What is the small pocket on jeans for? Why do you need the fifth, smallest, pocket in jeans. What a tiny pocket on jeans used to be used for

Surely you have at least one pair of jeans. And these jeans are almost guaranteed to have just such a small pocket that shyly peeks out of the front right pocket. This combination is included in the standard five-pocket design for jeans.

But how and when did this little pocket appear? Are you using it? For what? Most likely, you, like me, put there at all what it is intended for. Although, there was a time when I was much younger, and kept there just what it should be.

Let's start our story in 1873 with these two guys:

These are Jacob Davis (born in Riga, originally named Jacob Jofis) and Levi Strauss (Loeb Strauss from Bavaria). Both of them immigrated to the US in the mid-19th century, Americanized their names, and entered the clothing business. Strauss had been making durable cotton work trousers for 20 years when Davis contacted him. He wrote that he had come up with a new way to produce durable pants, and offered Strauss cooperation. Davis himself simply could not raise the $68 needed to patent the idea (in today's money, that's over $1,300). The men got a patent together and started making jeans based on Levi Strauss & Co. (True, they were called at first "work overalls").

Davis' invention was to fasten the often torn parts of the pants with copper rivets. It is for this, and not at all for a durable fabric, or a new style, the company Levi Strauss & Co. received her denim patent in 1873.

In the first models of jeans, there were only three pockets: two in front, and one (right) in the back.

But in 1890, the company decided to introduce an innovation, a small watch pocket. In all documents of the company, it is called "watch pocket". The size was specially chosen to fit most pocket watches of the time.

Only many years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, a second back pocket was added to Levi's jeans, which became the last of the "five pockets". The small watch pocket was the fourth.

When I studied at the university, I wore just such a pocket watch on a chain, which I put in this pocket. I was then very pleased with how good this " secret pocket for change" suits my watch. Then it could not have occurred to me that I was using the pocket for its intended purpose!

Levi's design was popular and was adopted by many other jeans manufacturers and beyond. Today, the five-pocket style can be found on a huge number of different pants.

The exception is trousers designed to be worn with a suit. They do not have a pocket for watches, because it was traditionally believed that when putting on a suit, a man would put a watch in one of his pockets, or in a vest pocket.

During the Second World War, Levi's slightly changed the design, removing two rivets from the upper corners of the watch pocket. In this way, the company supported the saving of metal for military needs.

Over time, the fashion for pocket watches has gone. Today they are worn only by old-fashioned grandparents and teenagers trying to somehow distinguish themselves from their peers (my case). And in the watch pockets they put everything from small change and lighters to condoms.

Levi's representatives say that the company does not remove this outdated pocket out of a desire to maintain the original design.

I got rid of my pocket watch a long time ago, I wear it now

There are several options for the purpose of the small pocket, which is an integral part of the classic model of Levi׳s jeans and other brands. To try to answer the question “Why do you need a tiny pocket on jeans?”, you need to look into the past and understand the history of the appearance of the “mysterious” detail on branded clothing.

Historical facts about the appearance of a small pocket on jeans

Jeans as a wardrobe item for working professions (cowboys, miners, farmers, builders, gold diggers and miners) have been worn in America since 1873. The entrepreneur Levi Strauss (Levi Strauss) - an immigrant from Bavaria, who decided to create comfortable and durable workwear from work overalls, having removed the upper part, contributed to the appearance of this clothing. For his invention in the US Patent and Trademark Office (US Patent and Trademark Office), he received a patent number 139121, allowing the tailoring of "strapless work overalls with pockets for a knife, money and coins."

By 1880, the world famous Levi's jeans had all the distinctive elements that are present in modern models:

• Well-defined decorative stitching on the seams and pockets with orange threads.
• A fixing line in vulnerable places - corners of pockets.
• Rivets and buttons in the form of "bolts" for fastening.
• Leather patch with company logo.
• Small pocket "coin pocket", which is located on the front leg above the right large pocket.

It is this small detail that causes numerous debates and disputes about its intended purpose. There are several versions and they all have a place to exist.

Applications for the tiny pocket

From English, the name "coin pocket" is translated as "pocket for coins." Its presence was quite reasonable and rational for the period of the invention of jeans, since in America there was a boom in gold prospectors working in the mines, and a “cache” was used to hide an expensive find. Also, paper banknotes were not in use, but were mainly calculated in coins. Due to the identical dimensions with the fifth pocket on the jeans, the coins were well kept in it and could not fall out. Today, a small pocket has practically lost its purpose.

In their original design, the pockets were the size of a knife and a Zippo lighter, which was used by most of the cowboys of the Wild West. Even with a fast ride on horseback, it was impossible to lose such accessories. In the modern version, the parameters of the pocket are adjusted to the well-known and most popular lighter in the world of the Criket trademark.

There is another common version, which is quite acceptable and has a rationale for the presence of a small detail. Another English name “watch pocket” is translated as “watch pocket”, so it is likely that the additional element on the jeans was intended for a pocket watch on a chain that was attached to the jeans belt with a loop.

Today, a small pocket is used to carry a lighter, flash drive, MP3 player, contraceptives and other small items suitable in size. The latest fashion achievement is Levi's jeans with headphones and a player built into the pocket. Among other things, a small detail also performs a decorative function, and it is already impossible to imagine jeans without this additional element.

A small pocket on jeans has always interested inquisitive people. It has even become the subject of much controversy, because it is not easy to get something out of it, but at the same time it is difficult to lose it. Let's try to figure it out.

background

Jeans were originally used as work clothes for gold miners and, of course, an attribute of cowboys. Pockets on cowboy jeans are an indispensable condition for their uniform for combat operations, because they could hide a folding army or primer (detonator, piston for a powder charge in firearms). Invented this type of clothing from Levi Strauss in 1853 and called it "topless overalls". It seems that all five pockets of the overalls went to the trousers. It was a period of "gold rush" when the seekers precious metal it was convenient to store small nuggets in a tiny fifth pocket. First small pocket appeared on Levi's jeans in 1873. It was a Levi's 501 XX. Such a pocket in the company's catalog is listed as a watch pocket, and its creator is the American designer Michael Regalo.

Versions

We have already named two versions. But there are other assumptions as well. The number of versions of why jeans have a small pocket is amazing.

1. Handymen kept nails or small coins in a small pocket.
2. According to one version, Michael Regalo, as a joke, invented a small pocket for those who, during a police raid, could hide ecstasy (an illegal drug) in it. Therefore, the nickname “drugs packet” was assigned to the pocket - a pharmaceutical package.
3. According to another version, the fifth pocket was sewn by Mark Lidin especially for his talisman - a small stone that brings him good luck.

If you continue to think about what a small pocket on jeans is for, you can find out that:

• An important accessory for cowboys has always been a lighter. The size of the small pocket was allegedly specially adjusted to fit a Zippo lighter. Nowadays, the pocket takes on the dimensions of a Cricket accessory that has earned a good reputation.
• Such an element of clothing was used for watches, which were previously worn on a chain attached to the belt.
• They kept contraceptives, the packaging of which corresponded to the size of the pocket, as well as romantic messages or engagement rings.

Creative

You can continue to investigate the fact why you need a small pocket on jeans for a long time. But still it is interesting to observe how in our time they manage to squeeze into this small pocket mobile phone Or put on sunglasses.

And now attention, surprise! Levi's - the most famous brand in America and the world - focusing on innovative technologies and creativity, has developed a new stylish model of Levi's Redwire DLX jeans, which contains built-in retractable headphones, joystick, contact terminals under white leather on a small pocket. The four-position joystick allows you to adjust the volume of the player without taking it out of your pocket. The user also has the ability to control the image on the screen of his iPod thanks to jeans. Jeans can be safely washed, because all devices come unfastened along with the pocket.

Now you know what a small pocket on jeans is for, but do not rush to conclusions. Surely he will find some other application that can surprise with its novelty. And the small pocket will again become the subject of great controversy.

Surely we are all familiar with the classic look of jeans: straight legs and five pockets: one on each side in front and behind, and another small pocket protruding above the right front pocket. But not everyone knows what this small pocket on jeans is for.

Why a small pocket on jeans?

For the first time, the fifth pocket on jeans appeared in the Levi's 501 XX model almost 150 years ago, in 1873. By the way, then it was not the fifth, but the fourth pocket, since in classic jeans At that time, there was only one pocket at the back, the second one appeared later.

There are three main versions of why Levi's designers added this tiny front pocket. The most likely of them is that it was intended for wearing pocket watches on a chain, which at that time were much more common than they are now. On the model of jeans of those times, this small pocket was somewhat larger than we are used to seeing it now, and the watch would fit in it quite well.

The second version of the appearance of this pocket is as follows: since jeans were then purely working clothes, it was stitched onto jeans for the convenience of workers. They could store various small things in it that are easy to lose. So, gold diggers could put small nuggets there, and carpenters, for example, carnations.

Finally, the version that the pocket was designed to carry a Zippo lighter, which at that time was used by most cowboys, whose main clothing was jeans, is also popular. This version even explains the decrease in the size of the pocket over time. So, the popular Zippo lighters after some time were supplanted by Cricket lighters, which fit perfectly in a pocket of a modern size.

Why do you need a small pocket on jeans now?

Over time, the classic form of five-pocket jeans has settled down, and more and more explanations have appeared among the people of what the smallest of them should be used for. So, at one time it was believed that it was adapted for storing small coins, which were then necessary for using payphones. Later, a version appeared that this was a pocket for a condom, since its packaging easily fit there. Also, many carried a penknife in this pocket. Now this pocket is more of a tribute to the classic cut of old jeans than a truly functional device, but many people continue to store various necessary little things in it: paper clips, packs of chewing gum, coins, a small amount of cash paper money.

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 arguing for more than a year. Especially for our readers, five pocket-denim versions.

Version No. 1 "Golden"

Version No. 2 "Financial"

Version number 3 "Tobacco"

Version No. 4 "Hour"

Version #5 "Unromantic"

It will be useful for fans of sports shoes to know.