Why do women's clothes almost never have pockets?

Much more than the sheer inconvenience of having nowhere to store the key and cell phone, the lack of pockets in women's clothing has been bothering women for centuries for much deeper reasons.

The clamor for such a practical and simple detail - but almost nonexistent in women's clothing - began in the French Revolution, passed through the Suffragette Movement, and became the agenda of feminist groups for a period.

Nowadays, the motives that maintain the resistance to including pockets more democratically are likely to have more to do with the financial impact on parts costs and the reduction in bag sales that could come from this than with any resistance at all. . However, it was not always so.

First, it was the fanny pack

And then the pockets and purses were made! In the Middle Ages, people used small purses strapped to their waist to carry their essentials, often inserted between layers of clothing, in a kind of accessory that the Brazilian people affectionately call the dollar holder today.

The pockets were born as a derivative of these fanny packs, which evolved as the pockets began to be sewn inside the garment to prevent them from being lost and provide more security.

It won't be a big surprise, however, to know that this was done with men's clothing. The reason? Fashions were changing, and women's clothing gradually lost some layers, so that to keep the silhouette in tune, the amount of fabric had to be reduced, and there was no room for a volume where objects would be inserted.

All of this happened in parallel to the French Revolution - which had a strong participation of women - when a political motivation arose. The dresses shrunk, and their wearers no longer had room to carry items behind so many layers of cloth on the skirt.

Well, the fashion industry came up with this genius idea called chatelaine : a kind of necklace that supported carrying the things most commonly women needed to wear on a daily basis - scissors, thimble, a little perfume sample ... After all, what more could you need? And what better place to take it all than your waist or neck, isn't it?

It was such a misconception that in the nineteenth century, the Rational Dress Society movement campaigned to increase the functionality and mobility of garments aimed at women.

Right to vote and dress functionality

Advance the album of history several decades later, and we have the suffragettes, many of whom have even been building their agenda since Rational Dress.

And if there was someone who needed several pockets, it was the suffragists! They put their hands on it and caught the attention of society with hunger strikes, un peaceful demonstrations, posters, shouts and fire. One of the hallmarks of the women's movement that fought for the right to vote for all was the bombs and incineration of abandoned houses and buildings, and the invasion of offices where female presence was not allowed.

To do all this and get a message across, having where to keep your belongings without drawing attention - that is, without having everything around your neck - was critical.

The coats they wore, therefore, were so complete that they could have up to six pockets, all within easy reach so that whatever they needed was at hand. These pieces came to be known as suffragette coats .

Behold, society has evolved, women have won the right to vote, but still need to carry their items in bags. The fight for more functional pockets in jackets, coats, pants, skirts and dresses continues!

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