I want pockets. Functional pockets. I used to shop at Eddie Bauer — because their clothes were made with pockets. Actual, deep enough, useable pockets.
For much of my adult life, I’ve worked in challenging neighborhoods, in places without dedicated, locked storage, and taken transportation. Imagine doing that without pockets for my wallet and my keys. Imagine having clothes with “pockets” — and realizing that they’re too shallow to actually hold anything useful, or purely for decoration, with no actual pocket space at all.

Yes, I said, Yes! I DO want pockets.

I want pockets to carry stuff! I have stopped buying clothing (pants or dresses) that don't have pockets. It is more expensive and it is difficult to find.

If I had more energy I would start a clothing company for nice looking, but affordable women's clothing called "Pockets". If someone else starts this company please let me know, I will be a loyal customer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean don’t you carry things on your pockets?? A wallet? Your phone? A mask? It’s a huge pain to have to carry things in your hands or it a bug in your shoulder that (in my case) hurts my back.

Women want pockets because pockets are useful. For holding stuff. So you don’t have to carry a bag. Would you like to walk around all day with zero pockets?

I agree that pockets are fantastic. It just feels like, if the demand was really there, market forces would take care of this. The pocketless items would remain on the shelves and the racks while the pocketed garments got snapped up right away.

There are competing market forces. Many women want pockets, but women's fashion means that pockets are often incompatible with clothing designs. There are manufacturers who do sell items with pockets, but, especially for lower-cost items or more body conscious clothing, pockets increase expense or ruin the fit.

I WANT POCKETS!

It's just that idiot designers believe a woman will always have a handbag.

It's true there are some delicate fabrics, or clothes worn close to the body, for which pockets would be useless, but for circle skirts or loose dresses, and not skin-tight pants, pockets are so useful! Especially when it's not cold outside, and you just want to skip out with the bare minimum in a pocket!

I shop a lot on Poshmark, and pockets in dresses are usually prominently advertised!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean don’t you carry things on your pockets?? A wallet? Your phone? A mask? It’s a huge pain to have to carry things in your hands or it a bug in your shoulder that (in my case) hurts my back.

Women want pockets because pockets are useful. For holding stuff. So you don’t have to carry a bag. Would you like to walk around all day with zero pockets?

I agree that pockets are fantastic. It just feels like, if the demand was really there, market forces would take care of this. The pocketless items would remain on the shelves and the racks while the pocketed garments got snapped up right away.

Not all woman want pockets and some have probably given up. As a PP said, there are a few companies out there who are great about putting pockets into women’s clothing - especially dresses - and have a lot of brand loyalty. Athleta and Title Nine are two of the best for this. I have a few dresses from T9 in particular on which I receive a lot of compliments; when I tell the complimenter that they also have pockets, they usually shriek with delight.

+1 There's a reason "thanks, it has pockets" is effectively memeified. I refuse to buy jeans that don't have real pockets but it's sometimes hard to find them and I have to compromise between "it fits" and "it has pockets" unfortunately.

I've mostly read about women wanting pockets in blogs/clothing catalogs for Catholic mothers with many (8+) children. Lots of emphasis on how certain aprons/jumpers are ideal because of the pockets and how mother's need pockets, etc.
Typically they are talking about things like this:


-Catholic mother of only 4 children (so I don't need pockets)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean don’t you carry things on your pockets?? A wallet? Your phone? A mask? It’s a huge pain to have to carry things in your hands or it a bug in your shoulder that (in my case) hurts my back.

Women want pockets because pockets are useful. For holding stuff. So you don’t have to carry a bag. Would you like to walk around all day with zero pockets?

I agree that pockets are fantastic. It just feels like, if the demand was really there, market forces would take care of this. The pocketless items would remain on the shelves and the racks while the pocketed garments got snapped up right away.

Not all woman want pockets and some have probably given up. As a PP said, there are a few companies out there who are great about putting pockets into women’s clothing - especially dresses - and have a lot of brand loyalty. Athleta and Title Nine are two of the best for this. I have a few dresses from T9 in particular on which I receive a lot of compliments; when I tell the complimenter that they also have pockets, they usually shriek with delight.

Anonymous wrote:I mean don’t you carry things on your pockets?? A wallet? Your phone? A mask? It’s a huge pain to have to carry things in your hands or it a bug in your shoulder that (in my case) hurts my back.

Women want pockets because pockets are useful. For holding stuff. So you don’t have to carry a bag. Would you like to walk around all day with zero pockets?

PP here. I love not having pockets. I have a purse.

Anonymous wrote:I mean don’t you carry things on your pockets?? A wallet? Your phone? A mask? It’s a huge pain to have to carry things in your hands or it a bug in your shoulder that (in my case) hurts my back.

Women want pockets because pockets are useful. For holding stuff. So you don’t have to carry a bag. Would you like to walk around all day with zero pockets?

I agree that pockets are fantastic. It just feels like, if the demand was really there, market forces would take care of this. The pocketless items would remain on the shelves and the racks while the pocketed garments got snapped up right away.

I mean don’t you carry things on your pockets?? A wallet? Your phone? A mask? It’s a huge pain to have to carry things in your hands or it a bug in your shoulder that (in my case) hurts my back.

Women want pockets because pockets are useful. For holding stuff. So you don’t have to carry a bag. Would you like to walk around all day with zero pockets?

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you can find a pair of men’s pants or men’s jackets without pockets, whereas many women’s items do not have pockets for aesthetic or cost reasons. I’m not sure if people are asking for pockets as a practicality or if they are saying pockets are an example of how men and women are treated differently? I love pockets. I wear a lot of dresses, and I am loyal to certain companies who always put pockets in their dresses.

Privilege.

I don’t think you can find a pair of men’s pants or men’s jackets without pockets, whereas many women’s items do not have pockets for aesthetic or cost reasons. I’m not sure if people are asking for pockets as a practicality or if they are saying pockets are an example of how men and women are treated differently? I love pockets. I wear a lot of dresses, and I am loyal to certain companies who always put pockets in their dresses.

I hate pockets. They are lumpy and make my hips look wider.

Women's clothing is more form-fitting than it used to be. In ye olden days, women had pockets, often very large pockets, which were often a separate item tied around their waist and worn under their skirts (the skirts had slits in the side for access). Then skirts got narrower; hence the development of the handbag/purse.

When clothes are more form-fitting, pockets can break the line of the garment and create lumps. Personally, I look for jackets and blazers with internal pockets (ticket pockets, like menswear has, for example) and pants with actual pockets rather than shallow or purely decorative pockets. But they are harder to find.

I see a fair amount of Internet commentary about women wanting pockets for their clothes. The lack of pockets is usually explained in a joking-not-joking way as a conspiracy of the patriarchy. Is there actually pent up demand for women's clothes that have pockets? If so, it seems like some entrepreneurs could make a fantastic amount of money by offering women's clothes with pockets, and I wonder why they haven't. My guess is that women say they want pockets, but by and large, when they go looking for clothes, they think the stuff that does have pockets is ugly and choose something else.

But I'm just a dude with no background in the clothing industry and who rarely shops for clothes anyway. Anyone with insight into what's *really* going on here?