In the past, a small pocket of jeans was very useful…
Small jeans pocket – Source: spm
The jeans have five pockets in total, including this little pocket that not many people use. Some people sometimes find it practical to insert keys, tickets, or a few coins. But in general, most of them do not pay attention to it anymore, because it has become part of the design of jeans. Besides, if you notice, other brands have incorporated it into different types of pants. However, this small pocket was not intended to be purely decorative. Its creators had a very specific idea in mind. For anyone curious who wants to know the true purpose of their design, let’s delve a little deeper into the history of the jeans themselves.
In the nineteenth century, people used chain pocket watches, fragile and delicate, which they tended to misplace quite easily. To avoid their loss, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, creators of jeans, found a clever solution: sew a small pocket, initially placed on the side, to store the thing in question.
Thus, in the middle of 1879, jeans had three pockets: two large on the sides and two small pockets above one. The same thing that can contain the watch. The success was immediate. In the face of the public’s enthusiasm for this brilliant idea, other brands gradually began to produce trousers also equipped with this small pocket, which was welcomed by everyone for its practicality. It was even called a “pocket watch” in reference to the pocket watch that was very fashionable at the time.
Do you know ? German Levi Strauss began his textile business in 1853 when he moved to San Francisco. He opened a small haberdashery there and gradually expanded his clientele. After the great success of his articles, his business continued to grow. Together with the American tailor Jacob Davis, Levi Strauss & Co was the first company in history to produce jeans, a real revolution in fashion at the time.
Historical Variations of the Model
Jeans – Source: spm
Thus the Levi Strauss brand greatly distinguished itself, especially since the elegant suit pants did not have small pockets for storing this pocket watch, which became so popular with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Thanks to her we can have an accurate measurement of time on a daily basis.
Another important detail: the addition of small metal buttons that connect the pocket cloth to the fabric of the pants. In 1901, Levi Strauss added a fifth pocket to the left back of his “jeans”. But later he decided to remove all the metal nails in order to save the metal. Especially since the customers themselves began to complain that they wear out easily and have a habit of scratching furniture.
Why is a small pocket still a good fit?
And so the small pocket has held up through the ages, even after pocket watches ceased to give way to wristwatches. In fact, it turned out that over time it inherited several names: after the “watch pocket”, we began to call it the “coin pocket” because it was useful for storing changing coins. Later, it was called a “ticket pocket” and even a “condom pocket” where you can insert a condom into it.
But whatever its purpose, this pocket has become an integral part of the jean’s design. As their customers became so attached to it, many jeans manufacturers never wanted to eliminate it. This is especially the case with Levi Strauss, which to this day remains one of the most popular clothing brands in the world.
