My mum cut this article from the paper and posted it to me: Why are Women Denied Normal Pockets? by Pilita Clark. I’m well-known for being a loud complainer regarding the lack of suitable pockets in women’s clothing.
In fact, this article quotes the results of a survey of front pockets in US jeans which found that, on average, women’s pockets were 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than those in jeans made for men.
Why this pocket inequity? Once upon a time, women enjoyed pocket equality with men. The most common theories for the change quote evolving sillhouettes of women’s fashion; that a desire for sleek, straight lines made bulky pockets unfashionable.
But there’s a far more interesting theory.
Pockets disappeared from women’s clothing around the time of the French revolution. While this coincided with a growing fashion for more streamlined dresses, the removal of pockets from women also prevented them from carrying messages, secrets, and weapons. And it prevented them from carrying their own money. Prevented them from being independent. From being part of the revolution. From being dangerous.
If you’ve ever had to dig for a ringing phone in a handbag, you’ll know how impossible it would have been to grab for a weapon in one.
But, this isn’t a rant about pockets. Not entirely, at least. It’s an exploration of the importance of clothing.
Even beyond uniforms, clothing has always stood as a signifier of status, wealth, and role. From the fabric and dyes available to people, to the cut and the tailoring, to the practicality of the design, clothing can tell you so much about the character wearing it.
But it can also tell you about the society in which that person lives. It can tell you about the rules and expectations. Fashion and clothing can be used to oppress, segregate, and maintain the power status quo. It can highlight the rebels and the revolutionists. It can free and liberate.
Next time you see your character in your head, think carefully about what they’re wearing. Inspect it, analyse it. What do your character’s clothes say about them? And what do they say about the world they live in, and their role in it?
And please, please give your characters adequate pockets.
