The Elusive Hunt for Pockets
The Lack of Pockets in Women's Fashion
Recently, I have been wanting to invest in a new jacket. The main reason for this is I currently do not have a nice jacket for going out and with covid restrictions easing I am engaging in more social outings. Thus my need for a classic black jacket that will go with everything.
Some would say I am very picky with jackets. I say that I simply have standards for clothing. Nice jackets are not cheap and I believe anything you spend your money on should be efficient and worth it.
What are my jacket standards?
A good jacket has to be several things. First, it has to be wearable, comfortable, and do its job. If my jacket can’t keep me warm, it’s not doing its job. Second, I like my jackets to be efficient. To elaborate on that, I mean I should be able to carry everything I need with just my jacket with a reasonable adjustment for pant pockets. My current jacket from Kathmandu is very warm, water-resistant and contains an abundance of pockets for my every need (I could not find my exact jacket as I got it a few years ago but a similar one is linked). I love this jacket, however, it is not the most stylish piece of clothing, hence my last point, style. A truly great jacket checks all the previous criteria and looks great while doing it.
My previous jacket
Summary
a Truly great jacket should be:
wearable, comfortable, and warm
efficient at carrying everything I need
stylish
The Elusive Hunt
I have been searching for a truly great jacket for a few years. Many have been stylish or comfortable, sometimes even both but very rarely do ANY women’s jackets have sufficient pocket space. Originally, I looked at leather jackets, thinking they are more of a “manly” look and may have pockets due to this characterisation but many scantily sown scraps which barely come down to my upper waist. Even the more corduroy style longer female jackets with somewhat larger outside pockets are not sown up at the bottom to create an inside pocket, unlike the men’s in which almost all have a variety of inside pockets. It soon became a game, my partner and I would enter a shop to search for a jacket and then see how quickly we could find a men’s jacket with pockets and a women’s jacket without. While this may be an unquestioned part of women’s fashion I found myself asking Why?
Why are women not provided with pockets?
The answer to this question I have deduced, is based on consumption, greed and somewhat loosely on economics. Most men do not carry handbags, most men carry everything they need in their pockets, in some instances their stuff is held in a handbag, however, it is not their handbag. The handbag often belongs to their female counterpart. For example, I often carry my partner’s keys, wallet, DND dice and even occasionally his phone in my handbag. In comparison, when I am planning on going to a club I prepare for that, I wear my Katmandu jacket (which usually completely ruins the outfit!!) and within my jacket’s pockets, I hold my makeup, phone, keys, lip balm, and even hand sanitisers and masks these days, moreover, I do not bring my handbag. I don’t like bringing my handbag to many places because it is heavy, and I’m always worried about putting it somewhere and forgetting it. Essentially, my point is that women are not provided pockets because if they had pockets they may not purchase a ridiculously priced handbag. Thus, the fashion industry knows women, it knows what we want, we want pockets and we don’t want handbags however I don’t think they care because most times having a jacket and a handbag costs more than having a jacket with pockets. Subsequently, women are denied pockets because the fashion industry can force us to spend more money on things we might not need, like a handbag.
The Consequence
The consequence of this choice is women will buy men’s jackets and men’s clothes. Huzzah, I recently invested in a men’s jacket from Uniqlo which fits my stylish need. While it does, to my dissatisfaction, have fewer inside pockets than my previous Katmandu one, it does fit all the other requirements. However, the difficulty in purchasing men’s clothes is the fit. Men’s fitting I have found is slightly more bulky, which means that many of the jackets I have tried on over the years have sat oddly on my shoulders or come down too far on my arms. I was however pleasantly surprised with the Uniqlo men’s jacket fit but also disappointed because the female counterpart to this jacket had the perfect opportunity for an inside pocket, but they choose not to sow bottom up. You may respond to this with “why not just sow it yourself?”, and I could get it tailored to include pockets (I did do this for my year 12 jersey and it was the best thing I ever did) but why should I pay the same price (sometimes more) as a man for a jacket with less functionality. This is especially so when you consider the cost of tailoring it, and with a nice jacket, you wouldn’t want a half-arsed job ruining the lining.
My new jacket (the black one not the grey!)
Redemption?
The solution for this issue should be simple and easy, make more pockets. Moreover, in this piece, I have discussed only jacket pockets and have not at length discussed the lack of women’s pants with pockets or the dreaded fake pockets. However, I can say that recently, with low expectations, that I ordered clothes from a brand, while probably not the most sustainable or eco-friendly, did give me a pleasant surprise of actual pockets in the pants I ordered. So I leave you, pocket lovers, with hope for the next generation of clothing and the idea of pockets on future horizons.
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