There is a significant lack of pockets in women’s clothing if there are any pockets, opposed to men’s clothing. Everyone has some woman in their life, whether it is their mother, cousin, sister, daughter, teacher or etc. that may sometimes complain about this annoyance. According to McIntosh’s registrar’s office, McIntosh consists of 1,670 students with 49.5% of which are classified as female who most likely wears women’s clothing.
As a woman or person who wears women’s clothing myself, I face this dilemma of never knowing where to put my stuff. I feel like I never have the space to carry my stuff and I end up having to hold it all. I’ve gotten quite good at holding tons and tons of stuff with just my two hands, and I’m sure plenty of girls can relate to this. However, I can just look over at my dad, uncle, or grandpa, and they can just stuff all of their items into their pockets effortlessly and comfortably.
“I was wearing leggings, and it was super cute,” said sophomore Caroline Lawson. “I realized that I had to hold my phone, my wallet, my earbuds, and everything in my hand because my leggings did not have a pocket.”
She said this in regards to if she had ever not had functional pockets and if you just had to adapt and hold all of her stuff. I personally have seen some girls come up with some interesting ways to hold all of their stuff in just one hand. At the homecoming parade, many students were having a hard time finding a place to put their phones in the Spirit of McIntosh Marching Band because they had to march and their athletic shorts did not contain pockets. It is very hard to find a good pair of athletic pants or shorts that fit well and contain pockets for your stuff.
Many feel that society plays a big role in the debate of women’s pockets. Between the tiny coin pockets to the pockets you think are real but are actually fake. With a closer look, women’s pockets in fashion and society have been a great debate for quite a while. Looking at the long history of women and their struggle with pockets, one can summarize the following.

Some may know though that there were exceptions involving women in the workforce, such as female astronauts, but if women dress more dressy pockets are often lost. They are the first to go on many occasions as they are thought to be unimportant, and unnecessary, as purses are another option, though you have to carry the rest of your stuff.

“I feel like it’s very sexist. I think that the fashion industry wanted us to have purses instead of pockets because they wanted us to buy more things because we’re willing to buy more things than men,” said Lawson in reference to the history of women’s apparel.

Oftentimes women have quite a bit of stuff to carry including but not limited to their phones, “wallets,” keys, hygiene products, and much more. This brings up the use of a purse instead of the pockets because all of the said stuff does not fit in such sized pockets. Some may argue that a purse is more convenient, or easier to use.

When using pants with big pockets, some feel that it is easier to just throw what they need in them than to grab a purse. Though with the argument that purses are easier, it makes you less likely to forget something; they can normally hold more items. Whether you prefer purses or jeans, most can agree that women’s pockets are greatly lacking.
Sophomore Avery Allen said, “I prefer to use a purse than pockets because a purse holds more and I can put smaller things into my pockets if I run out of a room.”
When comparing my own jeans to my father’s I noticed that he was able to fit a full wallet, car keys, phone, and mask in his pockets. On the other hand, I was only able to fit the wallet in my front pocket. With it being very uncomfortable, but it would fit in my back pocket. I could not fit my keys in either the front or back pocket at all. My phone was able to go in my front pocket, and it may have broken if I sat down. Nonetheless, my mask fits not comfortably, but reasonably in both kinds of pockets with no problems. (was on a time crunch, but if you think it would be better I can get a kid from the school in comparison to my father)
Have you ever compared your pocket sizes with a man? If so, what did you find?
Children even face this impracticality. Kids often question many things and have noticed the difference between them and their friends’ clothes. Imagine a two-year-old kid playing outside, and their ability to imagine all that they can with the thought of their friend having more ability because he has more pockets to put toys and nature in. Many parents have gained the use of Twitter hashtags such as #PocketsForGirls and #girlsdeservepockets, both getting great sight online. One can only imagine the restriction of a girl child’s ability to discover, and explore the great outdoors, this gives them a limited sight and imagination on what they can and is allowed to do versus their male counterparts.
Overall the lack of pockets in women’s clothing confuses many, with the advances in today’s modern-day society, we have not gained full equality, but we have been better than in past years. It is sad that women’s fashion has not adapted to the times, and given women more functional and practical options.
“[W]omen carry around just the same amount as men do, ” said sophomore Kinsey Chasten. “So it doesn’t make sense for men to have pockets and women not to have pockets or sometimes they’re like fake pockets for some reason.”