Friday Fun Fact: Pockets!

Today I'm talking about pockets!

I think we're ALL mad about the total lack of adequate pockets in the majority of clothes made for women. But this wasn't always the way!

 Historically, women's clothes have had huge pockets. I mean HA-UGE!

In the 18th century, the pocket was a separate bag tied around the waist and hidden under the full skirt. You accessed it through a hemmed slash in the side of the skirt. They were enormous, some reaching 18" in length! Pockets were often highly decorative, made of patchworked silk or embroidered linen.

Around the year 1800, dresses became slimmer and hugged the figure. You could no longer put an entire sewing kit and a few sandwiches in your pockets without creating a noticeable lump. So the reticule was born! A little bag to store all your important crap instead of a pocket.

Another 50 years later, dresses are big and floofy again, and pockets are back! In 19th century dresses from the Civil War era onwards, pockets were almost always present. This time they were sewn into the skirt like we're familiar with today.

The photos above and below are from historical sewing books, detailing actual garments from the 1860s-70s. See the big old pockets?

Pockets have really varied in modern times, too! I remember wearing huge wide-leg jeans in the 1990s with ample pocket room. But when jeans got tight and low-rise in the 2000s, pockets once again disappeared, or just became miniature and useless.

The good news for us is that we know how to sew - we can put pockets in anything!! You can even add pockets to an existing garment, or enlarge the tiny pockets on your jeans.

We'll have another session of our popular pocket class (titled, Thanks, it has Pockets!) in the fall class schedule. Or check out Rebecca's Thrift Flip class to update an existing garment!

Check out all our Friday Fun Facts in the archive here!