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There are few things more frustrating than putting on a pair of pants and finding that they have unusable, tiny pockets.
Some brands even sew pants pockets shut or just put in fake pockets (why?!?!). Asurvey of 80 pairs of men's and women's pants found that on average, the pockets in women’s jeans are 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men’s pockets, when controlling for pant size. We were intrigued to learn that women’s pocket troubles have political roots and are directly tied to women’s independence. We sum it up below.
In the middle ages women had little pouches sewn into their clothes enabling them to carry things (an old-school “life hack”). These pouches provided so much convenience that women would cut holes in their clothes to better access them. In an era where people rarely bathed and owned only a few articles of clothing, women still prioritized personal storage.
In the 17th century, design advancements allowed for construction of more traditional pockets, but they were added mostly to men’s clothes.
Women’s fashion became more complex and less functional (think-corsets and bustles) and garments were designed to fit more tightly. This meant that women couldn’t hide their pouches as easily beneath their clothing, so they’d carry their belongings around in a garment called a reticule (an early version of the purse).
Researchers believe that this trend stemmed from the growing disparity between the social roles of men and women. Men increasingly worked outside the home and women worked in the household. Because women had less independence and fewer out-of-home responsibilities, designers simply didn’t think they needed pockets. Men carried all the money, documents, and keys (to the patriarchy?), so they were the only ones awarded apparel functionality.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that women started to reclaim pockets.
Suffragettes and their supporters would sew pockets into their own clothing after purchase, because the male-led design and manufacturing industries wouldn’t do it for them. People started to demand rational clothing and a “Suffragette suit” became popular in 1910- it had a whopping six pockets. Along with the right to vote, the right to wear functional apparel (especially pants) was a rallying cry of the Suffragette movement.
During the World Wars, women stepped up to fill the missing roles that deployed men had previously held.
This gave them independence and a chance to earn their own money. Their clothing was a reflection of this . They started wearing trousers with large pockets, both to avoid workplace injuries and to assert their financial independence.
After the world wars ended in the 1940s, the desire for femininity stormed the fashion industry, and women’s clothing once again featured body-hugging styles and traditionally feminine silhouettes (think Mad Men). Handbags became a booming industry and further displaced pockets. They haven’t fully returned.
The Pocket Revolution continues today.
Hashtags like #ithaspockets have amassed thousands of followers on Instagram. 78% of you told us that pockets are a major factor in your decision to purchase clothes. We are listening — adding pockets to Motley Muse designs is one of many key considerations in our design process. Our pants answer this call. It’s a machine-washable, non-wrinkle everyday pant with (you guessed it) large, functional front pockets.
Throughout history, pockets have been associated with periods of progress in women’s rights and with greater gender equality. Pockets symbolize autonomy and authority. Next time you try and fail to fit your phone into your pants pocket, just know that you’re part of a centuries-long battle.
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For more fun here is a link to a page on my website that has links to all my different social media accounts.
https://customclothingboutique.com/pages/social-media-links
