How are we still stuck with tiny pockets?

[Jibberstanley]

I’ve got pocket rage. Spent two hours at the weekend sewing pocket extensions in for pairs of jeans after weeks of not being able to fit my hand in, let alone keys, or a phone.

FFS. And these were properly pricey well fitting jeans, UK made, built to last and cut nicely. Lovely design, not tight but really well shaped for woman-shape bums and thighs.

There was no reason the pockets couldn’t have been the same size as on the mens.

Raaaaaaaage!

and breathe.

I don’t understand why this is still going on.

In the 80s I was grumbling about having to carry a stupid bag when my brother had pockets, or give him my purse to put in his pocket, and then he spent my money, the git.

But here I am at ridiculous age, having to give DH my car keys on a walk and keep my phone on my wrist loop because the stupid stupid jeans manufacturer can’t see why we want more than half a finger’s depth of pocket.

I have womems baggy jeans with crap pockets. And mens skinny jeans with massive pockets that swallow my phone. Pisses me off.

I watched a really interesting Bernadette Banner thing on YouTube about pockets. We used to have pockets, magnificent pockects! They were got rid of to account for a new, stylish waist line and never returned due to cost.

I will buy things specifically on the strength of the pockets. Means I wear dungarees a lot.

I agree OP.

When DH and I were first dating (11 years ago) I had a lovely summer dress that had pockets! It was unusual and I loved them.

I no longer have the dress but still think of it and it's lovely pockets

Less fabric used for women's clothes of pouches are smaller and clothes are tighter. I'm sure that's also why 3/4-length sleeves and cropped trousers are constantly being pushed on us.

Because we’re only expected to carry around teeny tiny frivolous things such as a lipstick. Those big important things such as purse and keys and phone - they’re to be handed over to any accompanying males, obvs.

Pouches = pockets. Though pooches is not that inaccurate. Dh's pockets are properly made, with a strong seam at the bottom. Mine are just pieces of thin fabric folded over to make a pouch, so the the bottom of the pockets always wears out. Same manufacturer.

I will also join this campaign - where do I sign?

I buy my work trousres from outdoor shops as they usually have concealed pockets with zips. Sometimes they change the style of pockets and the reviews are full of irate women complaining. So obviously hiking / walking / climbing women are also extreme feminists 😂

On the contrary, if I have a bag, DH opts to put all manner of crap his wallet/phone/important letter etc in there because they don't fit in his pocket and are allegedly too inconvenient to carry himself

On the contrary, if I have a bag, DH opts to put all manner of crap his wallet/phone/important letter etc in there because they don't fit in his pocket and are allegedly too inconvenient to carry himself

This I agree with. I think I’ve seen an article about it in the past.

The handbags industrial complex

Where do you get those shorts?

DD badly needs some, and boys stuff won’t fit her teen girl hips anymore. she’s gutted, and hates the length and cut on womens shorts, but we’re struggling to find mens that will fit well enough

Are handbags easier to steal from (or just take the whole thing) than pockets?

Do women go through more phones due to theft?

relieved I’m not alone in my pocket rage.

I will email the jeans brand and see what they have to say before naming them. Seems only fair.

To paraphrase a mumsnet classic, You dont have a pocket problem you have a DH problem🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'm not carrying a bag so somesone else doesn't have to, they can carry their own crap!

100% with you there.

During covid I started wearing leggings with pockets on the thigh and they're so damn useful, can get a huge phone on one side and keys and cards on the other. It does look a bit Lara Croft (not in a good way) but I just can't go back to jeans now, where do I put stuff???

@Fizbosshoes I have jackets like that from uniqlo and they have zip pockets.

I have had this rage for years. At one stage, when I had to get a jacket relined (due to many years of use!), I asked that they include an inside pocket in the lining just like there are in Mens suits....and despite me paying extra in advance for that, the seamstress decided that it couldn't possibly be a correct request and didn't include it, but wouldn't fix it as I wanted unless I paid in full again.

I was just thinking that I can easily fit my phone in the back pockets of all my jeans/trousers, then I saw your post. My trousers are Uniqlo because I'm apple-shaped, except for gym wear and they don't pockets at all.

I posted on a thread here whilst I was at an event in France bemoaning long hair on women and the vast majority of the women at the event all had short hair.

Next event I'm at I'm going to look at the pockets/bag situation and report back.

Are handbags easier to steal from (or just take the whole thing) than pockets?

Pickpocketing is real of course, and purse snatching, but I’m thinking more of just wallets and keys randomly falling out of pockets. Seems to happen to men a lot, particularly in cargo-type trousers

It's because clothing manufacturers think women care more about how clothes sit on their bodies than practical pockets. This is also why we get crappy elastic/ lycra or whatever mixed into denim jeans. Your jeans manufacturers have missed on all fronts if they're not even cut for the female body though!

I was a pattern cutter for years. You can have pockets that don’t spoil a silhouette. It’s to do with what a manufacturer can get away with. It’s cheaper not to pit plackets in. So they don’t do it.

The lack of decent pockets in womens clothes really annoys me.

I can understand that some women might not want to use pockets because full pockets ruins the line of the clothes or whatever, but it’s not like you’ve got to use a pocket just because it’s there, is it?

I find it a complete PITA if I have to drag a bag around with me on every trip because my trouser pockets can’t fit my keys and phone in them.

Whats wrong with long hair?

Nothing is wrong with it. It's just someone was noticing that women in the UK these days rarely have shorter hair. It's quite rare here for women to have long hair.

open.spotify.com/episode/0SCL4ftSHxC8YxkzzMtTiq?si=f4130999bcd34ece

i love this episode.

is it because women tend to carry handbags?