First of all, a big apology for the delay between posts. It is, in fact, FINALLY warming up, which means things are getting into full swing on the farm. There’s grass to be mowed, seeds to be planted, land to scape, and baby animals to snorgle. I’m also in the process of selling my house (not the same one that I currently live in), which has been hugely nerve-wracking and has required a significant investment of time in order to get the place spruced up for sale.
But I finally have some time to breathe and have a cup of coffee, so here I am, and I’d like to talk to you about pockets.
If you are someone who wears women’s pants, then you’re already aware of the TRAVESTY that is women’s pants pockets. Want to keep your keys in your pocket? Not unless you’re a fan of the accidental appendectomy. Need somewhere to stash your phone? Just throw it on the floor, because that’s where it’s going to end up anyway. Looking to keep a pen or pocketknife handy? That’s HILARIOUS. The best we can hope for is to maybe keep a tube of lip balm in our pocket–and even that can be a risky venture.
Men always want to know why women keep so much stuff in their purses–or, indeed, why we need to carry a purse at all. Men, it’s because we have nowhere else to keep anything. I challenge any man to wear women’s pants for one day and try to go about his normal life. Seriously, just try. See what happens.
Even women’s “work” pants, sold by otherwise very function-oriented companies, are seriously lacking in this department. I have several pairs of pants from Carhartt and Duluth Trading Company (both companies that sell wonderfully functional and many-pocketed clothing for men), and while they do have more pockets than your standard pair of jeans, many of them are still too shallow or thin to be of any real use. I also have multiple pairs of hiking pants from Marmot and Prana, and most of them have just a single, tiny back pocket and a small, slim cargo pocket, barely large enough to hold a cell phone, on only one leg. Not to mention the fact that any pants from companies like these are going to cost a small fortune (approximately equal to three normal pairs of pants, five shirts, or 87 fast food burgers).
SO. There are too many things that I need to DO in my daily life, and too many things I need to carry directly on my person, and I don’t have time for pants that aren’t ready to rumble. So I’m taking matters into my own hands, and I’ve begun sewing my own pockets onto all of my pants.
(If you’re still reading at this point, I appreciate you powering through my pockets rant.)
I started with the pants I wear most often to do farm work. I have two pairs of riding breeches that are comfortable, stretchy, and durable–and the faux suede on the legs and seat offers nice reinforcement against crotch and thigh blowouts. And while–yes–I realize that riding breeches are not really intended to be utilitarian or heavily-pocketed, the front pockets are just deep enough to tuck a small pocketknife into. Anything larger, like a phone or even a longer knife, would fall out.
The pocket I needed most on my work pants was a place to keep my phone, so I started there. The fabric I selected was a faux stretch suede that I already had on hand; I chose it because it’s a little thicker than a cotton knit, but will stretch with the pants and be soft against a phone screen. A stretch fabric will also hold the phone more snugly in place, minimizing the need for any sort of closure at the top of the pocket. The color doesn’t really match the pants, but I’m wearing them to haul hay and shovel poop, so fashion isn’t at the top of my list.
The finished result:
The whole project took about thirty minutes, and I’m super happy with my new phone pockets (which are also large enough to hold other things, should the need arise). Next on the list will be all of my jeans. Friendly tip: If you find yourself sacrificing pairs of jeans to the aforementioned blowouts, hang on to them–they’ll provide a healthy supply of denim fabric for you to use later.
If you’d like to try to add your own pockets to lacking pants, stop by again for Part II (coming soon!) for a tutorial!
Jill Of All Trades 
I love this. You are pure genious!!!
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Thank you!! I have VERY strong feelings about pockets. 😑
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