My wife and I have a theory that the patriarchy removed useful pockets so women need to buy an external pocket in the form of purses.
this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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That doesn't require the patriarchy, just the fashion industry in general trying to sell as much as possible. Adding an entirely different and otherwise unnecessary article of clothing is a brilliant idea honestly.
My wife routinely makes me remove car keys or other bulkier things from my pocket because they "make me look bigger".
I love my wife dearly I really do. But she deserved having to put things in her bra. Maybe I should start putting my car keys in the front of my underwear. As a fashion statement.
We need to bring back codpieces.
I’ve been saying this for years, but I want to bring back capes as well as codpieces.
no capes dahling
It's just so comically evil, isn't it?
If it doesn't require the patriarchy, why is it gendered? Surely, it'd be even more profitable to not give men usable pockets either.
There used to be pockets on women's clothes - or more accurately, you tied them on yourself as they came separately from the clothes - but they fell out of fashion as handbags became the fashion statement that said: look - I'm not poor enough to have to have pockets.
Very dumb, but it is what it is.
What baffles me now is that pockets on women's clothes haven't made a comeback yet. How asleep at the wheel are fashion designers?
I suspect that the problem is that while people want big pockets, small pocket clothes look better. If there was a real demand for big pockets, there would be money to make in selling those, and big pocket brands would dominate.
If there was a real demand for big pockets, there would be money to make in selling those, and big pocket brands would dominate.
I think you might be giving a bit too much credit to the industry here.
Over 10 years ago I remember watching this fashion series on TV, a kind of reality TV type thing you'd watch if there was nothing better to do. There was this... very old French woman as part of the main host. Apparently she was some sort of fashion design bigwig in Paris. But she said something like:
"Women should never have pockets. Clothes should accentuate the most powerful thing we have, which is the feminine form. Pockets ruin this. To be womanly is to carry a handbag."
I remember thinking to myself what a load of pretentious bullshit fashion must be.
Also ridiculous to think no one can come up with pockets that are flattering. Get creative old French lady
Not to mention that she's also meaning that all women should only care about looking beautiful and attractive, fuck practicality
How did you just realise this? I would've thought lack of pockets would be the sole reason you would use your bra.
I thought breast support was the reason they use a bra.
Lack of pockets would be the sole reason if I used a bra.
That's one of the reasons they use a bra in general (the other one is nipple masking, that's why even women with small breasts that don't need any support wear them). Lack of pockets is the reason they "carry things in their bra".
You won't realise a lack of something easily when you've never lived in abundance.
It's always just been obvious to me. I've heard many people say this, too.
You ever put food for later in there?
Just a nibble.
Are sticks of gum food?
Only if you swallow.
One of my school friends made some extra money during 6th form by offering to sew new, bigger pockets in various girls clothing. On average she did about 5 pairs of jeans a week at about £15 per pair. She went on to do fashion design at uni and now runs her own small business and despite branching out to do so much more stuff one of the services she kept doing was pocket replacements and extensions.
Really? I was taught to because if someone mugs me for money it becomes a felony instead of misdemeanor pickpocketing. I was pickpocketed once from a purse and never again, goes in the bra every time.
Now think how flat chested women feel, even the bra is non functional as pocket
Holy. Shit.
Ok, product idea: a bra that's a size or more too large, containing a actual pockets. The pocket would be in the padding, to disguise that there's something other than breast in there.
A-cups would be envied for their ability to carry man-pocket levels of stuff.
Tell me someone's already done this. It's so elegantly beautiful a concept.
Do you mean the PocketBra®
Dang. Yes. It's such a good idea it'd have been a shock of someone hadn't already done it.
I highly recommend everyone read Invisible Women. It's full of interesting anecdotes like you've just identified.
https://carolinecriadoperez.com/book/invisible-women/
Modern smartphones are too big for women's pockets and too big for their average hand size so as a result women are far more likely to drop phones and incur unnecessary expense of replacing them. Our world is simply designed around a male default and apparently we just accept that.
It's funny, my wife and 4 year old daughter both have the same giddy reaction to seeing pockets on a super cute dress hahaha
Women, buy cargo pants if you need pockets. Tell the haters to buy you whatever they'd rather see you in or fuck off
Ew don’t put your credit card there if you hand it to people
Many women found an alternative solution in carrying a small bag with them everywhere.
This is funny to me. I'm a guy, but I've known this since I was in highschool and I noticed my lady friends doing it.
The worst was once I saw someone drop change coins down there lol
Some types of woman clothing can't be made with pockets, mini/micro skirts and leggings for example, so using another available storage space is only logical.
Leggings can be made with flat pockets on the outer side of hips. I personally have a couple of minis with pockets. Those are just hard to find gems.
Oh cool, I was not aware of that. Thank you for informing and correcting me!
I actually have some leggings that have bigger pockets then most male jeans (able to fully contain 2 16floz cans per pocket)