Pocket reviews: new pants entries in the Spreadsheet of Pockets from my own closet with some commentary

I'm adding all of my newer pocketed purchases from the last year to the Spreadsheet of Pockets.  I'm going to write up a bit of commentary on the latest entries (rows 2-7).

My favorite in these rows is the striped slim fit jeans I got from Duluth Trading Company.  These were hearty pockets that I don't even want to modify.  I bought a size that just barely fit (they were on clearance and the last size left that was close), but next time I need pants I will be looking at theirs.

Many Eddie Bauer pants happily have curvy fit versions that actually fit me without tailoring or gaping around the waist.  This is a minor miracle.  Yet, they still have merely decent pockets that leave me plotting to cut the bottoms off to add a deeper pocket bag.  (But I'm lazy, so it hasn't happened yet.)  Yeah, they're sort of slacks, but one pair was TRAVEL pants.  It's baffling to me that an ostensibly outdoorsy company can't make their travel pants have fully satisfying pockets.  They just need a few more inches in the pocket bag to be as good as the Duluth Trading Co. jeans.  Oh well!

Old Navy Pixie Pants I probably wouldn't have tried but I needed yellow slim pants for a Halloween costume.  They also happened to have a linen version on sale so I bought that too as I have found every linen thing I've bought to be so nice and cool for biking and gardening and existing outside.  The pockets are awful and all need modification.  (The linen was great, though, and will be a favorite once I fix the pockets.)  The end.

Pockets around the web: "Women's Pockets are Inferior": an essay with DATA

Last year several of my friends and family sent me this amazing data-filled article giving very telling visuals of the inadequacies of women's pockets.  They sampled 20 popular US blue jean brands with a sample size of 80.  It is just as relevant today as it was last year.

The measurements in the Spreadsheet of Pockets

I have created a diagram to illustrate what I have in mind for measurements in the Spreadsheet of Pockets.  These illustrations assume you are looking at the front part of the pants (or skirt or dress).  I have put five common pocket shapes plus an "other" so you can see how you would estimate for a pocket with a different shape.  If it's a super wild pocket shaped like a circle or star or something, the idea is to go for the functional space.  Please submit your own measurements too and let me know via email or in the comments if you have questions!

I'm back! Now with more pocket data! (AKA the Spreadsheet of Pockets)

It has been just over a year since my last post.  However, I am back, and with new ideas!  I have decided that it is too much work, in between the gardening and dog walking and knitting and working and everything, to do detailed entries for all pockets.  So, instead I present the Spreadsheet of Pockets!


I will gradually go through my previously posted pocket measurements and add them.  The glory, however, of this approach, is that you too can enter your pocket measurements!  It's not on me to buy all the pants/skirts/dresses in the world to measure and document their pockets.  Crowd-sourced pockets, as it were.

Here is the survey form that allows you to enter your data.  I decided data entry for all pockets on a given item would likely be a barrier to use.  Certainly for me it was and I started this blog.  I mean, the whole idea here is that our clothing should stop interfering with our full enjoyment of life.  Anyhow, I ask how many pockets exist overall on the clothing, and then take measurements only for the front two pockets, left and right, as those are pretty standard.

Now that the great backlog of new pockets is going to be easier for me to enter, I will resume normal posting of pockets around the web on a weekly-ish basis.  Sometime in the next week or two I will also post a diagram of what the measurements mean, in case they are unclear from my methods in previous posts.

Yay pockets!  Meanwhile, please let more know if you have questions or comments about the spreadsheet.

Pocket review: Dickie's Women's Overalls

Long time, no blog.  I've got a number of new reviews (of both dresses and pants) saved up in my voluminous pockets.  But, today's pockets are not so glorious as I was hoping.

I ordered a size large in Dickie's Women's Denim Bib Overalls (color: medium stonewash).  I was immediately disappointed by the pockets.  They were barely deeper than your average disappointing blue jeans!  I should have tried the Carhartt's.

The two front slash pockets seem promising at 7 1/2" maximum depth and until you realize that the 6" diagonal edge reached to a minimum depth of 2".  My phone sticks out (and it did manage to stay in during various bending and activities) and I can get keys in the other pocket.  However, it'd be risky to try to do both keys and wallet in one pocket.  I will be sewing pocket extenders on to make them more functional.

I did find the front bib pocket held my wallet securely.  It's about 5" deep and 3 3/4" wide, with an adjacent pencil/pen pocket about 1 3/8" wide.  The corners are rounded.

The two back pockets are perfectly acceptable at 5 1/2" deep and wide.

Finally, there are bonus pockets on each leg towards the back/side.

On the wearer's left is a single 4 1/2" deep x 3 1/2" wide under the hammer loop.

On the wearer's right is a slightly larger one at 4 1/2" deep and 4" wide.  Behind it is a larger pocket with a slanted opening.  It makes 8" deep and slant opening of 3 1/2".  The lower part overlaps the top pocket so its lower dimensions are the same.

Pockets around the web: Of Mercer (office-wear with pockets)

With fancy business wear (or business casual, even), it's hard to find something that looks professional and still has useful pockets.  Of Mercer has a number of dresses and skirts with pockets.  They aren't very clear on how big they are, but several look promising.  Here's a drapey dress with side seam pockets.  My main concern there would be if the fabric is sturdy enough to not distort if you include phone, keys, and wallets.  Several drapey and stretchy dresses also look very comfortable although one does have to be careful with pocket contents in stretchy clothing.  They also have two types of pants with pockets (one has welt only), but again unclear how big they are.  This gray full-skirted dress looks most promising to not show your pocket contents.

Pockets around the web: Girls Will Be clothing (girls' shorts with pockets!)

It's been a while since I was young enough to wear kids' clothing, but apparently things have changed since I wore shorts as a kid.  Short-shorts and few pockets... not helpful when you have rocks and sea shells to stockpile.  A new clothing line has been developed to have sturdy, reasonable-length shorts with big pockets for girls!  They look great.  (They also have some fun t-shirts!)