A female coworker and I were talking about clothing, particularly business/office work clothing, and complaining about the lack of usable pockets. I had to go to a quick meeting and I needed to take my notebook but also my phone and such. I hate purses and don’t use one, but I had to bring one to and from work because my dress pants don’t have pockets. Bringing the purse to this meeting was going to be a pain because I was going to end up standing the whole time and it’s tight in that room.
A male coworker came over and jokingly asked us about our complaint. He thought it was quaint and cute that we didn’t have so many pockets. “What’s the big deal?” he wanted to know.
So we asked him how many pockets he had, that he could put things in, in the suit he was wearing right then. So he demonstrated. Then we showed him our pockets. My coworker had none. I had small ones in my suit jacket that barely held my license and credit card or a few tissues.
He was shocked. Then he wanted to know why it was a big deal. “Just carry a purse.” As if this solution had not occurred to us.
Did he want to have to put all of his possessions in a bag to carry around all the time? No, of course not. So why should we?
Pockets enable mobility. I don’t have to keep track of a purse and risk losing it or leaving it behind somewhere.
Pockets are more secure. Sure, pickpocketing is a thing. But so is purse snatching. It’s easier for someone to try to steal my purse than it is to pick my pocket. Travel guides almost always advise using different contraptions to keep money and ID on one’s person for a reason.
I asked why women’s clothing didn’t have pockets. The answer was that they ruin the line of an outfit.
The idea that women care more about fashion and form than they do about function is such a stereotype.
Every single person I have spoken that wears women's clothes to would love pockets in their outfits. Even casual clothes like jeans often have token pockets if they have pockets at all. They’re so small you can’t put much of anything in them.
If you compliment someone on a dress or skirt, and it has pockets, that’s the first thing they will tell you about it. It’s so cool that they are just bursting to brag. I do the same thing. It’s a novelty almost. Having functional pockets is such an infrequent occurrence that it’s worth mentioning at every opportunity.
I want pockets. It’s frustrating to me to be out and about and have to carry a bag. I don’t buy clothing anymore unless it has usable pockets.
It helps now that I’m wearing more clothing from the men’s department. I like to present androgynously or male sometimes, so having men’s clothing around is helpful for that. It’s a huge upgrade in my mobility to wear men’s jeans because the pockets are huge. I love it.
Maybe if more women and individuals who wear women’s clothing complained to their favorite designers about the lack of pockets, something might change. It’s worth a try, right?
