What the site offers very little of, with its quick-list format, are personal reasons for saving this or that object — stories, in other words. I’m prepared to believe someone finds a suede-elbowed polo personally meaningful, but why? Ultimately a lot of the stuff pictured these little displays is perfectly tasteful, but the result doesn’t seem like self-portraits. Instead — and this is true of Everyday Carry, as well — they seem like performances. Entertaining as they may be, I’m not sure I believe any them.

Rob Walker takes a look at sites like “Everyday Carry” and comes away with the kind of observation that makes me offer to buy him beers on a regular basis.

(UPDATE:) In an exciting two-fer, Rob also has a column in Slate today.