(no subject)

[lexin]

I noticed von_krag had a post about the absurdity of women's clothing not having pockets. I wanted to reply, but LJ is playing up like a three year old having a tantrum. I therefore note for future comment when I'm not about to go to bed that, I love, love, love, the clothes of Janet Teague/Dawn French. With one proviso.

No pockets. Not even in the slacks. Sometimes, not in the jackets. The only garments which have pockets, most of the time, are coats.

I'm sure it's cheaper to make them that way, but boy is it inconvenient for the wearer.

Comments

[neotoma]

I flat out won't buy pants that don't have pockets -- and functional pockets that I can fit my hand into at that. I think all of my jackets have pockets, too, because they're just too useful not to have.

[lexin]

I do, but then I carry a bag most of the time because of it.

[lyorn]

If I want jeans or cargo pants with useful pockets, I have to buy boy jeans. :-(

What I hear from women is "pockets make you look fat". WTF?

[amberfox]

My sister and I mostly wear skirts, which means both of us wear phone holsters, the alternative being sticking the phone in one's bra, which is neither discreet nor good for electronics, especially as the weather gets hotter. (Okay, I suppose another alternative would be not always having the phone actually on me, but why would I have a smartphone if I didn't want to have the internet at my fingertips?)

[lexin]

What is the point of having a phone and not carrying it? I don't get that, either.

[sollers]

Once upon a time women's skirts did have pockets. Indeed, at one time they had separate pockets, worn under the skirt, which must have been excellent. Then in the 20th century the hobble skirt came in, which was so close fitting that pockets became impossible and handbags became essential. By the time they went out of fashion, designers (always men, so they never had to deal with the problem) appear to have thought, "Women always carry handbags so they don't need pockets."

And now, to a depressingly large extent, we're stuck with it.

[lexin]

Too right. It's not even as if I want to use the pockets all the time; but they'd just be so useful for those occasions when I want to go down to the staff canteen and not carry my bag.

[dancing_serpent]

I for one hate clothes with pockets and wish some designers would leave them away. One of my favourites is Gudrun Sjöden, but there are pockets, everywhere. On dresses, skirts, blouses...*sigh* It makes them look bulky, misshapen.

I know people find them practical, and I get that. I just don't like the way it makes the clothes look. At all. And I carry so much stuff around, I need a bag anyway.

[lexin]

I carry a bag most of the time, but there are still occasions when I want pockets.

[dancing_serpent]

In my case too few occasions to not hate pockets on clothing. *g*

[sollers]

I gave up carrying a bag because I found I was carrying so much stuff around and it wasn't doing my back any good. I could see I was heading in the same direction as the aunt of a friend - her colleagues put half a brick in it and made bets on how long before she'd notice; after two months they cancelled the bets and told her. Nowadays I use a backpack if I really need to take stuff around, but keep my money and cards in a neckpurse.

[dancing_serpent]

I use a middle-sized messenger bag, and I mostly carry around clothes and a mini-umbrella. Tried and perfected the system over two decades for minimum weight and maximum usefulness. *g*

[lexin]

I carry a handbag, but over my shoulder and across my body so that its weight is evenly distributed. And I try not to let it get too heavy - I'd notice a half brick! The worst is when it's a full bottle of water rather than the usual half a bottle.

[lyorn]

My shoulders are a mess. Even a backpack hurts, if I carry a cross-body handbag for a day, I'd have to take pain pills in the afternoon.

I have a belt pack which fits my glasses, mobile, purse, keys and a thin paperback, which so far has turned out to be the least painful way of not having pockets.

[sollers]

Belt packs are a good idea because the weight isn't taken by the spine, and the lower part of the torso is built to take weight. I have one with a pocket the exact size of my Kindle, which is extremely useful!

[sollers]

Um. A strap on one shoulder doesn't help much, though if the bag isn't too heavy it's not so bad. I worked on a bone report for a Neolithic male whose back was knackered (he was about 20); our tutor glanced at the vertebrae and said, "ah, yes, heavy bag on one shoulder." It doesn't matter whether the bag is the same side as the strap or not; that shoulder, and so that side, is where the weight comes.

Next week the whole class had backpacks with straps on both shoulders.

[watervole]

I want pockets - I always need to carry a handkerchief as I have allergic rhinitis.