Why can’t women have pockets?

When was the last time you bought something that had actual pockets? A dress with pockets is a gem as rare as the dodo. It takes you to a realm where you walk freely with your belongings safely tucked inside. It's 2020 and what do we still not have yet? Flying cars, cyborgs, space trips, and pocket equality.

A study has revealed that on average, women's jeans have pockets that are 48 percent shorter and 6.5 percent narrower than men's. The back pockets perform much better but we all know they are never as convenient. The struggle is real for every woman out there and they know that their pockets are downright ridiculous.

In present day, the norm is that you cannot fit an entire fist in it or have nowhere to put them in the first place. Everyday items like receipts, loose change, pens, cosmetics etc. need a place to be put into. Purses and bags are great, but carrying one isn't always convenient. They are an inseparable appendage—a burden that often slows us down and restricts free movement.

One argument that supports the lack of functional pockets in female fashion is that these tend to ruin the aesthetics of the clothing when worn. Is that a legitimate reason? There has been a lot of talk regarding the need of utilitarian clothing for women. But the fashion industry only emphasises on the aesthetics. This is why we have either no pockets or fake ones. 

There are certain theories that explain why females cannot have pockets. For starters, promoting pockets would reduce the need for clutches, handbags, purses and so on—a major loss to the bag industry. Just a plot to keep women purchasing bags of different sizes and colours.

It started with carrying tiny pouches which eventually got sewn onto clothing. Thus, pockets were born and came into style around the 17th century. However, these still weren't as easily accessible due to layers of garment, unlike men. Fast forward to the 19th century when they were gone due to reasons various, some patriarchal. Enter: figure hugging dresses and purses. And since men were mostly involved in money matters, women never had the option to carry cash. Twentieth century saw the rise of pockets after years of campaign and finally here we are at the 21st century, still wondering why men can shove entire kingdoms into their pockets whereas women can barely fit a debit card in the age of huge phones.

Hiya is currently struggling to reach her book-reading goals. Find her at hiyaislam.11@gmail.com