EVER wondered what the small pocket in your jeans is for?
You know, the little pocket inside the main pocket that only fits a few coins in it.
If you’ve ever wondered, you’re not alone.
Today the pocket has no use, but it was a purposeful addition to design in the late 19th century.
The tiny pockets date back to 1890, when they were sewn into Levi’s jeans.
They were originally designed to hold pocket watches, but since we don’t use pocket watches anymore, what are they for now?
The now commonly seen jeans made by Levi Strauss & Co invented it two centuries ago and have maintained it ever since.
The small pockets are in the patent drawing that Strauss and JW Davis made for “Improvement in Fastening Pocket Openings”, on May 20, 1873.
However, they were first put into mass use in 1890 with the “Lot 501” jeans, which became the model for the Levis 501 jeans we know today.
Levi Strauss & Co’s own historian Tracey Panek speaking to Insider said: “The oldest waist jumpsuit in the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives (from 1879) includes the watch pocket.”
“The watch pocket was a feature of our first waist jumpsuit.” Levi’s explained.
The small pocket is never found on the suit pants because a pocket watch would be kept in the formal wear jacket.
The jackets were designed to already have a specific pocket for pocket watches, so a trouser pocket was not necessary.
Panek explains that the man Levi Strauss kept a pocket watch in his suit vest.
We all tend to use our smartphones or even watches to check the time now, so finding a pocket watch is very rare.
The jeans still keep the mini pocket as a way of keeping the original 501 design alive, essentially for the sake of nostalgia.
Why is it so hard to find the perfect jeans…
Deputy Fashion Editor Abby Mchale revealed why it’s so hard to find the perfect pair of jeans…
If there is one item of clothing that is never easy to buy, it is jeans.
If you think you got the size right after finding the perfect fit, nine times out of ten, the next time you buy a pair, you’ll probably still have to try them on before you buy.
But what is it about jeans that makes them so difficult to fit?
Well, there is no universal sizing guide that every retailer follows, so this means that one brand’s size 12 could be an inch or more different from another brand’s and that could make all the difference.
Also, it’s all about the jeans, some jeans are made with stiffer denim that doesn’t give as much stretch.
Whereas some stretchier jeans obviously have more stretch, meaning they can be more forgiving.
However, don’t forget that all jeans eventually stretch, so when you’re trying on jeans and they feel slightly tight, remember that they will actually sag after you wear them.
Unfortunately, this means the best advice is to just try them; However, if you’re short on time or can’t be bothered, the Japanese denim test I’ve found works quite effectively.
Wrap the waistband of your jeans around your neck, if it can wrap all the way around and leave no gap, then it should fit your waist.
They have had the same design since the 19th century, with the exception of World War II when the metal hardware disappeared.
“An interesting fact about the watch pocket is that during World War II the two corner rivets were removed as a way to conserve the metal for the war effort,” Panek said.
“Rivets returned to the watch pocket after the war.”
Pants that have a tiny pocket are called “five-pocket pants,” but the small pocket is not actually the fifth pocket on the jeans.
To preserve the integrity of the initial design, Levi Strauss & Co. keeps the watch pocket
Tracey Panek
The fifth pocket is on the left back, which was added to Levi’s 501 jeans in 1901.
“Our 19th-century overalls had a single back pocket on the right side of the pants, below the leather patch,” Panek said.
“It was riveted at the top two corners and included our recognizable arc design, called Arcuate, stitched with a single-needle sewing machine.
“The watch pocket was an original element of our jeans, as were the rivets on our pockets, button fly, arched stitching on the back pocket and leather patch,” said Panek.
“To preserve the integrity of the initial design, Levi Strauss & Co. retains the watch pocket.”
Other fashion brands also use the small pocket watch created by Levi’s, but they may place it in different spots on the pants or hide it in different ways.
Some even hide it inside a larger pocket.
They keep the tiny pocket as a way of making it clear that the pants are casual and should not be worn with a formal jacket.
As for what we can do with the tiny little pocket now?
Well, they say it holds rings, matches, coins or even keys well.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
