You’ve probably heard many women say they want jeans with bigger pockets or they get excited when they find anything with big pockets (which is rare). If you’re a male, you might find this bizarre; this however is not just a fashion issue. Women’s’ pockets date back to the 17th century, where they were a separate garment under their petticoats. In the 1790s this changed to bags carried over the arm. Towards the 18th century, fashion changed and women’s clothes slimmed down and bigger pockets were seen as ugly and not fitting to the aesthetics of the time. Christian Dior was infamously quoted “Men have pockets to keep things in, women for decoration.”
On average, women’s pocket jeans are 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men’s pockets. Only 40% of women’s front pockets can completely fit a one of the three leading smartphone brands. And hands can barely fit in the pockets; most can extend till the knuckles. While men’s pockets can fit wallets, big smartphones, and even water bottles! Also they can comfortably fit their hands and leave room for more.
For different styles it’s the same; all women’s jeans have smaller pockets, even the boyfriend jeans ironically. Interestingly, both women’s and men’s back pockets are about the same, and this where most women put their phones and/or wallets. One could argue that there are alternatives for women’s pockets, like bags. However, not all women like carrying bags and they can easily be forgotten and lost in places. Plus, bags are not very affordable, and there’s a fashion standard for each one of them. They have to fit with the outfit and there are different bags for different functions. Some bags are meant for laptops, some for books, and some small enough just for a phone and wallet. Some women see through the marketing behind small pockets and how it’s a scheme for companies to sell more bags to them. This is especially frustrating for women due to it being marketed and designed for only them. Men have more options for pants and they can also use bags if they want. It is really hard to find women’s brands that have bigger pockets, so many women buy from the men’s section instead.
(This website claims it has bigger pocket jeans, but there’s no sign of them or maybe they are just poorly marketed.)
For women, the frustration with pockets are more than a fashion issue, it’s a matter of functionality and comfort. It’s 2019 already; this should be the year for the demand of bigger pockets. And companies should listen to women if they care about 50% or more of their target market.
Sources:
Mas, K., 2018. Why women’s pockets suck. vox.com. Available at: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/12/5/18127239/womens-pockets-fashion-history [Accessed January 10, 2019].
Diehm , J. & Thomas, A., Women’s Pockets are Inferior. The Pudding. Available at: https://pudding.cool/2018/08/pockets/ [Accessed January 10, 2019].
Snowdon, C., 2016. The hunt for women’s clothes with pockets. BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-37084813 [Accessed January 10, 2019].
A Business Student's Perspective 