The Feminism of Pockets
If someone were to ask me my top three favorite things, I’d say they were (in no particular order):
- Videos of baby goats
- A song lyric that fits a mood so perfectly it hurts
- Dresses with pockets
Can anyone disagree? Yeah…I didn’t think so.
While I’d be beyond psyched to delve deep into all three (did you see the clip of the little goat wearing pajamas??), I’ll restrict myself to only talking about pockets. Yes, this entire article is gong to be about pockets. Buckle up.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know there are some serious discussions and actions around feminism and equality for the sexes out there, and I proudly wave my flag high to support all of those. But, let’s not forget about the little things that add up. Like, for example… you guessed it. It’s pockets. I was going to say pockets.
Starting in the 17th Century, women’s fashion included enormous gowns with thousands of layers of petticoats. While that just sounds like a heatstroke waiting to happen, it did allow women to hide “pockets” under their skirts. These pockets were essentially a little sack tied to a string and wrapped around the waist underneath clothing. Because pockets had to be kept secret like that.
What do you suppose women held in their pockets back then? Money? Jewelry? A snack pack of Oreos?
The thing is, women had to buy their pockets separately from the dress. It wasn’t a package deal, like a man’s suit jacket. So, you only got to discreetly hold your snacks if you wanted to pay extra.
Otherwise, guess what? You had to ask the man you were with to hold your crap for you. Sound familiar?
Maybe that’s because women’s pockets went out of fashion in the 1790s. The style changed from big skirts, to high-waisted dresses that fell close to the body instead of puffing out. As a solution, the designers (clearly men) decided to create purses for women to use for carrying their month-old mint wrappers. But, guess what? The purses were tiny. They couldn’t even hold a toothpick, let alone a baby goat figurine (which we all know, no good woman should ever be without.)
Don’t even get me started on the whole issue of having to actually remember your purse. The number of times I’ve left a purse somewhere… yeesh.
And so, it began. The demeaning practice of having to ask a man to hold our stuff.
I mean, sure we have bigger purses now, but trust me, walking into a black tie event with my Fjallravn satchel? Not my finest moment. And so, I have my little formal purses that hold a toothpick and a stick of gum. Maybe. And then, I have to selectively choose one or two items to ask my husband to hold in his amply-sized, already-attached pockets, like he’s the hero in the whole story.
How’s a woman ever supposed to feel equal to a man when they can’t even carry their own wallet to a formal event?
It’s not just formal-wear, either. I mean, sure, women’s jeans have pockets, but they’re not actually real pockets. They’re just little teasers that don’t actually hold anything. The only worthwhile pocket I own belongs to my winter jacket. Which may be why I get funny looks when I go out in the middle of the summer.
And, aside from not getting to carry random junk, pocketless attire is just plain awkward. I mean, sometimes we just don’t know what do with our hands, okay. Why do we have to leave them hanging out in the open all wobbly-like, when all our male counterparts get a comfortable hiding spot for their digits?
And, what about the fake pocket? The only thing worse than a piece of clothing without a pocket is an article with a fake pocket. You know what I’m talking about — the random design that’s meant to look like a pocket but is all sewed shut and doesn’t even work. Wtf, designers. W. T. Actual F.
I’ll never forget my first pocket dress. It was from the Anthropologie clearance rack, and it was a thing of pure beauty. I mean, no one else thought so, because it was made with so much flowy fabric, you couldn’t get within a five foot radius of me. I was practically drowning in the thing, but it had pockets, people! POCKETS! I knew the world was changing right then and there.
So, I say to the dress designers of the world, keep the pockets coming! We want them! It’s just one more little way we can feel equal in this crazy world of ours. And so, I say, pockets for all the things!!!
And, we all know that feeling more equal frees us up to be more creative. Which means…more baby goat videos!! It truly is a win-win.
