which is really just a cardholder, in my back left pocket.
My phone, medicine spoon stp, and chapstick in my left front pocket.
My keys in my back right pocket.

I wear decently slim jeans and it all fits just fine.

Wallet in back pocket, everything else just stuffed in random pockets, it sucks.  I would really, really love to carry a purse.  If I transition, then I'm treating myself to a really nice one...

Quote from: Paula Christine on May 26, 2014, 10:47:40 AM
What is this mp3 player of which you speak?  I mean seriously, does -no one- use their phone for music, am I the only one?  I have close to 2400 songs and movies on my Droid phone w/16GB micro SD card (rt rear pocket) and ear buds go in left front skinny jeans pocket with my Burts Bees lip balm, my (sorry, still have one) guy wallet goes in left rear pocket, cash on right front (change too).  Keys (for now still in guy mode) are on a carabineer on my belt loop.   Guys, if you don't want to keep it in your pocket, get a belt clip/case for your phone.

I have an iphone and all my music, about 5000 songs, are on it.  The iphone fits really nicely into pockets I might add.

Look, I still hate purses. It drives me crazy to carry one around. I hate it. I use a wristlet right now because nothing fits in girls pockets and I have some minimum amount of items I need to hang on to. I can stuff my phone in my back pocket but that's it. I see lot's of girls do that. You can fit a ton of stuff in guy pockets. Keys, wallet, chapstick, phone, anything.

If I need to carry anything for work or whatever, I use this. (http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/FATBOY-VERSIPACK-40p31.htm) Mine's orange. I mean, it's basically a purse, but it's tacticool and stuff. If you don't want to carry a purse, they make all sorts of neat bags and backpacks with billions of pockets and stuff. These are like the ultimate man purses lol. But they're cool as hell and last forever.

I use my messenger bag all the time... there are some dressy leather ones for men or sportier ones, depending on your style. Backpacks are also "in" with the "cool kids", in a variety of colors and fabrics. I think they're pretty rad.

I hate loading up my pockets, but when I do I always wear men's pants; women's pants just do NOT have the real estate.

I've NEVER carried a handbag (couldn't figure out the appeal, to me it was about the least practical way of doing things) I have a stuffed-to-bursting skaterstyle wallet (old tickets, IDs, memberships, everything goes in) and a backpack. Covers everything from somewhere to throw my groceries to being an overnight/weekend travel bag and everything in between. Occasionally just stuff my pockets instead.

Well i figured i chime in.  Guys pants do have big deep pockets most of the time i have to fiddle around for what i want.    with that much being said they are also wide so you can stuff quite a bit in there and still have the pants look flat.  On a typical day i have my wallet in back right pocket and cash and cards go in to the wallet.  Now it is almost 1 inch thick at parts but over time it will shape to your butt so much that you may grab your own but to make sure it is still there.  then in my front right pocket goes my change and pocket knife.   Sometimes loose dollars will be in there if it was just a few bucks i got back and i had already put the wallet away.  In my front left goes my keys i have a big key ring/setup.  Actually it is several smaller rings linked together because of car remote i leave that hanging out of the pocket and the keys in the pocket the weight of the keys keep them from falling out but the remote hanging out makes it easy for me to reach and grab and find them quickly.  My phone is my MP3 player and that goes on my right side on my belt.   I am right handed so most everything gets dropped in to the right pocket.  at end of the day i empty out pockets into a jar but the keys, and pocket knife.   that goes on the counter next to the wallet and phone.  and tomorrow I grab that small pile and start over again.


Steven
MtF

I hate carrying things in my pocket.  I've always wanted to carry a purse; go figure, huh?

Get a man purse.

In my boy pants, I keep my wallet in a back pocket (alternating sides), keys in the front right, and phone in the front left. Of course, I have a 10-year old dumb flip-phone and not a modern hulking glass behemoth. I used to carry an iPod touch in the back pocket that didnt have my wallet, but I've given up on that. Occasionally I keep a small moleskine notebook there. Change goes in one or the other front pockets, and as others said, gets emptied daily and only replenished when I spend bills and get change. (This is in the US where all the cash worth mentioning is wasteful green paper. In countries that use coins more effectively I would have to change the habit, but that hasn't come up enough that I have solved it.)

For daily life, I don't need much more than that. If I do, I carry either a backpack or a laptop shoulder bag.

I used to carry my wallet in my back pocket. I moved it to my front pocket because back pockets are easy to pick. Now I carry it all in a Coach "flight bag" (it's a purse!) because it and my keys tend to dig into my skin.

If you carry a wallet I recommend the front pocket.