Picturing a situation, if you would:
smartphone
Peeks partway out from within your pocket.
jeans
Your compact wallet turns out to be too big as well. When you try to slip a bill into the pocket of your freshly purchased dress pants, you discover that the opening has been stitched closed.
If these scenarios seem recognizable, you’re likely female. According to Lifehacker, an examination of 20 well-known apparel companies found that women’s trousers have smaller pockets.
really are shallower
And more narrow compared to men’s. Actually, about half as deep.
These
findings
The work comes from the team at The Pudding, which consists of journalist-engineers. They created an engaging visual essay featuring interactive infographics centered around this fashion topic. While many women might not be shocked by this news, it remains crucial to address the persistent disparity in pocket sizes between genders. According to their research, women’s jean pockets are notably smaller; they measure 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower compared to those designed for men.
Furthermore, researchers for the 2018 analysis found that only 40 percent of front pockets can fit a smartphone—an iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel were all put to the test. The same statistic applies to wallets that were specifically designed to fit inside a front pocket. Additionally, 2 percent of women’s pockets couldn’t even hold a pen (compared to zero percent of men’s pockets).
Remember that time Alanis Morissette sang, “I’ve got
one hand
in my pocket?” As it turns out, only 10 percent of women can actually relate to this lyric—the same percentage of women who can actually fit their hand inside their front pocket.
The Pudding highlights that this issue goes beyond mere distinctions between men’s and women’s sizing. “We examined 80 pairs of jeans labeled with a 32-inch waistband, which implies they should all be designed for someone of the same size,” as stated by the researchers.
What’s happening here? Certain sources indicate that the fashion industry has inherent sexism, often showing preference towards
design over function
“I get the sense that women aren’t being taken seriously as a consumer group,” stated Julie Sygiel, who founded The Pockets Project.
told
The Week
In 2018, Sygiel intends to launch a dress collection featuring pockets that are at minimum 8.5 inches deep.
Although this trend of lacking pockets continues,
rooted in history
—in the 18th century, women began using hip purses due to the absence of built-in pockets—many women now anticipate a new epoch for practical fashion approaches.
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A variant of this narrative was initially released in 2018 and has since been refreshed for 2025.
The article was initially published on Viral Buzz News.
Men’s Pockets Actually Run Deeper Than Women’s—and This Is Why
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