What did you do with the pockets?
July 29, 2020
What’s the latest fashion? Don’t ask me! I’ve never been a follower of the newest runway craze. When it comes to clothing styles, I’ve felt more like a victim as hemlines have risen and fallen while the “in” colors seem to vary every year.
I’ve lived through mini-skirts and maxis, bellbottoms and trapeze dresses. Gradually I’ve settled into what is comfortable for me, and even that has changed as I’ve grown older.
One clothing detail has certainly become more important since my youth – pockets. In my teen years, pockets weren’t essential. They might even spoil the smooth line of pants or a jacket. After all, who needed more than a tissue, a lipstick and a little money?
Becoming a mother changed all that. Mothers need pockets for snacks, toys, tissues and wipes. Leaving the house for an hour with a little one means planning ahead with diaper bags or a purse stuffed with necessities. I observed this the other day as I watched my granddaughter fill pockets with cellphone, keys, snacks and toys for her two children.
Men probably can’t relate to the importance of pockets for women. After all, who ever heard of men’s pants or jeans without pockets? Even suit jackets have pockets outside and hidden pockets inside!
Although I’m past the young mother stage, I’ve found I want to keep a lot of things handy, Pockets are great for the small things, but handbags are better. Even my handbags must have pockets.
I hate moving all my stuff from one handbag to another so I usually carry one until it wears out. I found myself looking in my closet for a replacement the other day. Sadly the one I discovered had no pockets.
I had to resort to plastic bags to corral valuable necessities like my folding scissors, a small screwdriver, several USB drives, pens, notepad, tissues, extra keys and more. Makeup had its own bag as did the small camera. Everything was unorganized and hard to find.
As soon as possible, I bought a new handbag with pockets. I’m still getting used to the new locations of stuff but I feel organized again. And it has room for my e-reader tablet, another necessity.
Although I have a purse, I still need some pockets in my clothing. And one of those must be big enough for my cellphone. When buying a new cellphone, I always check that it will fit into my pocket. I’m frequently sticking a pen or a set of keys into a handy pocket. Lately, my pockets hold a mask in case I need to slip one on while juggling a tripod and camera bag.
Unfortunately, fashion designers have become sneaky about clothing. They hide the fact that pockets are missing. Instead, they’ve invented “faux pockets” that appear to be openings for pockets but aren’t. There are also the tiny pockets. They are actual pockets, but they’re no more than knuckle deep. Did they run out of fabric?
I understand that some materials don’t lend themselves to pockets. The lightweight knit fabrics sag if you try to put more than a tissue or a few dollars in there. I’ve seen leggings with a pocket for a cellphone, but the bulge just looks weird on an otherwise sleek silhouette. Perhaps the popularity of jeans has something to do with the inclusion of pockets.
Reasonable pockets are a priority when I go shopping for clothing. After finding a pair of pants in the proper length (petite but not short, those are different) and the right size (which varies from brand to brand), my next concern is color. After that, I check for pockets. If there are no pockets, I’m not buying. The two-inch deep pockets are also a deal-killer.
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