This is Why Women’s Pockets Are Always Sewn Shut

Have you ever wondered why women’s pockets are permanently sewn shut? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. For a good reason, many other people have never seriously considered the matter. It’s a subject that traditional historians have almost entirely overlooked, and the few academics who have written about it don’t seem to know much more than you or I.

In the first part of this article, I will provide a brief overview of the subject and discuss some of the main findings. Finally, I will look for possible explanations for this phenomenon in the second part. I will talk about this topic I have wanted to highlight for a long time. 

Female clothes

In the beginning, men and women dressed in similar clothes. However, as skirts became increasingly voluminous for women, the pockets had to be sewn shut. The closure was usually reinforced with a button or two.

Even though we are living in a modern society, many female garments still have their pockets sewn shut. Do you know the reason behind this?

Reasons why women’s pockets are sewn shut

Here are the reasons why women’s pockets are always sewn shut.

1. For shipping purposes

The purpose of the sewn-shut pockets is to keep the contents of the pockets safe in case of transportation. For example, when you buy clothes online or at shopping malls, the goods are rolled just like a clothing tube and then put into the bag or box. If you have an open pocket, the clothes might spill out on the way home. Also, this allows any dress trials by customers not make the pockets bulge while trying out the jeans.

2. Safety

It is rare but sometimes women’s pockets are usually sewn shut because of security concerns. Usually, women carry more valuables than men, and they are usually more exposed to danger than men. Their pockets are sewn shut to prevent them from carrying whatever they might have in their bags or purses. Besides, with their hands busy taking things or holding their children’s hands, there is no easy way for them to reach into their pockets in case of an emergency.

3. To keep it in place

Clothing used to tie around the hips more often than they do today. However, a wide variety of other reasons have forced some companies to make the zip pockets on the side of women’s pants. It is safer to put things in the pockets when they are inside the clothing rather than in the open.

4. To avoid falsification

Every time a woman moves a hand, she exposes the upper portion of her clothing. Therefore, it’s easy to catch a glimpse of what’s in her pockets when she’s walking. In the post-war era, it became more and more common to sew the pockets before presenting the goods for sale.

5. To avoid injuries

Injuries that are caused by pocket-related incidents are pretty common. This information is easily accessible on the internet. Most of the cases are connected with nails or paperclips that got stuck in the pocket. This is why we see many women with sewn shut pockets these days.

6. To market handbags

Handbags are advertised as the most stylish accessories, while the pockets on women’s clothing are generally considered to be something that’s just useless and unnecessary. Although humans have been using pockets for many years, they aren’t used much these days. The clothing brands want women to purchase handbags. That’s why they are sewn shut pockets in their dresses and pants.

7. To protect against scarring

The pockets on women’s clothes came with many advantages, but they also brought many disadvantages. The pockets were made of thin fabrics and liked to break quickly. Therefore, it was widespread for women to have excessive scarring on their clothing which is a huge disadvantage.

8. Old Orthodox issues

In old times women were not supposed to perform any task that was beyond their ability or knowledge. To avoid doing anything that could be deemed inappropriate, women were supposed to choose clothing that was comfortable and easy to move around in. However, their clothing would not be able to hold everything in their pockets because they were sewn shut.

9. Women’s clothing has changed

In the past, it was not uncommon for women to carry money in their pockets just like men did. However, as time passed, pants and shirts became more popular than skirts and dresses. These days, even if a woman carries a purse with her all the time, she rarely puts anything in her pocket because she doesn’t use them often enough. 

Opening sewn pockets

If you have just now bought jeans, pants or suites and found that the pockets are sewn, I found below video useful as a guide to open the sewn pockets.

Conclusion

Despite the many benefits women’s pockets have brought, we have still not been able to stop sewed-shut pockets these days. This trend has been on so long that people overlook it without even realizing it. How come?

The answers lie in a deeper understanding of females’ experiences and attitudes toward the gadgetry they are surrounded by. Women are usually more concerned about their fashion than men are in general. The gadgets on women’s clothes make them look fashionable, beautiful, and fashionable. 

Women are less likely to use their pockets because they are in a hurry. The quality of their clothing is much more important to them than the quantity. They have many things they can carry everywhere, like their phone, purse or wallet, hand cream, and mouth spray. Women usually carry so much stuff that it is almost impossible to put something in their pockets. 

All said and done, women’s pockets are sewn shut for many different reasons. You can now add another one to your knowledge base as you have read about this issue on our website today.