Old-fashioned organizers haven't disappeared

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When Lauren Elizabeth Simmons was in university, she experimented with iCal, the calendar feature that comes with Apple computers. She loved it at first, but the Toronto-based high-school music teacher ultimately preferred the hands-on aspects of a paper organizer - being able to write, erase, cross things out - even more.

Now, Simmons never goes anywhere without the teal Filofax agenda she purchased while visiting London two years ago. Inside, a flocked damask pattern adorns sleeves where she can store receipts, stamps and her chequebook.

"I think of my Filofax like a great pair of shoes or a purse," she says. "It's a bit of style I can have for a practical purpose."

The same can't really be said of a BlackBerry, which may explain why more and more people are using paper to keep track of their lives. The list of Canadian fashion types who include a personal organizer in their arsenal of accessories is surprisingly lengthy. It includes Flare magazine editor-in-chief Lisa Tant and fashion designers Christie Smythe and Ashley Rowe. Even style bloggers Jen Newton and Sarah Nicole Prickett go offline to keep track of meetings and appointments."For so long it's been the other way around, with people whipping out the thinnest, smallest device," says Nancy Whitney-Reiter, the Arizona-based author of Unplugged: How to Disconnect From The Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis and Find Meaning and Fulfilment . "Reverse trends always happen when there's an economic downturn. With the economy turning around, I think some of this may be a fad but I believe people will really stick to this kind of style."

There are manifold reasons for passing on the BlackBerry. Some people love their penmanship too much to abandon it. Others, such as freelance illustrator Kyra Kendall, enjoy personalizing their organizer. On the cover of her red Moleskine is a photo sticker of her bald baby son Asher. As Whitney-Reitner sees it, "there will always be the traditionalists who are slow to adopt technology and eventually may convert, but then there are people who really value time."

Still, some feel conflicted about going the old-fashioned route in our fast-paced, tech-savvy society, says Joy Jones, a buyer for Laywine's, a Toronto boutique that offers the largest selection of Filofaxes in Canada. "Some people will come in and say, 'I use the BlackBerry but I still love paper' and they will almost sound sheepish."

As editor-in-chief of More magazine in Canada, Linda Lewis needs to stay connected, so she travels everywhere with a cellphone and laptop but writes scheduled meetings into a very generic black Day-Minder. The fact that it's anti-fashion is the point, she says. "No one would want it. If I lose it, it has no value to anyone else," she explains. "As beautiful as some organizers are, I don't see it as a fashion accessory."

Meanwhile, the unwavering devotion to Moleskine's weekly planner can be attributed to a deeper semiotic message: Carry one and you show that you appreciate clean design. For some, though, that's no longer enough. These days, it takes the fire-engine red version to signal "early adopter."

Jones also suggests women gravitate toward colour, no matter the brand, for another obvious reason: "They will come in and buy colour because want to see it in their bag," she says.

Ultimately, however, organizers continue to attract new customers because people are yearning for a connection that doesn't require a ring tone. "There is a perception that paper is going by the wayside, but the desire to be in contact with something is still out there," she says. "It's not a tech issue but more about how you move in the world."

Kendall, the freelance illustrator, agrees. "When you look back at something in iCal, it just looks super-clinical whereas when I look at my day timer I remember how my day went just by my handwriting - it starts in neat points and ends as a rapid crawl," she explains. "If you were to look at my iCal, you'd think I am the most efficient person in the world but that's really not the case."

In a digital world, the transition from one year to the next means very little. But with paper organizers, January represents a fresh start. Jones, however, points out that newcomers are actually late to the game. "We've been carrying refills since August," she says. "People who keep organizers are generally organized."