Pockets and Patterns

If you'll allow me to get on my soapbox for a minute, can we talk about women's clothing and pockets? Pockets are so functional, and yet, women's clothes rarely have them. Here's a short history of pockets, if you're interested.

What it boils down to is that women's clothing is often designed without pockets because people think women don't need them. In 1954, Christian Dior said, "Men have pockets to keep things in, women for decoration." 

While I still feel like that's an accurate description of fashion, I'd like for my pockets to be useful for keeping things in, thankyouverymuch. It's one reason why I love my Anna Vest, which passed straight from WIP to a garment that gets worn all the time without being documented as a finished object. 

Pockets take a little more work, and thought in pattern design. But functional pockets are so essential in my day-to-day life that I think long and hard every time I choose to make a sweater without them. And I'm so glad to see them popping up more and more in knitwear patterns, from Byway (above left) to Marylebone (above right). 

So, thanks to the lovely knitwear designers who are brilliantly incorporating pockets, and let's hear it for pocket equality!

xx,

​Pamela