Whenever I’m out and sit down somewhere, I consciously remove my wallet from the back pocket of my jeans (which is what I wear invariably, having completely given up wearing formal trousers since I quit full-time employment in 2018) and keep it along with my phone, on the table.
Why? Here is why.
Usually, the wallet goes so deep inside the already large jeans back pocket that I end up sitting on the purse (which I don’t want to, obviously).
Then consider the front pocket of your jeans. I have the OnePlus 10PRO. It’s one of the larger phones, with a 6.7-inch screen. And it goes fully inside the front pocket of my jeans (any jeans; all of them are Levi’s).
Why this extended context setting about jeans pockets?
Because it was only in early 2022 that I realized that my rants about such humongous jeans pockets were based on my ignorance and my male privilege.
I started consulting with an e-commerce fashion brand and in that context came to realize that women’s jeans pockets are usually smaller than men’s jeans pockets!!
The first time I heard this bizarre quip, I couldn’t believe it. But I Googled and found out that this was indeed true.
In 2018, had done a market study using 20 leading US jeans brands for men and women to prove categorically that this is accurate. The conclusion: “On average, the pockets in women’s jeans are 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men’s pockets.”
They even looked at whether various everyday items (including ‘man’s hand’ and ‘woman’s hand’ could fit in an otherwise empty pocket in jeans that aren’t being worn)! This is an interactive section, so !
Still unable to believe this totally bizarre differentiation, I rushed into our home and looked up my wife’s and daughter’s jeans, for a real test. And the pockets on their jeans were tiny compared to the ones in my jeans!
Ok, so it is true. I have been ignorant and had no clue about this differentiation by apparel makers.
The next obvious question would be – “Why?!”.
There are tons of theories floating on the net.
The most common reason involves human physiology: that men are physically bigger than women, on average. That doesn’t explain unisex items like phones not fitting into women’s jeans pockets, though! After all, Apple doesn’t make phones in different sizes, for men and women.
The most famous reason involves fit. That is, women want/prefer figure-hugging jeans. But if that includes large pockets, and women keep things inside, they would bulge in an unflattering way (towards the alleged original point of figure-hugging jeans).
The most interesting reason is a theory that this is a result of an industry-wide collusion between apparel makers and accessories makers to make women buy more handbags!! Add to the fact that many fashion brands make and sell both jeans and handbags under different brand names (but under the same company). Even if it sounds like a conspiracy theory, I cannot shake off the feeling that it does sound plausible, though a collusion so vast, long, and across geographies seems too difficult to maintain! It’s possible (within the plausibility) that this kickstarted very early in the 1900s and eventually settled as a standard for jeans makers across the world far removed from why it was so in the first place.
Regardless of what the underlying reason for this odd discrimination is, I believe the situation is now changing. More denim brands targeting women are increasingly adding larger, deeper pockets in the front and the back.
But, there is still a problem – how would one know? Unless you go to the store and see it for yourself, there is no way to know.
There is a far simpler way to make it normal for women’s jeans to have larger, deeper pockets (at least on par with men’s jeans), and more importantly, make this a feature to consciously seek out.
That way involves how jeans are listed in e-commerce stores online. Why e-commerce stores? Because that’s the first place anyone goes these days in the name of window shopping (which has moved from offline to online because it is just faster, easier, and instant).
Take a look at some of the jeans product listings, even ones that are not figure-hugging, online:
They mention ‘5 pockets’, but do not mention what the size (or depth) of those pockets is!
Imagine a simple tweak where the product listings for women’s jeans add that detail. Agree – this is not so simple and would involve additional steps in the process for an Amazon or a Myntra to first get the pockets measured and then add them to the product listings, but that just comes down to intent.
They do not mention the pocket sizes because no one is specifically seeking them.
Women are not seeking that detail because they have taken for granted that women’s jeans pockets are going to be small(er).
Imagine turning that trend on its head.
This is an opportunity for a women’s fashion retailer to stand out (till others notice it and catch up, of course).
The opportunity is limited by your imagination! The product listing could include a couple of popular items that women would want inside their pockets (mostly phones). In fact, this could be an opportunity to tie up with some of the popular phone brands and have a co-branded page (if not an offer too!).
Suddenly, a ‘Freedom Sale’ around Independence Day could be reframed within the women’s section as the freedom to keep your phone in your pocket!