The Missing Void: Lack of Pockets in Womenswear and its Effect on Daily Life

Pockets give power to people who possess them. Yet, an estimated half of the U.S. population —women— frequently wear garments lacking useful pockets. Why? Womenswear is molded by beauty standards. This study brings an anthropological perspective on gender inequality in the U.S. by examining modern clothing and the differences in pocket access by gender. 127 participants were recruited for a mixed methods survey, most from a medium-sized university in the Mountain West region. Survey questions explored the attitudes and experiences of people who wear women’s clothing regarding pockets (or the lack thereof) and its impact on their daily lives. Open-ended questions were assessed qualitatively using manual coding, exploring thematic patterns through a gender lens. The main themes discovered was participants belief that lack of pockets in womenswear stems from aesthetic expectations in fashion and the assumed want or use of purses. Other qualitative themes showed accessibility of useful pockets in womenswear is impacted by capitalism, sexism, sexualization of female bodies, fashion industry decisions, forced reliance on companions with pockets, men’s expectations, historical values influencing modern clothing, and the devaluing of essential items carried by women. Quantitatively, three multiple-choice questions were examined. Two questions were analyzed using the two tailed, Mann-Whitney U test where no statistical significance was found, and one question was inspected using descriptive analysis. The lack of pockets in women’s clothing is felt daily by people who wear the style, yet little action has been taken on an industry-wide level to reverse this inconvenient absence in womenswear.