- In America, jeans were not a luxury item, but everyday work wear. such a pocket is convenient for storing small construction fasteners, especially nuts and washers;
- coins were placed in it, which in those ancient times had a completely different value than now. In order not to rummage through your pockets in search of coins, they were placed in this convenient pocket;
- watch case on a chain. And what - comfortable and stylish!;
- a container for the most necessary items that you will remember exactly where you put them and in stressful situation You will definitely find, for example, condoms. Or items of very frequent use, such as lighters.
And how can you do without it? It used to be that American hard workers carried nails in it, but now you can put a watch on a chain and a lighter so that you always have it at hand, or a condom so that you don’t have to look for it for a long time. no, it’s impossible without a small pocket
Some people keep change in this pocket, some a pack of chewing gum, some a condom. But in fact, it is intended for Zippo lighters. The size of this pocket exactly matched the size of a Zippo lighter.
Jeans were considered the work clothes of gold miners and the favorite clothes of cowboys; they could hide small nuggets, a detonator, and a folding knife in the pocket. Nowadays, a small pocket on the back of the front right pocket of jeans is used to store lighters, keys, small change, and condoms. You can put all sorts of notes in the pocket.
According to one version, the original purpose was for a pocket watch on a chain, watch-pocket - a pocket for a watch. Although I read somewhere that the pocket was designed for a Zippo lighter, jeans appeared at the end of the 19th century, and the zippers appeared in the 30s of the 20th century. There is a version for small things: coin pocket - pocket for coins.
As far as I know, the small pocket on jeans was originally intended to hold a watch on a chain. Then it began to be used for lighters. However, since not all people on our planet are heavy smokers, they began to put various small, but sometimes simply necessary items in this pocket, such as iron money, chewing gum, and condoms.
A small pocket in jeans, usually located above the large right front pocket. It can be used to carry various small items, for example: watches, lighters, knives, stashes, condoms, chewing gum.
This small pocket was originally designed to hold a lighter. But most people don't use this pocket at all, so I'd venture to guess that jeans manufacturers use it the old fashioned way, as if for denim design.
For a stash, for a lighter, for a condom. For every little thing that you use the least but you need to have with you.
Initially this is a pocket for a watch. And now a lighter fits perfectly there. Most models retain the standard of this pocket, which ideally fits a Zippo.
Interest Ask. In fact, there are several versions of why this small pocket is actually located on jeans. According to one of them, workers kept in it some small coins or small carnations needed for work, according to another, it should contain a certain talisman, which, if you constantly carry it with you, will definitely bring constant good luck and luck, which As for the third, this small pocket could quite successfully hide some small, perhaps not entirely necessary for public viewing, objects, for example, it could be a condom, by the way, in size, it completely corresponds to this pocket. By the way, if each of us can independently find a use for it.
A small pocket on jeans or a fifth pocket is currently not a necessary detail. There are several versions of why the small pocket on jeans was invented.
At the time when jeans were invented, a watch on a chain was worn in this pocket.
For nails, since jeans were invented as clothing for handymen.
For a knife.
For condoms.
For the gold nuggets that American gold miners were looking for.
For the Zippo lighter, which was preferred by American cowboys.
The very tiny pockets on jeans are, of course, made for beauty. What can you put in there - a flash drive, a rolled up bill, change (a few coins), a lighter. But it’s not at all a fact that you can quickly get it all back.
Comrades, have you used or are using this pocket =) give it up.
I need it for beauty, I used to carry some gum there, like an orbit. After a shoulder bag, no pockets are needed anymore =)
Which one is very small? Probably for a lighter. Some kind of solid cowboy style, so that it just fits. I tried carrying a flash drive in there, but it's smaller than the average lighter and tries to get out when I walk. We have to constantly monitor her. Even as a musician, I carried a pick in this pocket.
Small pocket in jeans, which is usually located above the right large front pocket, can be used to carry something small. I usually carry change (money) there. They are so convenient to take out and put back. Sometimes I put a ticket there for the vehicle I’m traveling on (trolleybus, bus, tram).
But I don’t put the lighter for which it was invented. I just don't have a lighter. I do not smoke.
For a lighter. Although I’ve been carrying a knife there all my life.
There are several versions:
Most likely, all of these options were used.
This is the fifth pocket on jeans. That's what they call it, although it appeared earlier than the second rear one.
Initially, it was used by gold miners to hide one or two small nuggets.
It is also sized to fit a ZIPPO lighter or a watch on a chain.
The short answer is that a small pocket is needed to put something in it, not to lose it, and not to catch the eye of someone who doesn’t need it.
It is not suitable for hiding money for the simple reason that:
1) Wives know that their husbands make a nest egg;
2) You can forget and wash the jeans along with the money.
But you can hide a small key from the women’s bedroom) Even cunning security guards won’t find it)
Probably many people have wondered why a tiny pocket is needed on jeans? After all, it is so small that it is impossible to put anything in it.
Or maybe it's just an unusual design decision. But any decision that is not even standard or practical must have a logical explanation.
Therefore, we will now plunge into history and return one and a half centuries ago, to the USA, where the world's first denim trousers were created and sewn.
When did they appear
Gin appeared in the USA in 1853. Originally intended as work clothes for farmers. A little later they were chosen by cowboys. And after some time, they entered the world of fashion and became an integral part of every person’s wardrobe. They have firmly taken first positions in the fashion world, and they are not inferior to anyone even in the 21st century.
Why is there a small pocket on jeans?
There are several versions, let's look at each of them.
For watches
The most common version is that the tiny pocket served for a pocket watch on a chain. Very fashionable and popular at that time.
For Zippo lighter
For Zippo lighters, which were very popular at that time. They easily fit into a pocket, and it was even easier and faster to get it out of there. After all this type The clothes were worn by cowboys, and they were known to smoke.
For gold
So that gold miners would put gold nuggets in it. After all, if a pocket is accidentally wiped, then all its contents will not fall out, but will end up in another, larger one.
For small change
Well, a very simple and banal version, for small details, for example: small money.
Why do we need a small pocket now?
Many people do not pay any attention to it at all and do not store anything in it. And some have found a modern use for it and put a lighter or condoms in it, bank card, house keys.
And in the comments you can leave your opinion about why a tiny pocket is needed on jeans.
Jeans from different manufacturers, different styles and different colors are united by one small common detail - a small pocket, the purpose of which has been debated for years. There are five pocket-denim versions especially for our readers.
Version No. 1 “Golden”
There is a version that a small pocket on jeans appeared during the gold rush. Successful miners put the gold bars they found in it.
Version No. 2 “Financial”
Today it is difficult to imagine that there were times when a few coins were enough to pay for some necessary trifle. It was for coins that the additional very small pocket on the jeans was intended. However, it is also very convenient to carry banknotes there.
Version No. 3 “Tobacco”
There is an opinion that the size of the smallest jeans pocket and its shape clearly indicate that it is intended for lighters of the legendary Zippo brand. When these lighters became popular, many men rushed to purchase them, and the pocket ensured that the valuable item would not be lost.
Version No. 4 “Sentry”
Another version about the purpose of the smallest denim pocket says that its appearance is associated with the fashion for watches on chains. It was for this accessory that the jeans were “awarded” with a special pocket.
Version No. 5 “Unromantic”
Since their inception, jeans have become the favorite clothing of workers. This is understandable - the new trousers were comfortable and durable. And the additional pocket was intended for workers to keep various small parts in it, for example, nuts or nails.
Fans of sports shoes will find it useful to know.
Reading time: 4 minutes
Every year, more than 450,000 pairs of jeans are sold in America alone, not to mention the rest of the world. And how many owners of this wardrobe item have wondered why there is a small pocket on jeans and who invented it. To many, the part may seem completely inappropriate and inconvenient, especially when small objects get stuck, when the finger treacherously does not fit into a tight space. But without a pocket, jeans will no longer be real jeans. It is clear that this is not just a piece of decoration, and it is not a matter of fashionable characteristics; originally it had a specific function. Designers and historians are still arguing about what exactly the pocket was intended for, and some of the versions even sound absurd.
A little history or the main version of the small pocket
The history of the appearance of denim products goes back to the distant 15th century. Italian sailors made trousers by sewing rough linen fabric, due to the absence of the need to sew sails. Subsequently, canvas clothing began to be called “Jenes”, and then the sound changed to American, and “Jenes” turned into “Jeans”.
In 1853, Levi Strauss decided to sew pants for sale for $1.20. The canvas pants turned out to be so comfortable that the young tailor began to have queues of customers. Later, Levi began to look for clients by visiting gold mines.
In the 1860s, canvas products fell in demand because the pockets were quickly torn off by the weight of gold nuggets and gold mining tools. This influenced Jacob Davis, who came up with a special device to strengthen the pocket area.
Interesting fact
Soon a new complaint was received - small grains of gold were lost in the stretched compartments of the pockets. So tailors came up with a way to secure the gold they found by sewing an extra tiny pocket onto the pants.
This is how the history of the American company Levi’s began.
Small pocket in the masses
It’s clear how the first small pocket on jeans appeared, but when did a global change occur, and pockets began to be sewn on not for gold miners, but for the common population of America? In 1890, Levi's decided to follow fashion trends and develop special-sized pockets for watches on a chain. Around the same time period, watches for global consumption were released, offering simple, rugged, but reliable models that became favorites among cowboys and hard workers. In the brand's catalogue, the pocket is designated as “Watch Pocket”.
Interesting fact
Most consider the small attribute to be the fifth pocket on jeans, however, the fifth appeared only in 1901, and was considered the second back pocket.
Other pocket versions
The fashion for watches with a chain is a thing of the past, but why are there pockets left? Representatives of the American brand claim that they have not deprived denim pants of a classic attribute, from simple wish maintain the original appearance. Not all historians adhere to the version of the creation of the denim pocket by gold miners and those who like to track the passage of time, so other creation stories have appeared.
For the cowboys
Jeans, initially, are an American brand, therefore, the primacy of creating a pocket is given to cattle herders from the Wild West:
- the first version of the cowboy story is based on the addiction to smoking, so the small pocket is designed to store a lighter, which fits perfectly, and during the races smoking accessories do not get lost;
- the second option lies in the American’s attitude towards firearms - the pocket was used to store special capsules that ignite the powder charge.
For workers
Initially, why do you need a pocket, there was a version designed for the convenience of a simple worker, where it was easy to find small items in the pocket: nails, hardware, rivets, pins. With constant movement and bending of the body, the size of the pocket did not allow a sharp object to dig into the body. Thanks to its dimensions, a folding knife could easily fit into the pocket, which simplified the search for the necessary tool.
For storing coins
In the distant past, to pay for needs, a couple of minted coins were enough, which could get lost in bulky pants pockets. But it turned out to be convenient to throw small money into a narrow pocket, which gave rise to the version of the appearance of an additional detail. Later, with the advent of payphones, the pocket began to be used to store small change, which made it possible to easily pay for a telephone conversation.
In fact, all this is more suitable not for appearance versions, but for what a small pocket on jeans can be used for. And, thanks to the changes in modern world, this detail is not so unnecessary.
For owners of denim products, the pocket is a kind of secret storage that everyone uses for their own purpose:
- storage place for glasses (if you put the frames in your pocket, the glasses will not be damaged);
- a safe place for contraceptives;
- medicines;
- MP3 player or iPod;
- gum;
- public transport ticket;
- talisman and so on.
battery in a safe place
candy for those with a sweet tooth
lip gloss in a small pocket
Today, the famous Levi's brand is still one step ahead. And now, a mini-detail in the new Red Wire DLX has a leather pad with a built-in music system together with an iPod, including: headphones, terminals and a special joystick. So, in the denim world, the small pocket continues to improve and does not lose its practicality.
A short video that answers the question “why is there a small pocket on jeans?”:
Anastasia Volkova
Fashion is the most powerful of the arts. This is movement, style and architecture in one.
Almost every person has jeans in their wardrobe. A distinctive feature of these pants is the presence of five pockets. The smallest one, which is located on the right side of the trousers, inside the main one, is an integral part of the entire denim culture. If initially it was considered an exclusively decorative attribute, then later a short time this tiny pocket begins to perform many different functions.
What is the name of the small pocket in jeans?
Since the appearance of the fifth pocket in jeans, there have been several variations of its names. All of them determine the purpose of this element of denim trousers. The options are:
- Drugs packet, or medicine package - used to store medications;
- Watch pocket - pocket watch (in Levi's catalogues, pocket has this literal translation);
- Funny pocket - a funny pocket (occurred due to the fact that illegal drugs were hidden there);
- Coin pocket or pocket for coins - used for money.
History of appearance
The appearance of jeans is associated with the name of Leib Strauss from Bavaria. During the anti-Semitic period, the future designer Leib Strauss, born into a Jewish family, changes his name to Levi Strauss and goes to America. At that time, and this was around the 1800s, there was a flaring Golden fever. Levi gives up the race for gold and decides that The best way getting rich means taking care of the workers. The young man is engaged in trade, selling fabrics and haberdashery.
One day, having successfully sold all the goods, he discovered that only a roll of cheap hemp canvas remained. Levi Strauss realized that it would be difficult to sell it, so he made trousers, which were quickly snapped up by prospectors. This was the beginning of the history of jeans. In 1853, Lévi Strauss and cousin opened the first Levi Strauss & Co brand store. Hemp fabric was replaced by light blue and blue denim.
The quality of the material was liked by the workers who worked in the mines. Pants were highly valued due to their strength, reliability, and durability. The cowboys of the Wild West also liked these trousers, which, like the cowboy hat, became the personification of that era. The period of the gold rush, the times of cowboys, was marked by the fact that then trousers were invented, the fashion for which remains even after more than a hundred years.
In 1873, American Michael Regalo, who is the designer of the Levi's brand, came up with a new model of jeans - 501 XX. It differed in that a special pad was sewn inside the right compartment, which fit tightly to the fabric, had certain dimensions and strict standards. According to historians of the fashion industry, it was originally intended for wearing pocket watches, but then another purpose appeared - for storing gold-mined nuggets. Then the pocket was the fourth, not the fifth: the classic jeans of that time - with one back pocket.
What was a tiny pocket on jeans used for before?
There are three versions, for which the Levi’s designer came up with a fifth pocket on jeans. They are as follows:
- For wearing pocket watches on a chain. Back then, this small compartment was sewn a little larger than the modern one. This was necessary so that the watch on the chain could fit in it.
- A place to store small parts that workers need.
- For Zippo lighters, which were actively used by almost all cowboys. It is believed that for this reason, over time, the pockets became smaller in size - the way people are used to seeing them now.
Watch
19th century fashion suggested the use of watches on a chain rather than watches on bracelets. Judging by the name “watch pocket”, it is not difficult to guess that a watch was worn in the smallest part of the pants. Considering that jeans are work clothes, holding the item in other places was inconvenient. The chain was attached to leather belt, belt loop or belt, and the watch itself was kept in the pocket. True, it was not very comfortable: when wearing it on the side, I constantly felt discomfort due to the fact that the watch put pressure on my thigh.
Coins
Another version of what the pocket compartment was used for is money. Coin pocket is a great place to store cash. At that time, paper banknotes were almost never used in America, so this cut of pants helped to quickly find and easily get small coins. The version that a small pocket was specially sewn for this purpose is quite realistic and justified.
Gold nuggets
The gold rush was a very difficult time. Gold miners worked in the mines day and night. The search for nuggets was very active, so there was a risk of losing the find. And there were many hunters for other people's prey. At this time, jeans with a small, secure compartment in which gold could be safely hidden became especially popular.
Small items
After Levi Strauss separated the upper part from the overalls and patented his invention, the pants became especially popular among the working class of the population. It is believed that a small pocket on jeans is intended for small items, small things that should not be lost and should always be at hand. Strong, durable denim fabric securely stored bolts, nuts, terminals, nails, and screws. Even a penknife could be carried in this compartment.
Lighters
A hundred years ago, as now, a small pocket on jeans was perfect for storing lighters. During the days of cowboys, Zippos were popular, which fit in a small front pocket. Even when moving at high speed on horseback, nothing was lost. After a while, Zippo was replaced by Cricket lighters, which also fit perfectly into this decorative detail of the pants.
Medicines
The name “drugs pocket” suggests that the shallow compartment in jeans was intended to store medications. There is a version that Regalo himself created this pocket to hide illegal drugs in it. After police raids, a couple of narcotic tablets could often be found in pockets. Many consider this version dubious, but it has its place.
Personal talismans
People who constantly carry various amulets and talismans with them try to keep them as close to themselves as possible, but so that they are hidden from prying eyes. A small pocket compartment is best suited for this, which will reliably hide such an attribute and prevent the accessory from falling out or being detected by prying eyes. Wearing personal talismans is another version of the appearance of the fifth jeans pocket.
Modern Application
The classic shape of jeans with five pockets has become established and is still used today. Modern Application The smallest compartment isn't much different from what it was a hundred years ago, but it does add a few new reasons to use the pocket. In the days of payphones, small change could easily fit there; now they carry subway tokens, travel tickets, paper clips, chewing gum, paper money and other small items. Often the pocket is used to store contraceptives.
Levi's Red Wire DLX jeans with built-in player
A new product from Levi's that has appealed to many music lovers, a product developed in conjunction with the iPod is the Red Wire DLX jeans. Their peculiarity is that they are equipped with a built-in, almost invisible player. The device is equipped with retractable headphones and a joystick that allows you to control the iPod without taking it out. The device does not cause any discomfort to the owner, is easily removed, and after removal, the pants can be washed. There are options for women and men, and appearance The model emphasizes the minimalist style of the iPod.
Video
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