My favourite pair of jeans were eighty-five pounds (!) and they fit perfectly, are extremely flattering, and are really good quality. However, they don’t have pockets! Many such cases recorded in my own wardrobe and throughout history, and I am sure everyone reading this will also have that one pair of jeans that is perfect in every way except perhaps the most important! So why aren’t our clothes made for function as well as style? And why in the big twenty twenty five are we still not guaranteeing pockets in our clothes?
Misogny, of course.
In the seventeenth century, it was decided that society could no longer funtion without pockets, so naturally every item of men’s clothing was now sold with a sewed on pouch to hold their belongings. Pockets in women’s petticoats and corsets were, however, seen to disrupt the ‘desirable feminine figure’ and women were expected to rely on the men around them to carry their personal effects, creating another layer of dependence on men in society whilst catering to the patriarchal beauty standards of the times. Satirical cartoons were made of suffragettes stuffing their hands into their pockets ‘like men’, and garments with pockets were pushed as ‘unladylike’ and ‘masculine’.
There was a shift in trends when women entered the workforce, particularly during World War II, and women’s trousers were finally manufactured with pockets! Practical clothing was needed as women held the front lines at home, and for a brief period it seemed that tides were turning and womens needs were being considered over gendered fashion ideals.
Alas, post-war fashion saw the reintroduction of form-fitting, stereotypically feminine designs that put appealing to the male gaze over practicality and use once again. The men were back and women were pushed aside yet again. In 1947, Christian Dior’s New Look led to an era of ultra-feminisation in women’s fashion, and the classic pocket was disregarded and replaced by decorative details, fake, and just really tiny pockets that were completely useless!
Fast forward to today and things aren’t much different. Low-rise jeans with inefficient back pockets ruled the 90s and Y2K era; skinny jeans and jeggings were everywhere you looked in the 2000s and 2010s; and now long flowy skirts built for nothing but slight coverage are all the rage. Mom jeans had their moment and cargo pants aren’t going anywhere any time soon, but even these apparent ‘utility’ garments do not have anywhere near enough storage space because they are still designed by men, for women.
Big handbag.
Fast fashion rules and manufacturers want to make things cheaply and quickly to meet the ever-growing consumer demand. Shein and Temu don’t think about user experience once the product has left their warehouses, they want to make as much money as possible for as little cost as possible. The way to do that? No pockets and handbags, of course.
We all love a cute little handbag or a perfectly coordinated-to-the-‘fit tote bag, but you’ve always gotta stay aware of big handbag!
The fight continues.
We’ve made strides since sewn on sacs in the 1700s, but pockets on women’s clothing can still only hold 40% of what a man’s can. We need to be firmer about our desires as consumers and think consciously about our purchases. Outside of any other implications, think of your comfort! Boycott jeans with no pockets 2025!