The Book of Pockets: A Practical Guide for Fashion Designers 9781474272513, 9781474272490

Citation preview

Foreword To succeed in today’s competitive and fast fashion industry, students and professionals must acquire a tremendous amount of knowledge and skill. The Book of Pockets contributes significantly to this knowledge by giving the readers a thorough understanding and literacy of a common functional design element—the pocket. The authors have been teaching fashion design and construction courses at the University of Delaware and Syracuse University, in the USA, for the past several years. As instructors, the challenge is to ignite the creative process within every fashion design student. The endless variations of construction details that make a garment can be overwhelming. Isolating and researching each detail, such as pockets, can be more manageable within the design process. Therefore, the idea of The Book of Pockets

was born, with the intention of creating a design dictionary for each construction detail that makes a garment. The organization of chapters is done using an interdisciplinary approach. Fashion design that ends up becoming art relies heavily on very good quality of apparel engineering combined with exceptional aesthetics. The history of fashion has seen a progressive transition from functionality to ornamentation. Pockets, having been invented as a practical storage solution, have been developed into key aesthetic features of many contemporary fashions. Even the most functional details of garments have become decorative. Manipulating construction details to fit a theme or theoretical concept is not a new approach to fashion design, but it is a new way of teaching and writing about it. The authors are fashion designers, not just tailors

or patternmakers. The way each chapter is presented follows this philosophy. Captions to each picture analyze the construction and offer a technical flat of that particular pocket, as well as construction limitations and functionality considerations. Each chapter has construction challenges, design challenges, and interviews with industry professionals that can be used by instructors to reinforce a design course. An online platform with videos for each of the sewing tutorials offers additional instructions. This way, The Book of Pockets becomes an essential design studio resource and workbook. To see these videos and accompanying flat patterns, go to the companion website at http://www.bloomsbury.com/the-book-of -pockets

6 Foreword

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 6

1/24/19 2:39 PM

Acknowledgments Special thanks for their contributions to this book to: Jeffrey Mayer, Professor and Curator of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University Dilia López-Gydosh, Ph.D., Director of Historic Costume and Textiles Collection, University of Delaware

Student contributors:

Interview contributors:

Mikayla DuBreuil, University of Delaware, USA

Jonathan Walford, Historian and Curator, Fashion History Museum, Canada

Danielle Dubay-Betters, University of Delaware, USA

Brianna Plummer, Assistant Professor, Buffalo State University, USA

Sirui Zhu, University of Delaware, USA

Amit Aggarwal, Fashion Designer, India

Lida Aflatoony, University of Missouri, USA

Steve “Krash” Vilegas, Designer and Founder of Utilikilts, USA

Todd Conover, Assistant Professor, Syracuse University

Marissa Mazzella, University of Delaware, USA

Stephen Sartori, Photographer, Syracuse University

Jakia Nur, Syracuse University, USA

Mary Kasprzyk, Video Editor, Syracuse University

Sierra Benedetto-Brouillet, Syracuse University, USA

Seán Horsford, Video Production, Syracuse University

Erika Relyea, University of Delaware, USA

Tracey Panek, Historian, Levi Strauss & Co. Melanie Maslany, Product Developer for adidas Digital Sport Futures Group Kristen Morris, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Missouri, USA Aubrey Shick, Fashion Designer, Founder and CEO of Origami Robotics, USA Georges Hobeika, Haute Couture Designer, Paris, France Emme, Supermodel Rebecca Billante, Senior Knitwear Designer, Nordstrom, USA Images credited within captions. Any images not credited provided courtesy of authors.

Acknowledgments 7

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 7

1/24/19 2:39 PM

Introduction Basic pocket types

Patch pockets

Based on their construction type, pockets are classified in three main categories: patch pockets, inseam pockets, and slashed pockets. Various literature uses equivalent terms such as applied pockets for patch pockets, inset pockets for inseam pockets, and welt pockets for slashed pockets.

The patch pockets are usually rectangular shapes of fabric that are applied to an existing part of a garment via topstitching. The patch pocket itself can be a simple square or a rectangle, and lined or embellished with embroidery, surface designs, or pieced out of various other fabric shapes. The upper corners edging the pocket opening are usually reinforced with backstitching, metal rivets, bar tacks, and so on.

Figure 1. Yves Saint Laurent, 1996. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc.

The bottom corners are difficult to be sewn without shaping the pocket first via a cardboard template. After the fabric pattern is cut, a template made to the final size of the applied pocket is overlapped to the fabric and the seam allowances are pressed folded. This way, when the pocket is turned and set to be applied, the topstitching around the edges is easier to execute. A patch pocket that has two pocket openings, usually of a larger size. If placed across the front of a garment a patch pocket is called a kangaroo pocket. This type of pocket is often used in activewear, particularly in sweatshirts and hoodies.

Figure 2. Patch pocket in denim. Figure 3.

8 Introduction

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 8

1/24/19 2:39 PM

Inseam pockets Pockets that have the opening ending into one or more seams are called inseam pockets. This type of pocket has a separate pocket bag made of shaped fabric pieces that gets attached to the seam and pocket opening. The way the pocket bag is constructed can differ based on the wearer’s needs, costing, and fabric consumption, but the end visual result is often the same. Within this category, two types of pockets are common: inseam concealed pockets and inseam exposed pockets. The inseam concealed pockets, often invisible to a quick eye, have both ends of the pocket opening inserted into the same seam and most often they are used for side seams of pants or dresses. A flat sketch of such a pocket will look just like a line, basically a seam line. As a variation of the inseam concealed pockets, the second type of inseam pockets are the inseam exposed pockets. This construction is made having the pocket openings in two different seams. The most common seams used are the waist seam and the side seam of a garment, but variations are made with side seams and princess seams, too. The most often seen inseam exposed pocket is on the front of jeans. The right side pocket usually has an additional small patch pocket inside the inseam exposed pocket.

Figure 4. Kangaroo pocket in a dress, Betty Jackson, 1996. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

Introduction 9

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 9

1/24/19 2:39 PM

Figure 5. Bill Blass 1988. Inseam concealed pockets. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

10 Introduction

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 10

1/24/19 2:39 PM

The edge of an inseam exposed type of pocket can also be straight not curved, in which case the style of the pockets is called slanted pocket. A variation of the patched kangaroo pocket with the two pocket openings made between two seams is called an inseam kangaroo pocket.

Figure 6. Gucci, spring summer 1993. Inseam exposed pockets. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

Figure 9. Shaped edge of an inseam exposed pocket of a jacket, with edges ending in side seam and princess seam panel.Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 7. Inseam exposed and a patch pocket nested. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc Figure 8. Martine Sitbon, fall winter 1995. Inseam exposed pockets, with opening created between princess seam and side seam. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

Figure 10. Marc Jacobs, spring summer 1997. Inseam kangaroo pocket. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

Introduction 11

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 11

1/24/19 2:39 PM

Slashed pockets This type of pocket involves a cut through the fabric layer where the pocket is applied, which is why it is called slashed. The size of the slash needs to be as big as the pocket opening, often large enough to accommodate the hand of the wearer. The way the edges of the slash are finished results in different styles of slashed pockets: single welt pocket, double welt pocket (or bounded edges pocket), and zippered pocket being a few common styles. Similar to the inseam pocket type, the slashed pockets also have a pocket bag made separately, from shaped fabric pieces, which ends up being inside the garment, or laying between the fabric and the lining of the garment. Double welt pockets that have a flap are called tailored pockets, and they are mostly used on classic tailored jackets and coats. The flap can have various shapes and it is lined with lightweight fabric. A classic tailored pocket will have the flaps designed to fit perfectly inside the double welt pocket, so it could be worn both ways.

Figure 11. Miu Miu, fall winter 1999. Single welt pockets. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

Figure 12. Flat sketch single welt pocket with opening at the top edge.

12 Introduction

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 12

1/24/19 2:39 PM

Figure 13. Maxmara, spring summer 1995. Double welt pocket. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

Figure 14. Flat sketch double welt pocket, with opening in the middle.

Introduction 13

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 13

1/24/19 2:39 PM

Slashed pockets that have a zipper closure are sportier, usually made in lightweight fabrics, and the inside pocket bags can be topstitched to the outer fabric layer for an added design element.

Figure 15. Sonia Rykiel, summer 1998. Tailored pockets. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

While these examples are considered basic pockets, each of them can have construction variations and combinations that can be challenging, therefore ending up looking basic but being complex. The following chapters will showcase examples of pocket variations classified by their design references.

Figure 16. Giuliano Fujiwara, spring 1996. Zipped slashed pockets. © Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

Figure 17. Flat sketch zipped pocket, shown with topstitched pocket bag.

14 Introduction

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 14

1/24/19 2:39 PM

Figure 18. Richard Malone, runway, London Fashion Week February 2018. © Jeff Spicer / BFC / Contributor via Getty Images

Introduction 15

9781474272490_txt_app_00_001-015.indd 15

1/24/19 2:39 PM

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 16

1/24/19 2:32 PM

1 Historical Insights

Figure 1. Tight Lacing, or Fashion before Ease,{c. 1777; John Callet (1725–1780). Courtesy of the Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University.

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 17

1/24/19 2:32 PM

History of pockets Pockets made their first appearance in garments in ancient Rome. Part of the Roman toga, the pocket, or sinus, was created from the complex folds of fabric. It was used to carry items such as the sudarium, an ancient Roman version of a modern handkerchief. An early example of pockets featured in women’s dress dates from the Middle Ages (Figure 3). Although pockets had not become a consistent design element in women’s clothing, this example of 14th-century royal dress foreshadows their practical use. From the 15th until the mid-16th century, men and women carried essential items and currency in a pouch that was typically tied around the waist or hung from a belt. However, the modern pocket as we know it today really began in late 17th-century France with men’s jackets. The justaucorps was a long jacket worn by men of wealth and social standing. The fitted jacket had long flared peplum, which featured horizontal welt pockets with flaps. These welt pockets featured intricately embroidered flaps and curved or scalloped edges. The pocket flaps were embroidered as separate pieces, then assembled into pockets.

Figure 2. Statue of a young Roman wearing a toga, 20–30 CE; the Glyptothek, Munich, Germany by Bibi Saint-Pol / CC BY.

Figure 3. Joan de la Tour, part of the effigy of Edward III; Westminster Abbey, England (14th century). Courtesy of unknown / CC BY

18 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 18

1/24/19 2:32 PM

Figure 4. Hanging waist pouch, Portrait of Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria, 1557, oil on canvas. Courtesy of Habsburger.net / CC BY History of pockets 19

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 19

1/24/19 2:32 PM

Early pocket options on pants were fairly limited and straightforward: they were created in the waistband, straight across the top, or on the sides. Most likely used to carry coins or other small objects, men’s trousers, or breeches, had fairly small inseam pockets right below the waistband area, or welt pockets at the waist area. Welt and inseam pockets continued to appear in men’s clothing from the late 17th century onward, as men’s fashion evolved to include the vest, the doublet, and the waistcoat through to the modern day suit. As evinced by illustrations from the 17th century, pockets may have featured regularly in the utilitarian clothing of the working class. However, the word “pocket” literally means “a small bag-like attachment.” Early examples of pockets were small pouches that hung from the waist or belt. These hanging pouches were very similar to the modern handbag, and were used to carry small objects and valuables, such as coins. Beginning in the 17th century, there are illustrations of women’s dress that include these hanging pouches, tied at the waist and worn under skirts or aprons. The hanging pocket evolved into a flattened shape, made from two pieces of cloth, one side rectangular and one side gathered and shaped like a U. The pocket could be simple, from plain cloth, or feature elaborate embroidery and decoration according to the wearer’s dress.

Figure 5. Illustration of French men’s dress, or justaucorps, dating from 1665; Carl Köhler, artist (1828–1876). Dover Publications, New York.

The shape and opening of these pockets had slight variations, and depending on the social status of their wearer, they had more or less embellishments. Hand embroidery and contrast piping was quite popular. In Figure 10, a pair of pockets made of linen highlight the thin straps and perfectly bound edges.

20 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 20

1/24/19 2:32 PM

Figure 7. Breeches, 1804–1814, French. Silk and linen. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Mrs. John W. Grout, 1956.

Figure 6. Waistcoat designer: textile by Anna Maria Garthwaite (British, 1690–1763). Manufacturer: textile by Peter Lekeux (British, 1716–1768). 1747, silk, wool, metallic. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Figure 8. Costumes de différent pays, “Femme d’Agen,” Jacques Grasset de Saint-Saveur, France, c. 1797, LACMA. Costume Council Fund (M.83.190.26).

History of pockets 21

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 21

1/24/19 2:32 PM

Figure 9. Embroidered hanging pockets, 1700–1750, British. Silk, height 15 1/4 inches (387 mm). Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1974.

Figure 10. Linen pocket, 1800–1810, American. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009;gift of the Pierrepontfamily, 1941.

22 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 22

1/24/19 2:32 PM

The “saccoccia,” or the loose pocket, was well-known as a 17th-century costume detail. It was also worn in the Renaissance, in the second half of the 16th century. The saccoccia was reached through a slip in the skirt, often where the bodice laced up. It could be decorated with embroidery or with trims, and came in various shapes and colors, though the semi-round shape seems to have been predominant. As fashion historian Barbara Burman writes in Pockets of History: The Secret Life of an Everyday Object, pockets used to do more than just decorate garments. Owners thought of them as meaningful pieces of clothing in

their own right. They would often spend years embroidering and embellishing them— after all, for many people who shared close quarters, a pocket was one of the few truly private places to keep personal possessions.

Adams, wrote: “All old ladies wore these pockets and carried their keys in them” (Massachusetts Historic Collections, http:// www.masshist.org/database/viewer. php?item_id=1835&pid=38).

Some of those embellished pockets are found to be transferred and attached onto aprons by the mid-1800s.

Even when smaller, sewn-in pockets came back into vogue in the late 19th century, there was still a distinction between lower-class women’s ample pocket bags and the “bag-like slip of silk” and the wealthier women whose status eliminated the need to carry anything. In some cases, fashionable women of wealth wore gowns that had pockets sewn into the seams of the skirt, similar to men’s clothing.

During the 19th century, separate hanging pockets were worn mainly by young girls, older women, and working-class women. These were called “reticules,” also referred to as pouches. As Elizabeth Coombs Adams, the granddaughter of the first lady Abigail

Figure 11. Apron with embellished pockets, c. 1850, American, silk. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Mrs. Alice Hawke Reimer, 1953.

History of pockets 23

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 23

1/24/19 2:32 PM

Secret Pockets In 1840s, as women’s skirts became fuller, small hidden pockets were added into the side seams of skirts. Openings in the skirt panel, usually on the right side-back area and either in a seam or slit opened and narrow hemmed, allowed for pocket bags to be sewn along the opening or given access to pockets tied around the waist underneath the skirt.

Figure 12. Pouch, 1840–1860, American. Glass, metal, leather, linen, and silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; gift of Mae Schenck, 1963.

The functional small pockets were found to be either simple or hidden in seams, either exquisitely embellished or emphasized with added volume of pleats and bows as in the lovely velvet cape shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13. Twentiethcentury brown velvet cape with interior pocket detail. Historic costume and textile collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Frances W. Mayhew.

Figure 14. Flat sketch of the interior pocket shown in Figure 13.

24 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 24

1/24/19 2:33 PM

Figure 16. Flat sketch of the secret pocket shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15. Secret pocket inside lining with quilting stitching details. Ivory wool and quilted silk taffeta burnous, English, 1860s. Gift of the Martha McCaskey Selhorst Collection, KSUM 1996.58.232 a-c. Photograph by Joanne Arnett, courtesy of the Kent State University Museum.

In one is her handkerchief, and any heavier matter that is not likely to come out with it, such as the change of sixpence. In the other is a miscellaneous assortment, consisting of a pocketbook, a bunch of keys, a needle-case, a spectacle-case, crumbs of biscuit, a nutmeg and grater, a smelling-bottle, and, according to the season, an orange or apple, which after many days she draws out, warm and glossy, to give to some little child that has well behaved itself. James Henry Leigh Hunt wrote a collection of essays in 1812 that included this description of an “old lady” and the contents of her pockets. At the time, a pocket was considered a useful place to carry one’s essentials.

History of pockets 25

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 25

1/24/19 2:33 PM

Pockets as functional detail In the late 19th century, pockets were designed to hold objects of different shapes and sizes. Women’s dress featured either highly decorative pockets that held accessories, such as fans or parasols, or almost undetectable discreet pockets. Either style of pocket needed to be easily accessible. The example in Figure 17 shows a highly decorative yet practical triangle-shaped pocket designed to hold a lady’s parasol or fan. Fans were popular accessories during the 19th century. The fashionable silhouette for women’s fashion during the latter part of the 19th century featured tailored dresses such as this, with a voluminous back bustle as the focal point. These bustled skirts were often heavily ornamented with pleats, ruffles, or fringe, thus creating a perfect showcase for embellished pockets. By placing the large embellished parasol pocket near the bustle, the front of the gown would remain comparatively flat. For smaller accessories, a more discreet pocket was needed. The pocket watch was another popular accessory for both men and women in the 19th century. As it gained use, so too did the need for a designated “watch pocket” or “fob pocket.” Only a couple of inches (50 mm) wide and deep, and added near the waist of a skirt or pants, these pockets held the owner’s pocket watch. These single-welt-type pockets remained a feature of men’s suiting to the modern day, moving to either the waistcoat or suit jacket.

Figure 17. American, 1870s, silk, Jane Wacker Memorial Fund. The triangular pocket on the right side of the skirt, trimmed with buttons and cord lacing, was designed to hold a parasol. Indianapolis Museum of Art. 26 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 26

1/24/19 2:33 PM

Figure 18. Dress with black velvet watch pocket, c. 1880. This dress also has a hidden pocket on its right side, behind the first row of pleats at the hip level, to hold a handkerchief or a sewing kit. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

History of pockets 27

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 27

1/24/19 2:33 PM

Placement and construction details of pockets in men’s suiting remained the same from the 19th-century styles. However, pocket design and details in the suit jacket featured more variety. Pocket design indicated the level of dress formality, meaning the less pockets, the more formal. Suiting used for work and sport required more utilitarian use and the need for more pockets. Dinner jackets and tuxedos used for social engagements and formal affairs did not require multiple jacket pockets.

Figure 19. Small double welt pockets, angled and placed at the chest level, on a men’s wool vest, c. 1890. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Beginning in the 19th century and continuing to modern dress, there are three traditional pocket designs used in men’s suit jackets: the jetted, or welt, pocket; the ticket pocket; and the patch pocket. Jetted or welt pockets evolved from the decorative flapped pockets seen on the 17th-century justaucorps. The pocket can be simply fabric bound, or “welted,” and sewn to the lower front hip area of a men’s suit jacket. These pockets may also be constructed inside the lining or seams of the suit jacket to carry additional items. Like the original justaucorps, fabric flaps can be added; however, the modern utility is to protect pocket contents from falling out or getting soiled, rather than as embellishment. A second traditional pocket design featured in men’s suit jackets is the ticket pocket. The ticket pocket refers to the pocket’s placement rather than its construction, which is similar to that of jetted pockets. Sitting above the right hip area pocket, and about half the size, its purpose was to hold a gentleman’s train ticket when traveling. Into the 20th century, it became known as a change or cash pocket. The ticket pocket is less common in modern men’s suiting, thus its inclusion often indicates a made-to-measure or custom-tailored suit. The third traditional pocket design is the patch pocket. These pockets are the basics of the suit jacket and are made to accommodate varied objects. They are made from attaching a second, often square-shaped, layer of fabric to the outside of the jacket, near the front hip area. They can be flat or feature pleats in order to hold larger items. Like the jetted, or welt, pockets, they can also include flaps with or without buttons to protect pocket contents.

Figure 20. Pocket placement for basic men’s jackets.

28 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 28

1/24/19 2:42 PM

Figure 21. Men’s morning wool suit featuring a chest pocket and two hip pockets with flaps. Designer J.B. Johnstone, 1894. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Designated Purchase Fund, 1983.

Figure 22. The ticket pocket on this c. 1880 frock coat is placed above the hip pocket; its flap made in the same manner as the pocket below, and their front edges aligned. The ticket pocket was approximately half the size of the hip pocket opening. Image courtesy of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

History of pockets 29

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 29

1/24/19 2:34 PM

Jackets intended for sporting activities, such as the Norfolk jacket, feature multiple, large patch pockets with flaps. These pockets would be useful for carrying cartridges, provisions, and various other supplies when hunting, shooting, riding horses, cycling, or playing golf. From the late 19th century and the advent of the modern men’s suit, pockets became a ubiquitous part of men’s apparel, featured in almost every part of clothing, including coats, vests, shirts, and trousers. Women’s apparel, however, did not. A Victorian newspaper article indicates that this discrepancy may be more than a superficial distinction. In 1899, a writer for The New York Times asserts the political and cultural meaning of pockets. Advancing the notion of pockets as distinctly masculine, one 1895 designer of women’s bicycle “costumes” even included pockets for pistols. “Not all of them want to carry a revolver,” says the anonymous tailor quoted by The New York Times, “but a large percentage do and make no ‘bones’ about saying so. Even when they do not tell me why they want the pocket, they often betray their purpose by asking to have it lined with duck or leather.” One has to admire the pistol-packing women’s riding of turn-of-the-century bicycles in their bloomers and split-skirt suits. At the time, this type of attire was a newfangled innovation that was only considered acceptable for women to wear while bicycle riding (and many old-fashioned people would have considered the style too unacceptably masculinized for even that purpose). The idea that women could wear such clothes in public for any other reason than riding a bicycle seemed ridiculous.

Gertrude: My dear Jessie, what on earth is that Bicycle Suit for? Jessie: Why, to wear, of course. Gertrude: But you haven’t got a Bicycle! Jessie: No: but I’ve got a Sewing Machine!

Figure 23. Patch pockets with box pleats and buttoned shaped flaps. Men’s wool suit, scene from Murder on the Orient Express movie. Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images.

“As we become more civilized, we need more pockets,” the piece says, “No pocketless people has ever been great since pockets were invented, and the female sex cannot rival us while it is pocketless.”

30 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 30

1/24/19 2:34 PM

Figure 24. Detail of wool jacket with patch pocket, binding reinforcement of the pocket edge, and hidden button tab under the flap. Historic costume and textile collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Frances W. Mayhew.

Figure 26. “The Bicycle Suit,” cartoon from Punch, 1895. Courtesy of http://www .victorianweb.org CC/BY

Figure 25.

History of pockets 31

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 31

1/24/19 2:34 PM

Pockets become design detail From the start of the 20th century, pockets in women’s dress become increasingly more decorative and used as a focal point for innovative design details. Pocket placement, style, and shape become more of a design consideration, while still flattering the female form. With social and societal changes stemming from World War I and World War II, and women increasingly entering the workforce, menswear influences became more prominent in the design and available styles in women’s apparel. For example, trousers, once limited to menswear, were gaining acceptance as a practical addition to the modern woman’s wardrobe. The range of trouser pockets, from single welts to inseam concealed or inseam exposed to welts covered with flaps and buttons, were useful for women working in factories as well as on the home front.

“Men have pockets to keep things in, women for decoration.” —attributed to Christian Dior, 1954

Figure 27. Highly decorated contrast pocket detail. Coat, Paul Poiret, c. 1925, fur and wool. Image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Mrs. John Campbell White, 1988.

32 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 32

1/24/19 2:34 PM

Construction challenge: inseam pocket The details on this piece were carefully designed, with topstitching consistently placed at the edges to flatten down the bulky seam allowances. The shaped flap resonates with the front shaped edge of the inseam pocket, as well as with the shape of the belt loops. The inseam concealed pocket inserted in the waist seam is also topstitched and has bar tacks for reinforcement, and its opening is placed conveniently between two belt loops.

Figure 28.{Women’s wool pants with front exposed inseam pocket, back flap welt pocket, and waistband-concealed inseam pocket. Historic costume and textile collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Chas. D. Carey; Western Ranchman Outfitters, c. 1957.

Figure 29.

Other menswear influences include references to tailored suiting. Women’s skirt suits featured jackets with pockets based on the traditional menswear designs. However, as design details, these pockets were more elaborate and visible, functioning as a focal point rather than merely utilitarian. American mid-century designer and former Hollywood costumer Gilbert Adrian created streamlined suits that used sharp tailoring to highlight the pocket as a design detail, as seen with these inverted striped pockets. Adrian also became known for his mitered pocket corners and play of seams.

Figure 30. Suit with stripe play on the pockets. Designer Gilbert Adrian, 1948, American, wool and silk. Chicago History Museum / Contributor via Getty Images.

History of pockets 33

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 33

1/24/19 2:34 PM

Although influenced by the dominant silhouettes and styles of men and women’s clothing, children’s clothing varied little year to year for much of the 20th century. Most children dressed as miniature adults well into the 1950s.

Figure 31. Child’s wool coat, c. 1950s; inseam pocket detail. Historic Costume and Textiles Collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Angela and Alexander Doberenz.

Figure 32.

Figure 33. Patch pocket detail, brown wool suit jacket, c. 1960s. The double flap is incorporated into the patch pocket pattern for added dimensionality. The button is ornamental. Historic Costume and Textiles Collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Mrs. Charles D. Carey.

Figure 34.

34 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 34

1/24/19 2:35 PM

Another American designer who was influential through her unique approach to pocket design was Bonnie Cashin (1907– 2000). While her aesthetics provided a simple, elegant solution to women wardrobe, Cashin focused on practical garment designs with easy fit and functional details, such as large pockets. Some of the most creative pockets were tridimensional, and constructed as regular bags, often having the metal hardware as closure too.

Figure 36. The original Bonnie Cashin purse-pocket design received an updated approach in a recent collection by designer Angus Chiang. Paris Fashion Week— Menswear F/W 2018–2019. Victor VIRGILE / Contributor via Getty Images.

Figure 35. Bonnie Cashin, 1961, dark brown tweed, wool skirt with purse-pocket detail. The inside bag of the purse pocket is lined in soft leather. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

History of pockets 35

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 35

1/24/19 2:36 PM

Construction challenge: patch pocket This patch pocket has a gusset inserted all around to give it dimension. The edge stitching ensures flat seams and crisp corners. The pocket features a loop made of leather to support the overlapping leather belt that closes in a front small gold buckle. A generous 1-inch (25-mm) wide pocket edge hem is consistent with the coat’s sporty look.

Figure 37. Detail of interior coat pocket, Bonnie Cashin, 1969. Historic Costume and Textiles Collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Mr. Philip Sills. Figure 38.

36 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 36

1/24/19 2:36 PM

Figure 39. Coat pocket detail of yellow canvas with leather details, designed by Bonnie Cashin, 1973. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 40. Close-up of the pocket in Figure 39, the welt underneath the flap reveals a leather binding that makes the pocket edge more durable, although more challenging to construct.

Figure 41. Some pockets were camouflaged inside the draped details around the hips of a dress, in a more feminine type of pocket. Dress detail with inseam exposed pocket construction incorporated into the pleats. Historic Costume and Textile Collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Mrs. MLDB Scott, c. 1980.

Figure 42.

History of pockets 37

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 37

1/24/19 2:36 PM

Interview Jonathan Walford, historian and curator, Fashion History Museum, Canada Jonathan Walford was born in 1961 in Vancouver, BC, where he attended Simon Fraser University, receiving degrees in Canadian history and museum studies. He started working in the museum field in 1977 and has held curatorial positions with several institutions including founding curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Walford has also been a private collector of historic fashions since the late 1970s, acquiring over 8,000 examples of dress dating from the 17th century to the present, representing a broad range of fashions from the major couture houses of Paris to simple frocks from mail-order catalogs. He has lectured and published on the subject of historic fashion and social history since 1981 and with his partner, Kenn Norman, founded the Fashion History Museum in 2004, which officially opened in March 2016 in Cambridge, Ontario.

Figure 43. Jonathan Waldorf, historian and curator of the Fashion History Museum in Cambridge, Ontario. Courtesy of Jonathan Waldorf.

As a costume curator, you are constantly exposed to the rich design history of Western fashion. What have you noticed about the changing design details, such as pockets? Pockets started off as external bags, but were sewn inside men’s jackets in the mid-17th century as a way to keep valuables more secure. Women wore one or two bags on a belt, tied under their skirt for the same reason. When women’s skirts slimmed down in the 1790s, the pocket was moved externally as

a decorative purse. However, as skirts got fuller once again, a pocket was often sewn into a side seam of a skirt, hidden from view. Only in the 1860s did pockets on women’s clothes begin to be highlighted with a flap, or added externally, as a patch pocket, usually on tailored clothing or sportswear, as well as coats. By the 1920s pockets were a common feature of sportswear and tailored suits— women’s external breast pockets were often small, to carry only a handkerchief, or even non-functional. There were some noveltyshaped pockets, such as crescent moons or circles, but these were never long-lasting trends.

Do you have a favorite era of fashion that you think would be inspiring to our readers? Regarding a favorite era, I can honestly say I don’t have one specific era I like. However, I do like eras when fashion is in a state of flux— decades like the 1910s and 1960s are more interesting to me than eras where change is slow and subtle, like the 2000s or 1950s.

What is your impression about how garment design and/or construction has changed over time? I have read authors equate pockets with feminism—and that theory has some merit— but pockets generally relate to how much a woman needs to carry with her; if she is working, then she is likely to need more pockets, or a bigger purse. That argument can be turned around though to ask why men don’t carry purses, which is what most briefcases have become—the same contents appear in both—keys, chapstick, sunglasses, wallets, business cards, phones, and so on.

38 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 38

1/24/19 2:36 PM

Interview Brianna Plummer, PhD, assistant professor of fashion and textile technology, SUNY Buffalo State Design educator, practitioner, researcher of three distinct yet related disciplines: fashion, costume, and textiles. Currently, a college professor teaching fashion and textile technology at SUNY Buffalo State, a costume designer and technician in the Boston area, and a doctoral candidate at Iowa State. Brianna worked as a bridal designer for 12 years, ten of which were in her own custom bridal shop, and also worked as a draper in professional costume shops, along with teaching fashion design for ten years at Framingham State University. The evaluation of the use of elements and principles of pocket design is similar in fashion and costume, but the design intent is different. My responses are from my perspective of a costume/theatrical fashion designer with fashion experience. How important are pockets in theatrical/costume clothing? In what way?

Figure 44. Brianna Plummer. Courtesy of Brianna Plummer.

For as long as I can remember I have been interested in the engineering of twodimensional pattern pieces to create threedimensional garments, whether in fashion or costume, and now am adding the engineering of surface designs to the pattern pieces as a direction for my creative scholarship. I have traveled back and forth between fashion and theatre as a student, educator, and professional. I have designed all types of pockets, for all types of garments, with all types of aesthetic effects, and with all types of purpose.

In fashion I consider pockets to be both an aesthetic detail and a functioning component, and I design with both of these considerations. However, in costume, I feel like the aesthetic and functional roles are often separate considerations. It is possible to only need the appearance of a pocket and also to only need the function of the pocket. For example, the aesthetic impact of the extravagant pocket flaps of a 1770s coat, which normally covers a single welt pocket or crescent, helps reinforce the character’s societal status. But the actor may have no need for the actual use of that pocket because of the awkward placement on the coat causing the actor to reach uncomfortably to access the pocket. Therefore, as a costume designer, I might choose to only apply the flap to either cut down on the labor involved in constructing the pocket or on the bulk that the pocket adds to the costume. The visual impact remains the same.

On the other hand, functional pockets can be incredibly important in theatrical/costume clothing, especially the ones not visible to the audience. Items such as microphone packs and special effect devices need to be housed in pockets that are not noticeable. Also actors may need to access or to conceal certain items while on stage. Pockets then become a strategic design element in the engineering of the function of the costume. The size, placement, ease of access, and security of closures of pockets are considerations for the pocket’s design. The pocket’s size needs to fit the actor’s hand; the pocket’s placement should address right-handed, left-handed of stage blocking, and should be easily accessible (if that is the desire of the scene); and the movement of the actor influences the types of closures. If I used Velcro on a pocket flap because it assured items would not fall out, but the flap was planned to be opened during a quiet scene in a historical play when Velcro had not yet been invented, that would be a poor design decision. Yet Velcro on a pocket flap for a ski parka so you could open it with gloves on—that is a good design decision. How does the garment inform pocket design? As a costumer it is important to design and pattern pockets that are accurate to

Interview 39

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 39

1/24/19 2:36 PM

the context. Most of my current costume work affords me the opportunity to be both the designer and technician so it is hard to separate design and production. I think about pocket design as a designer and as a draper. Most of the time the design process comes first and I sketch the costume and consider how the pockets will fit into the design. Occasionally there are instances when during the first few production meetings we become aware of particular pocket needs and the costume design evolves around the pocket production process. I enjoy both processes. Whatever the initial direction of the process—the garment design (silhouette, seamlines, fabrication) and the garment build (construction sequence, tailoring techniques, and finishing) all inform the pocket design. The pocket’s scale, style, and textile selection need to work with the design and the pocket’s construction steps and methods need to work with the build of the garment. What are some of the challenges for designing garment details, such as pockets? Please provide your own approach to pocket design. Where does inspiration come from? How is pocket placement considered?

Pockets can be used aesthetically to draw attention to certain parts of the garment or areas of the actor’s body similar to the design principles I use when designing pockets for fashion. The proportion, balance, and contrast of the pockets to the garment provide emphasis. Likewise, pocket design and placement can be used to camouflage certain areas. Pockets can be used nostalgically to reference certain time periods. The pockets that were worn outside of garments speak to a different time period than the pockets that are strategically placed along the bias seam of a 1940s women’s suit jacket.

Pockets can be used purposefully as aesthetic and/or functional components to the costume. The pockets need to work with the costume as the actor is wearing it. Sometimes during dress rehearsal I will be asked to add a hidden pocket or provide a different closure because of the way the actor needs to use it. Do you consider pockets to be gender specific? Is this concept evolving in the marketplace? I never really thought of pockets as gender specific, however there are identities associated with certain pocket styles. I have always looked at pocket design as appropriate

Figure 45. Historical pockets designed by Brianna Plummer. Courtesy of Brianna Plummer.

Over time and across cultures there are different associations with pocket design. Making sure that my decisions mirror the intent of the play is the biggest challenge, and sometimes a design decision can be historically accurate but in the context of the play may not make sense to the audience. My approach to pocket design in costume is very different than my approach to pocket design in fashion. My inspiration comes from the individual characters as well as the time period, context of the play, functional needs of the actor, and of course the vision of the artistic team. Pockets can be used symbolically to reveal secrets about an actor’s character. For example, the appearance of saggy, worn, overstretched pockets can provide the audience with an understanding that the actor may have a habit of collecting small items and needs to keep them nearby. Very different from the example sited before about the extravagant pocket flap.

40 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 40

1/24/19 2:36 PM

for a particular character. I think I consider pocket placement to be more gender specific rather than the pocket itself. The upperleft welt pocket on a suit jacket does have a masculine feel even when I use it on a woman’s costume.

Anything you would like to add? My latest design research is investigating the impact of trompe l’oeil effects on costume design, especially in respect to pockets. If it is only the visual need of the pocket, is it acceptable to print the illusion of the

pocket on the costume. The benefit could be reduced time and labor on construction, reduced weight and bulk of layers of fabric, and improved flexibility of the costume. The trompe l’oeil effect could also work in the camouflaging of external pockets that I don’t want the audience to easily recognize.

Figure 46. Trompe l’oeil pocket (digitally printed on fabric).

Interview 41

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 41

1/24/19 2:36 PM

Construction tutorial Bean bag double inseam pocket Some historic garments had interesting double inseam pockets, where the pocket bags were extended to the back of the garments too, not just toward the front. In this tutorial, we are showing a variation of the construction of such pockets. While this pocket placement example is for the side seam of a garment, variations can be made for a center front seam. Also,

the shape of the pocket bag can be changed, such as the suggested bean bag shape, but the construction steps will be similar. The two halves of the bean shape pocket bag pattern are integrated in the pattern of the front and back pattern pieces. A separate pattern piece of the entire bean bag is cut

Pocket Extension (from front & back of garment) x2

Figure 47. Overview of construction.

out of self-fabric, lining, or lightweight fabric suitable for a pocket bag. It is important for the fabric of the pocket bag to be the same color or similar color as the outer fabric, since the inseam opening of the pocket edge will reveal the pocket bag fabric.

Pocket Facing x1

Figure 48. The pattern pieces to be used to cut the fabric for the tutorial.

Figure 49. Finished look of the pockets.

42 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 42

1/24/19 2:36 PM

Step 1 Finish all fabric raw edges of the cut out pattern pieces, either by over-edging on machine or bias binding.

Step 1.

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Fold back the seam allowance amount of the side seam and topstitch the edges of the pocket openings only, 1/4 inch (approximately 6 mm) from the folded edge, on both sides of the seam. Backstitch to secure the start and end of the topstitching. While this step is optional, it is however ensuring that the pocket opening edges are visible to the wearer as well as reinforced for durability.

Overlap the bean shape double pocket bag and close the left side pocket by topstitching the two layers of pocket bags together with a 1/2-inch (approximately 12 mm) seam allowance, starting at the top opening of the pocket, going around the shape until the end of the pocket opening.

Clip the corners of the top and bottom of the stitched pocket bags, cutting only to the topstitching line and not further. This step allows for the later opening of the side seam allowances in order to insert the sewing machine foot and close the side seam above and below the pocket opening.

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4.

Construction tutorial 43

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 43

1/24/19 2:36 PM

Step 5

Step 6

Close the right side of the bag and also clip the ends as shown in Step 4.

Turn the garment on the front side, and topstitch horizontally the top and bottom of the pocket ends, closing the stitching rectangle marking the pocket opening. Backstitch and clip threads. For added reinforcements, zigzag bar tacks can replace the horizontal topstitching.

FOLD

The white stitching in the figure will not show on the front side of the garment. However, if this is a desired design element, Step 6 can become stitching around the contour of the bean bag instead of just top and bottom of the rectangle perimeter, making sure the underside pocket bag is actually attached to the front side of the garment.

Step 5.

Design Challenge Choose a historical garment that has pockets and create a contemporary garment having a similar approach to pockets. Show your process and explore variations. Prepare a portfolio page showcasing your design proposal.

View of closed bag from inside garment.

Step 6.

Checklist: Research and inspiration, mood and colors



Fabric proposals



Design development/sketches



Muslin and construction development



44 Historical Insights

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 44

1/24/19 2:36 PM

Featured student work

Designer: Mikayla DuBreuil 2018, University of Delaware, Fashion and Apparel Studies Department Project description

Pocket design process

For this project, the challenge was to design an overgarment that has some interpretation of a historic pocket. I chose to do an interpretation of a watch pocket for a jacket as an in-dart pocket instead of an inseam pocket. My design process started with research on historic garments as silhouettes, then filled in historic details that I felt could be contemporary. I was fascinated by the calligraphy of the Constitution as a historic document, so I decided to incorporate this element into the design of the jacket. I chose a lightweight denim and added details of beige leather and gold trimmings.

I used muslin and ink pen to write paragraphs from the Constitution, creating a fabric that I used as lining as well as side panels for the jacket. At this point, the focal point of my garment became the patterned calligraphy on the side panels, so any patch pockets would have been too much. I decided for inseam pockets. The construction of the jacket followed historic details, so the princess seaming was the only option for shape providing seaming. However, for a more current interpretation, I wanted a boxier shape, so I eliminated the princess seams and did just front waist darts, as a venue to incorporate tiny watch pockets, or in current fashion, lipstick or ID card pockets. The lining of the pockets is denim, consistent with the fabric of the jacket.

Figure 52, 53 and 54. Mikayla DuBreuil’s in-dart pocket detail. Figure 50–51. Research and design process.

Featured student work 45

9781474272490_txt_app_01_016-045.indd 45

1/29/19 2:03 PM

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 46

1/24/19 2:19 PM

2 Pockets in Cultural Dress

Figure 1. A model presents a creation by Japanese designer Jotaro Saito for his 2018 autumn/ winter collection at Tokyo Fashion Week. KAZUHIRO NOGI / Contributor via Getty Images.

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 47

1/24/19 2:19 PM

Pockets across the globe Dress, or the clothing, accessories, and all aspects of personal adornment that distinguishes human beings, differs not only over the course of history but also from culture to culture. People living in different parts of the world have different forms of dress, from hairstyles to the types of clothes they wear. These cultural differences begin as tradition, which may change little over time and represents the ethnic heritage of a community of people. We begin our exploration of dress from different cultures by first looking at traditional forms of clothing worn by people from different areas of globe. This traditional clothing can also be defined as ethnic dress. We will see how ethnic dress varies from culture to culture, and how design details such as the pocket, have been incorporated in these traditional forms. While there are many examples of pockets in ethnic dress from around the world, we selected just a few examples that highlight different construction approaches that could serve as inspiration for contemporary designers. Ethnic dress From Japan In Japan, kimono’s sleeves are pockets, whence has come the phrase to have up one’s sleeve, to have something concealed ready to produce. Kimono sleeves, or tamoto, meaning “by the side of,” were the pockets in traditional Japan that allowed wearers to stash small items while keeping their hands free. The

unique construction of a kimono, from four rectangular sections of equal width cut from the same long piece of cloth, allowed the sleeves to be used in such a manner (see Figure 3). The fabric strip that makes up the sleeve is left open close to the body from the base of the shoulder down but is seamed together on the outer side leaving an opening large enough for the wrist to slip through. When the arms hang naturally, the sleeves flow gracefully down the side of the body creating roomy pockets where items can be stowed. Paper, whether letters or tissue paper,is usually tucked into the neckline. Stiff objects like pipes and fans may be tucked in the obi/sash. Tobacco folded up in thick soft paper would be kept in the sleeve.

the cheongsam was seen as a feudal dress of the ancient times. It was avoided as daily clothing, and women who wore cheongsams were thought of as being bourgeois, which was considered a political misbehavior at that time. However, construction details, such as the extensive contrast piping accentuating the neckline, armholes, as well as asymmetrically and along the slits of the cheongsam, transitioned into modern Chinese wear. Contrast silk piping is regarded as having an “Asian look,” and is sometimes used to decorate the edges of slit pockets.

From China In 1929, the cheongsam (also referred as qipao dress) was chosen by the National Republic of China to be one of the national dresses. The word “cheongsam” originated in the south of China, and eventually was replaced by the word “qipao,” which is the Mandarin Chinese name for the same type of garment. In the 1930s, the fashion prevailed in Shanghai. Traditionally, a cheongsam is made of pure silk cloth and is embroidered with pearls, trims, and other surface decorations. Cheongsams are close fitting to the body, and draw the outline of the wearer’s silhouette. This garment traditionally lacks pockets, due to its restricting fitting outline. From the 1950s to the 1970s, due to the antitradition movements in China, especially the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966–1976),

48 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 48

1/24/19 2:19 PM

Closed

Open

Figure 3. Diagram of kimono sleeves showing pocket created in the men’s sleeve by closing underarm seam (left drawing), and the same seam is left open and not creating a pocket for a woman’s kimono (right drawing).

Figure 2. Art and Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. “Femme Du Japon.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections, 1787.

Figure 4. Chinese models show off the latest traditional Chinese dress called a “qipao” at a show in Shenyang, in northeastern China’s Liaoning province, 2005. AFP / Stringer via Getty Images.

Pockets across the globe 49

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 49

1/24/19 2:19 PM

The labor involved in freehand stitching the mock-trapunto pocket welts is considerable. In this example, the trapunto stitching was made by machine. Serpentine-shaped single-needle stitching adds body to the garment, while the satin surface of the brocade reflects the stitching texture. Again, this design detail also serves as a necessary reinforcement of the silk pocket edges.

Figure 5. Pocket detail with trapunto stitching on the welt. Historic costume and textile collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Belinda Orzada, 1980.

Figure 6.

50 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 50

1/24/19 2:19 PM

Construction challenge: qipao pocket A closer look at a qipao-inspired pocket shows how the pocket itself is almost undetectable, and instead, the piped trim opening appears to be part of the overall embellishment of the dress. The opening is curved, rather than the more common straight edge of a double welt pocket, making it a more difficult construction too. Given the delicate silk fabric of the garment, the piping on the pocket edges also serves as a beautiful and necessary reinforcement.

Figure 7. Silk robe with piped shaped pockets. Historic Costume and Textile Collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Mrs. Diane Corn.

Figure 8.

From West Africa The dashiki is a colorful garment for men widely worn in West Africa and also worn in other parts of Africa. It covers the top half of the body and it can be hip length or longer to the knees. It has formal and informal versions and varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored suit styling. A common version is a loose-fitting pull-over-the-head garment, with a heavily ornate neckline and embroidered hems. Waist-level or hip-level shaped patch pockets are highlighted by embroidered edges or contrast prints. Some versions are longer and have a chest patch pocket too, with edges repeating the hemline decorations.

However, different areas of Africa feature variations on the ethnic dress, but most of the men’s garments have some sort of pocket for functional reasons, and they are more or less decorated depending on the formality of the attire. Flowing wide-sleeved garments, with a huge pocket on the left side, the heart side, usually decorated with traditional embroidery, were one of the predominant forms of male prestige dress worn by chiefs and other wealthy men across a large part of West Africa from the 16th century. Agbada is the Yoruba name for this style of sleeved robe, and these days it is usually worn throughout much of Nigeria by

important men, such as kings and chiefs, and on ceremonial occasions like weddings and funerals. Fine old robes have become family heirlooms passed on from father to son and worn with pride at major celebrations. The old agbada robes were embroidered with variations on two classic designs known as “two knives” and “eight knives.” It is thought that the embroidery may have had a protective role to the wearer, as well as a practical function in strengthening the pocket and neckline of the garment.

Pockets across the globe 51

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 51

1/24/19 2:19 PM

Figure 9. Schoolboy Q performs live at the RBC Bluesfest on July 7, 2016 in Ottawa, Canada, wearing African dashiki.

Figure 10. Mali man’s costume, 1980s. A patch pocket with a flap and a curved opening is visible in the front around the knee level. Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum.

Figure 11. Ceremonial Robe (agbada), Nigeria. Cotton, silk, mid-20th century. Courtesy of CC World Museum Vienna. Author Wolf D.

52 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 52

1/24/19 2:20 PM

From Sweden The loose pocket is an important item of folk dress over much of Europe, and is especially decorative in Scandinavia. In some places, they were simple and worn under the skirt or apron, and in others they were highly decorated and worn on top, at least partly visible at the side of the apron. The website of Nordiskmuseet has a generous spread of sketches of such pockets, kjolsäck, from Leksand, that show a combination of applique and Leksand-style hand embroidery. From Germany Lederhosen (German for leather breeches) are breeches made of leather; they may be either short or knee-length. The longer ones are generally called bundhosen or kniebundhosen. Leather trousers were worn in many regions of Europe by riders and also hunters. But it was in the south of Germany, or

Bavaria, that a unique style developed—a pair of leather, knee-length trousers with a front drop “flap” and several pockets. The front flap has no zipper or fly, just an overlap, called broadfall, secured with buttons at waist. Let’s look at the lederhosen pockets in more detail. Notice the various types and shapes of pockets featured on the garment. There are two welt pockets, one with button flap and one simple welt that intersects the side seam. The third type is a patch pocket with unusual shape, designed specifically to hold the hunting knife, and it is placed only on the right leg. The fourth pocket is the tiny horizontal welt pocket below the waist, also only on the right side, to accommodate small objects such as coins. Extra topstitching around the edges of the pockets serves as reinforcement of seams, flattens the heavy leather edges, as well as provides decorative details.

Figure 12. Art and Picture Collection, “Frau Aus WestWingåker (Schweden).” The New York Public Library Digital Collections, 1874–1876.

Figure 13. Swedish woman wearing her embroidered loose pocket, usually carrying a sewing kit with thimble and a needle, hanging from waist. VW Pics / Contributor via Getty Images.

Pockets across the globe 53

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 53

1/24/19 2:20 PM

Construction challenge: welt pocket This welt pocket is featured as part of a separate garment, an apron. This particular example is made of black silk satin and it has intricate colorful embroidery around the bottom edge as well as on the pocket flap. The pocket is placed on the left side and angled to accommodate the reach of the wearer’s right hand. However, the flap of the pocket makes it hard to access the pocket opening while also preventing its contents from spilling, therefore it has more of an aesthetic purpose rather than a functional one.

Figure 14. Silk apron, 1868, British, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Figure 15.

Figure 16. Manuscripts and archives division, The New York Public Library. “Bavarian man.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections.

Figure 17. Pocket details of lederhosen. Figure 18.

54 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 54

1/24/19 2:20 PM

From Asia Minor The origin of the caftan, also spelled kaftan, is usually attributed to Asia Minor and the Mesopotamia region, areas that include parts of present-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. Caftan-like men’s robes, are depicted in the palace reliefs of ancient Persia dating to 600 B.C.E. By the 13th century C.E., the style had spread into Eastern Europe and Russia, where caftan style variations provided the template for different basic garments well into the 19th century.

Figure 19. Woman’s jacket from Balkans, Albania, 1870–1879. The edges of the pocket-like slits are encircled with soutash cording, which makes the edges sturdier, too. Historic Costume and Textile Collection, University of Delaware. Gift of Winterthur Museum.

The caftan, which can be worn as a shirt or dress slipped over the head, is designed with elbow length or long sleeves, and it is ankle length. Original versions of the caftan were made in simple designs and fabrics, such as silk or cotton and were airy and lightweight. They were worn in numerous ways, but at the time, in the Eastern Mediterranean area, were usually adorned with a belt or sash around the waist. Pockets were not a design feature, but small openings in the side seams allowed the wearer to reach under the caftan to access hanging pockets around the waist of the pants. During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, caftans of various lengths were constructed from rich satins and velvets made with silk and metallic threads and were worn by courtiers to indicate status, and given as “robes of honor” to visiting ambassadors, heads of state, and important government officials. Men’s caftans often had gores added at the bottom, allowing the garment to flare, and providing ease when men were walking. The Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul has an impressively preserved collection of ancient sultan caftans. Women’s caftans were initially more closely fitted to the body. Women were more likely to add sashes or belts, as well as inseam pockets in the side seams, or small openings camouflaged into the heavy embroideries, to reach to undergarments.

Pockets across the globe 55

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 55

1/24/19 2:20 PM

From India These days, in North India and Pakistan, some costumes similar to those of Central Asia are prevalent. Men and women wear a tunic called a kamiz, together with salwar, loose pantaloons, narrow at the ankles and tied at the waist. The versions of salwar kamiz worn by men and women are aesthetically quite similar but have a different cut and styling.

Children also wear the same style of salwar kamiz garments. Pakistan’s women have adopted salwar kamiz as their national dress; for outdoors, many women wear a burqa over the salwar kamiz that covers them from head to toe. In the greater Punjab area, extending into both India and Pakistan, people wear a longer style of tunic, called a kurta, as well as salwar.

Most men’s and boys’ kurtas and kamiz have discrete inseam pockets, extending to both the front and back of the garment, with the bottom part of the bag of the pocket designed to be longer, folded, and showing through the side opening of the long slits.

Figure 20. Traditional Indian kurta with inseam concealed pockets. Details show view from outside the garment as well as the nice clean finish inside.

Figure 21.

56 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 56

1/24/19 2:20 PM

From Pakistan The Baloch or Baluch are a people who live mainly in the Balochistan region of the southeastern-most edge of the Iranian plateau in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, as well as in the Arabian Peninsula. Baloch people wear the national dress of Pakistan, the shalwar kameez, with distinct additions and modifications specific to their crafts and culture. Baloch women wear lightweight, loose dresses and pants, with sophisticated and colorful handmade embroidery, including a large pocket at the center front of the dress to hold accessories. The long rectangular pocket with a triangular top is embroidered with the same design as the rest of the dress. While the pocket may have been originally intended to hold small items, it is practically impossible to access the objects out of the narrow and very long, heavily ornate pocket. Therefore, the pocket has much more of a decorative function rather than utility. Money and keys or other small items are being carried in pouches tied around the waist. The balochi

Figure 22. Traditional woman’s dress from the Baluchistan area of Pakistan, showing the long pocket in the front. Silk, cotton, and metallic thread. Image courtesy of www. attiro.com.

dress with pockets are preferred to be worn in more conservative areas of Balochistan, but the modern Baloch girl would wear balochi dress without pockets.

evolved from a longer undershirt, worn under court jackets, to a shorter garment that can be worn under suit jackets as well as by itself, as a more casual shirt. The more formal shirts are called, these days, dress shirts.

World dress

The dress shirts in England have no pockets, but the standard shirt in the United States usually has a single pocket on the wearer’s left side. This is a sewn-on patch pocket, with a plain double folded and topstitched upper edge, optionally with a single button for closure. This small pocket is large enough to hold a pack of cigarettes or a few pens (a pocket protector can be used). Less formal shirts may feature larger pockets, double pockets, or pockets with various flap closures; safari or other military-style shirts often feature two large pockets with buttoned flaps. Less formal shirts may have small pockets on the sleeves as well.

We have seen several examples of pocket designs from different cultures around the globe. As people from various cultures travel and come into contact with new forms of dress, clothing styles begin to become more universal. Increasing communication and information results in increasing forms of globalization of dress. World dress is similar clothing styles and adornments that appear in almost every part of the globe, from Europe to Asia. World dress is an eclectic mix of local ethnic dress and Western style. The most common example is the men’s dress shirt. The English style of the dress shirt is characterized by the crisp material, the small button-front closure, the stiff angled collar, and the cuffed long sleeves. The garment

Similar features of the world dress shirt characterize the example pictured from the Philippines: the barong features a crisp

Figure 23. Classic men shirt with chest pocket. Courtesy of CC BY

Pockets across the globe 57

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 57

1/24/19 2:20 PM

Figure 24. Variations of shirt pocket designs: patch pocket with a buttoned flap, single welt pocket with button, and single welt pocket with pocket bag stitched to simulate a patch pocket. Figure 25.

material, a button-front closure, a stiff band collar, and a long cuffed sleeve. The sheer white fabric and the elaborate embroidery, however, mark the garment with details specific to the Filipino culture. With the influence of Western styles, examples of ethnic dress become transformed into something that is arguably modern, yet still maintaining individual cultural identity. As American as the western shirt might seem, its origins can actually be found in Mexico. The attire worn by Mexican cattle herders served as the foundation for the design of the western shirt as we know it today. The herders, or vaqueros, used to wear traditional Latin American pleated shirts, known as guayaberas, that informed the western shirt’s trademark yoke detail. These were paired with old Civil War uniforms that offered the basis for the shirt’s tailored torso silhouette.

Figure 26. The Barong Tagalog shirt, an embroidered formal shirt that is considered the national dress of the Philippines, has no pockets, but it features long side slits so men can reach into their pants pockets. It is lightweight and worn untucked over an undershirt. Courtesy of Barong Tagalog/CC BY

The guayabera shirt, pronounced “/gwaɪ.əˈbɛrə/,” is a traditional men shirt that is also known as a “Cuban” shirt. While its exact origin is not known, the most popular story is that, in 18thcentury Cuba, a farmer asked his wife to sew pockets on his shirt to carry the fruits of his labor, the guava fruit. 58 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 58

1/24/19 2:21 PM

Today, the guayabera shirt is a symbol of Latin elegance. Like the blue jeans for Americans, the beret for the French, and the kurtas for Indians, the guayabera shirt is a staple garment for Latin American and Caribbean countries like Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Colombia. The western shirt or cowboy shirt is defined by a stylized yoke on the front and back as well as distinct pockets, such as “barstow” (a Levi Strauss & Co. term for a single-yoke pocket) or “sawtooth” (another Levi Strauss & Co. term for a double-yoke pocket). Western shirts typically have snap closures instead of buttons to minimize the need for repair among workers. Another element unique to western shirts are smile pockets, popularized by flamboyant singing cowboys. Smile pockets have a curved, usually angled opening, often defined by contrast piping that comes to a reinforcing point shaped like an arrow. The western shirt has style variations for women too, with a more fitted body and more colorful embroidery.

Figure 27. Guayabera shirt featuring specific vertical bands of small pleats or embroidery and patch pockets. The staple features of a guayabera shirt are: either two or four patch pockets on the front, two vertical rows of either small pleats (called tuxes) and/ or embroidery, and straight hem meant to be worn untucked. The website artofmanliness.com has a very informative video on the guayabera shirt.

The story goes like this. About three hundred years ago a farmer’s wife took a needle and thread to her husband’s work shirt. She sewed four large pockets onto the front of the shirt, enabling her husband to easily pick and carry guayabas (guavas). The Cubans claim it originated near the Yayabo river in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba. The Mexicans believe the Yucatans invented the shirt and the Cubans copied it. Then there are other stories of it originating in Thailand or the Republic of the Philippines, and then making its way to Central America via Chinese slave traders. https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/guayabera/

Pockets across the globe 59

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 59

1/24/19 2:21 PM

Figure 28. Boys dressed in cowboy shirts, featuring variation of the patch pockets. Courtesy of University of Houston.

Figure 30. 1950s style western shirt with smile pockets of the type popularized by singing cowboys. Courtesy of Educationeducationeducation / CC BY

Figure 29. Variations of cowboy shirt patch pockets. Images courtesy of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

60 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 60

1/24/19 2:21 PM

The Italian house dress, vestagliatta incrociata, and its modest pocket is both a reflection of wartime rationing and women’s ever-changing role in the household. Universally recognized as a house dress, it is the uniform that inspired Diane von Furstenburg to create the versatile wrap dress found in the closets of working women today around the globe. The piped pocket and simple print are the sole indications of aesthetic expression during a time of frugality and standardization. Here, the pocket is small and meant for personal items like a handkerchief or cigarettes.

Figure 31. Italian house dress style.

Figure 32. Diane von Furstenberg cotton dress, 2004. As a variation of the Italian house dress, this design features inseam concealed pockets below the waist instead of the patch pockets, for a more elegant and ready-to-wear look. Keith Beaty / Contributor via Getty Images.

Pockets across the globe 61

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 61

1/24/19 2:21 PM

The modern Chinese tunic suit is a style of male attire traditionally known in China as the Zhongshan suit, and later as the Mao suit. After the end of the Chinese Civil War and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, such suits became widely worn by men and government leaders. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, known as the father of modern China, wanted to create a national dress. Sun Yat-Sen, also known by the Mandarin pronunciation of his name Sun Zhongshan, advocated wearing functional clothes. The suit is named after Sun

Figure 33. Mao Zedong, 1939. Courtesy of Beyaz Deriili / CC BY

Zhongshan, but is also referred to as a Mao suit in the West because it was the suit Mao Zedong often wore in public, and encouraged Chinese citizens to wear. Sun combined Eastern and Western styles by using the Japanese cadet uniform as a base, designing a jacket with a folded collar and five or seven buttons. Sun also rethought the three inner pockets found on Western suits, and replaced them with four outer pockets, two large ones at waist level and two smaller ones on the breast, and only one inner pocket. A classic Mao suit has expandable lower pockets, and

both the top and bottom pockets close with buttoned-down flaps. Looking at the Mao suit in more detail, notice that it has a somehow boxy silhouette, a short collar, four patch pockets (with the signature pointed flap design on chest pockets), and no lapels. The jacket has only one layer, and it is unlined, versus the fully lined Western-style jacket. Three cuff buttons are standard for the jacket.

Figure 34. Sketch of Mao jacket showing detailed pockets.

62 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 62

1/24/19 2:21 PM

Similar in history but slightly different from the Mao suit, the Nehru suit is predominant in India and surrounding countries throughout Southeast Asia. It is named after Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was an important part of the Indian independence movement, and became the first Prime Minister of India. The feature that distinguishes this jacket from a normal suit jacket is its mandarin collar, which was originally a part of court dress in northern India.The Nehru suit is fitted and cut to size, not boxy as the traditional Mao suit. Besides the mandarin collar and a full lining, all other elements were adopted from the British tailoring of the classical men’s suit.

Figure 35. Studio portrait of Indian politician and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) as he stands with his hands behind his back, early 1960s. Notice the lower placement of the chest single welt pockets, and the clean-cut, missing any other pockets. Bachrach/Contributor via Getty Images.

A lighter and more practical version of the Nehru suit is sleeveless, and widely used in India these days. The garment looks like a western vest since it has no sleeves and it is a slightly shorter than a regular jacket, but presents all the other “Nehru” elements, including the signature mandarin collar and the welt pockets. The breast pocket is often adorned with a colorful folded silk scarf or a pocket extension in a triangular shape. The Nehru jacket is often worn over simple kurtas. However, a more casual lifestyle prompted design developments of the kurta so as to be worn by itself as an everyday garment. Therefore, pocket detail variations flourished on the men’s kurta scene, and specific details, such as contrast thread color, snaps, zippers, and flaps, became trendy elements.

Figure 36. Runway kurta fashion, with breast pocket and contrast welt. An Indian model showcases a creation by designer Raghavendra Rathore during the Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week, 2013. Photo credit STRDEL/AFP/Getty Images.

Pockets across the globe 63

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 63

1/24/19 2:21 PM

Interview Amit Aggarwal, designer After graduating from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, in 2002, Amit Aggarwal showcased his collections through student competitions around the world, and soon began working with some of India’s most accomplished designers, such as Tarun Tahiliani. He then headed the design team of Creative Impex, part of the Creative Group, before starting MORPHE, in 2008, in collaboration with the Creative Group. In May 2012, he launched his eponymous label “Amit Aggarwal.” His debut fashion show at India Fashion Week was heralded as one of the best shows of 2012 by Vogue India, while Marie Claire India and Elle India both announced him as the best young Indian designer. He was invited by the Dutch DFA to Amsterdam to be part of a design delegation, and he was a finalist for the British Council’s Young Creative Entrepreneur Award. In September 2011, he showcased his line in Paris in collaboration with Aveda, for a hair and make-up trend show. His work was exhibited at the Arken Museum in Copenhagen showcasing the future of art and fashion from August 2012 till January 2013. He was recently invited by TED in India for a talk on fashion, its future and his journey so far.

What role do pockets play in your designs? Can you provide an example of your approach? Irrespective of how complex our couture is, we provide an option of a small camouflaged pocket in it, giving a lady the space to store her essentials and the freedom to carry her dress well. It makes an immense outfit more available to a woman making a compartment for her nitty-gritties, for which she would otherwise have to carry a bag. Whereas in the ready-to-wear, we developed 3D patch pockets with construction details like a box pleat. Mesh patch pockets were created for SS16 thus styled with playful objects inside them for our runway presentation. For our SS17, we experimented with the idea of the contents our pockets back in our childhood that developed into sheer compartments and spaces for various little objects kept in it as memories.

What is the relationship between form and function in your work, including how you integrate materials and design elements? The extravagant but mostly theatrical form that appears in our couture has found more reason in AM.IT, the ready-to-wear. The form now not only beautifies but is intelligent. Any product that fails to fulfill its function ultimately gets discarded and turns into industrial waste. What I have enjoyed is taking these “no longer usable” objects and broken them down to the raw material that was used to make it. The raw material can then be given a new identity. In our ready-to-wear SS16, we recycled used polythene bags and juxtaposed it with a gamcha (an Indian Towel) and the result was an absolutely unique textile. I love this play of materials where we reverse identities and alter waste so it can be used for another purpose and puts a check on excess.

Figure 37. Amit Aggarwal. Photo courtesy of Amit Aggarwal.

64 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 64

1/24/19 2:21 PM

Figure 38. Amit Aggarwal design detail showing threedimensional patched pockets.

Figure 39. Amit Aggarwal patch pockets.

Figure 40. Amit Aggarwal sheer mesh pockets.

Interview 65

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 65

1/24/19 2:22 PM

Figure 41. Amit Aggarwal sheer pocket holding beads as textural design detail. All photos courtesy of Amit Aggarwal.

66 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 66

1/24/19 2:22 PM

Construction tutorial Guayabera shirt pocket The classic guayabera style has certain detail elements that distinguishes it from other men shirts: four patched front pockets, two rows of tiny pleats down each side of the front chest, three rows of pleats on the back of the shirt, shoulder front and back yokes, side vents that close with buttons, scalloped detailing, and decorative buttons. One interesting construction feature is that the pleats are made separately, on fabric strips that are later attached to the shirt and pockets.

Figure 42. Detail of a guayabera shirt pocket.

Figure 43. Overview of the construction steps.

Construction tutorial 67

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 67

1/24/19 2:22 PM

Pocket x1

Pocket Flap x1

Garment Front x1

Pleating x2

Figure 44. Pattern pieces for this tutorial.

68 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 68

1/24/19 2:22 PM

Step 1

FOLD

Construct two separate strips with pinstripes. One will be attached to the shirt directly, and one will be attached to the pocket. Cut the fabric strips according to the number of pleats desired, calculating 1/8 x 1/8 inch (approximately 3 x 3 mm) distance between topstitching lines for 1/8 inch (approximately 3 mm) topstitched pleats with 1/8 inch (approximately 3 mm) distance between the pleats.Also, allow 1/48 inch (approximately 6 mm) extra seam allowance at each vertical end of the strip, to allow for later attachment to the garment front. Mark the fabric for the stitching lines with a removable pencil. It is important to sew straight and uniform, as each small deviation can result in an uneven strip. Iron while pressing flat half of the pleats toward each side, this way creating a wider gap in the middle of the strip. Step 1.

Step 2 Mark the rectangular pocket placement with removable pencil lines and center the pinstripe strip to the top opening of the pocket line, and at least 1 inch (approximately 25 mm) inside the top edge of the pocket. Fold 1 3/16 inch (approximately 30 mm) of the vertical edges of the strip and attach to the front of the shirt fabric piece by topstitching 1/8 inch (approximately 3 mm) from the edge of the fold. The attachment topstitching should be even with the rest of the pinstripes.

Step 2.

Construction tutorial 69

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 69

1/24/19 2:22 PM

Step 3

Step 4

Separately, cut the two pocket pattern pieces and assemble the pocket by stitching the separate flap part to the top edge of the rectangular piece, 1/4 inch (approximately 6 mm) distance from the aligned raw edges.

Fold back the flap and topstitch along the seam at replace with 1/8 inch (approximately 3 mm) distance from the folded edge.

Step 3.

Step 4.

Step 5 Attach the second pinstriped piece to the pocket, using pushpins to fold the flap edges 1 /4 inch (approximately 6 mm), while centering and inserting the pinstripe strip about 1 inch (25 mm) below the flap, in between the flap and pocket pieces. Fold the bottom edges of the pocket too, temporarily using pushpins to hold the edges folded while topstitching to attach the pinstripe piece to the pocket.

Step 5.

Step 6 Topstitch the flap edge at 1/8 inch (approximately 3 mm), carefully forming the V shape of the flap in the middle of the pinstripe piece.

Step 6.

70 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 70

1/24/19 2:22 PM

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Fold the vertical edges of the pocket /4 inch (6 mm) and attach to the shirt using pushpins, on the pre-marked pocket placement. The two pinstripe pieces should vertically align.

Attach the pocket by topstitching the right side vertical edges, starting 1/4 inch (6 mm) inside at the flap line and stitching toward the top edge of the pocket, then turning around and stitching vertically, toward the bottom edge of the pocket, then left across toward the pinstripe edge, turning again and stitching the pinstripe piece down, 1/8 inch (3 mm) even with the pinstripes.

Repeat Step 8 to attach the left side of the pocket.

Step 7.

Step 8.

Step 9.

1

Design Challenge Choose a cultural/folk garment that has pockets and creates a contemporary garment having a similar approach to pockets. Show your process and explore variations. Prepare a portfolio page showcasing your design proposal.

Checklist:  esearch and inspiration, mood, R and colors



Fabric proposals



Design development/sketches



Muslin development



Construction tutorial 71

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 71

1/24/19 2:22 PM

Featured student work

Designer: Danielle Dubay-Betters 2017, University of Delaware, Fashion and Apparel Studies Department Project description

Pocket design process

My collection, Kin, was inspired by the hands-on and repurposing-focused textile practices of the Kazakh women of Mongolia, as well as the constant advancement of globalization and technology sharing. Throughout the collection, hand embroidery techniques and natural fibers share space with vinyl, as well as plastic and metal hardware, to demonstrate the slow subversion of traditional practices.

For this pocket, I wanted to echo the quilted effect already present in other garments and create a heavy punctuation on an otherwise transparent jacket. I started with several paper triangles and played with different layered configurations until I found something visually compelling. Where and how well the wearer’s hand would fit was the secondary consideration; this pocket is more about the shape than its usefulness.

Figure 45. Research work and design process.

72 Pockets in Cultural Dress

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 72

1/24/19 2:22 PM

Figure 46 and 47. Vinyl pocket detail filled with colorful threads.

Featured student work 73

9781474272490_txt_app_02_046-073.indd 73

1/24/19 2:22 PM

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 74

1/24/19 2:50 PM

3 Utilitarian Pockets

Figure 1. Gyo Yuni Kimchoe, London Fashion Week, spring summer 2015. Danny E. Martindale / Stringer via Getty Images.

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 75

1/24/19 2:50 PM

Utilitarian pockets were introduced to help the wearer with carrying objects. Pocket placement on the garments is therefore limited by the wearer’s reach for the objects in the pockets, as well as the safety of not losing the objects or hurting the wearer. Moreover, the shape and size of utilitarian pockets decides the shape and size of the objects intended to be carried, leading to pockets that are constructed with tridimensional accommodations, such as gussets, pleats, darts, and so on.

Military uniforms Ranging from shirts to outerwear, many of the design details featured in contemporary menswear fashion collections owe their origins to military uniforms. In the early 1900s, brown leather flight jackets were worn by aviators and members of the U.S. military. During the World War II, they became known as “bomber jackets”: an outerwear staple seen in high fashion reinterpretations in menswear and womenswear alike. The MA-1 model of the

bomber jacket had a few previous iterations, the A-2 and the B-15 models. All of them had pockets designed to hold essential objects while the aviators were in the plane, keeping their hands free. Keeping one’s hands in the pockets of the jacket was considered unfit behavior for military personnel. Placement of the pockets, ease of access, and safekeeping of the pocket contents were design priorities.

Figure 3. Close-up of shaped flap pockets of a leather bomber jacket, made in thick leather, with wear marks along the edges. The topstitching is made at approximately 1/32 to 1/16 inch (1 to 2 mm) distance from the edges, for a refined look and allowing for narrower seam allowances and reduced seam bulk. The mark of a snap can be seen through the flap. The rounded corners are not only a style choice but also necessary; rectangular corners would have been too bulky to construct in leather. The aging of the leather also prompted the choice of closure (snap or Velcro) as the shrinking leather surface makes the flaps curve outward. Image courtesy of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 2. The A-2 bomber jacket with the signature flap pockets, 1923–1977. Courtesy of Liftarn / CC BY

Figure 4.

76 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 76

1/24/19 2:50 PM

In an effort to accommodate the growing design needs of the pilots, flying faster planes at higher altitudes, the A-2 jacket was improved with the following features: a fur collar for added warmth, a “pen” zipped pocket on the sleeve, and slash, rather than flap, pockets for easier access during flight. The design of the pen pockets was flat patch construction, measured to accommodate a general size of pens, and only two vertical rows fit on the underlying zippered pocket. This design became the new B-15 bomber jacket model. Figure 5. A contemporary interpretation of the original B-15 bomber jacket, featuring the signature two pen pockets on the sleeve on top of a patch zipped pocket. Courtesy of spugge/CC BY

Figure 6.

Construction challenge: sleeve pocket The pockets on the new B-15 flight jacket were considered more practical, with added depth and secured flaps. The pockets were cut at a 40 degree angle, which inhibited loss of contents during flight, yet allowed aviators to keep hands warm in cold weather. The utility pockets located on the sleeve varied in size and number. Additional cigarette pockets were added on some versions of the jacket.

Figure 8.

Figure 7. Detail of sleeve pockets of a bomber jacket. Variation of details on sleeve pockets, featuring two layers of pen pockets, one on top of the other, with bar tacks for reinforcing the upper pen compartment edges, double-needle topstitching at top edges, and a matching color metal zipper closing the vertical side of a patch pocket.

Military uniforms 77

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 77

1/24/19 2:50 PM

Another type of pocket derived from military garments is the angled chest patch pockets, a detail from paratrooper jackets. This design allowed paratrooper jumpers to access pocket contents while parachuting. The first paratrooper coats consisted of four front patch pockets with two snaps on each flap, along with a unique dual-zippered pocket located on the upper lapel. This lapel pocket was designed to contain a pocket knife. The paratrooper coat was eventually redesigned as a jacket, the M42 flight jacket, with the signature angled chest pockets and below the waist larger pockets with added gussets to maximize the ability to carry larger objects. The M42 paratrooper uniform consisted of what became known as a “jump jacket,” along with the U.S. Army’s first issued trousers with cargo pockets. However, the British military was the first to introduce the pants cargo pocket. In 1938, they created a unique functional and practical combat uniform called the “battledress.” Battledress trousers came with a large map pocket positioned in the front above the left knee, and a right, upper hip pocket that held a field dressing for first aid. The seams on the cargo pockets were often reinforced with extra cotton tape and multiple rows of stitching. The body of the pocket was constructed with a folded box pleat in the center, as well as a gusset for greater expandability.

Figure 9. Original paratrooper jump jacket. Two American veteran paratroopers shake hands after landing for a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. David Turnley/ Contributor via Getty Images.

Since its origin, the cargo pocket has crossed into mainstream fashion, with contemporary fashion designers creating countless updates and interpretations of what has become a unigender wardrobe staple: the cargo pant. Similarly, the jump jacket has undergone modern interpretation. For example, Marc Jacobs spring summer 2015 collection included a creative update, with buttons as an added decorative detail to the enlarged pockets.

78 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 78

1/24/19 2:50 PM

Figure 10. Balmain fall/ winter 2013–2014 look that features a high fashion version of the standard cargo pants, made in soft leather. Pascal Le Segretain/ Staff via Getty Images.

Military uniforms 79

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 79

1/24/19 2:50 PM

Figure 11. Marc Jacobs MercedesBenz Fashion Week spring 2015 collection. Randy Brooke/Contributor via Getty Images.

80 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 80

1/24/19 2:50 PM

While the paratrooper uniform popularized cargo pockets, the U.S. military “field jacket” is arguably the most common of military jackets seen today, with countless apparel brands offering their own interpretations of this light, distinctive jacket. The original M-1965 military field jacket was made from cotton sateen fabric treated to be water repellent, and featured two large chest pockets, two front waist pockets, and a collar with a zipper pocket that could hold a rolled-up hood. The chest pockets are patch-style with inserts to accommodate increased depth and flaps to secure pocket contents. The chest and waist pocket flaps can be shaped or rectangular. The field jacket does not have visible snaps securing the pocket flaps. Instead it has hidden buttons under the flaps to close the pocket.

Figure 12. M-1943 Field jacket. The pockets below the waist are not tridimensional. Courtesy of Carl Wouters / CC BY

Military uniforms 81

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 81

1/24/19 2:50 PM

Construction challenge: flap pocket Looking in more detail under the flap of a pocket, observe the creative details for the pocket closure: a second smaller, rounded flap is attached underneath the main pocket flap. This smaller flap features tape-bonded edges and a vertical buttonhole. The top edge of the patch pocket is placed high, close to the flap. The top edge is reinforced with horizontal zigzag stitched tacks. The top edge of the pocket has a wide double-folded hem, contributing to a reinforced area for button placement. This patch pocket has a narrow gusset, allowing it to lay flat and expand as needed.

Figure 13. Flap pocket detail of field jacket.

Figure 14.

Figure 15. Boy Scout uniform featuring a patch pocket with an inverted box pleat, providing expandability as well as a flat, clean look. Instead of a conventional-shaped flap to cover the pocket opening, a fold across the entire front pattern piece hides the pocket opening, and secures it via two snaps. Courtesy of Wbraswell / CC BY

82 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 82

1/24/19 2:50 PM

Hobby uniforms Motorcycle apparel The iconic motorcycle jacket, originated as the Perfecto jacket, created by the Schott brand in the 1920s. The Perfecto jacket fit is short for comfort while riding, with longer sleeves to protect the wearer’s hands when holding the handlebars. Traditionally, this jacket is made from durable horsehide or more commonly today cowhide. Other signature design elements of this jacket are an asymmetrical front zipper closure, a zipped chest pocket, two waist pockets, a buckled belt, and silver-toned hardware. All of the pockets on this jacket feature heavy, exposed zippers in order to secure pocket contents during motorcycle rides. Unlike other utilitarian apparel, the motorcycle jacket pockets are not tridimensional.The wearer needs minimal air friction during the ride and is often not carrying large objects.

Figure 16. Lewis Leathers Bronx Aviakit Jacket, 1899. Courtesy of Timken Bearing / CC BY

Construction challenge: zippered pocket Let’s look at some of these pockets in more detail. Sewing metallic zippers in leather can be challenging. Larger-size zipper teeth are easier to sew since they will need a wider slash for the pocket, therefore requiring wider seam allowances. Reinforcing tapes or shaped strips around the zipper are recommended in these cases. Multiple rows of topstitching can also add to pocket durability, as well as to enhance aesthetics. Figure 17. Zippered slashed pocket, with added leather tie at zipper pull and a shaped strip around the zipper for reinforcement as well as design detail. A pocket bag is attached inside the slashed pocket, floating between the leather outer layer and an inside lining. Creative Commons via maxpixel.net.

Figure 18.

Hobby uniforms 83

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 83

1/24/19 2:50 PM

Figure 19. X-ray of a motorcycle jacket, highlighting many hidden pockets visible just by zipper placements. Nick Veasey via Getty Images.

84 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 84

1/24/19 2:50 PM

The clothing designed for motorcycle riding has significant safety requirements. Some pockets on the motorcycle jacket are designed to accommodate specific safety features, such as protective padding. These pockets are placed to optimize body protection and are shaped to accommodate the thickness of the pads. If the pads are not tightly fitted in the pocket, they could slip out, creating a risk for injury. Motorcycle pants have pockets for knee pads, either inside the pant legs or outside the fabric. Contemporary motorcycle jackets have more features that involve pockets than did the original Perfecto jacket, often versions of the patch pocket. These pockets can be placed on the back of the jacket to simulate a backpack, or be placed on the sleeves, in order to allow the wearer to carry a cell phone. Hunting Gear Another garment designed for sports and leisure activities that involves carrying specific objects is the hunting jacket. The large three-dimensional below-waist pockets, called “bellow pockets” allow the wearer to carry dog treats, ear protection sets, gloves, snacks, and other items. Some bellow pockets feature drainage holes to prevent damage to cartridges, in case of inclement weather. Hunting vests feature additional pockets of various shapes and sizes, each with a specific use: for example, gun cartridges, flashlights, and maps. To hold individual cartridges, elastic tape is often used instead of fabric, to both secure and count bullets. Zippered pockets have a vented cover that provides waterproofing. Zippers also have long tapes attached to their pulls, to allow opening the pocket while wearing thick gloves.

Figure 20. Hunting attire made of wool tweed with multidimensional pockets. A closer look at the bellow pockets show the gusset that allows the pockets to expand, the curved edges, the curved top edge of the patch pocket that makes it easy to reach inside the pockets, and the snap secured flap. Ben Queenborough via Getty Images.

Figure 21. Construction solution for the tridimensional pockets for cartridges, with elastic rows. Courtesy of Jose A. Bernat Bacete.

Hobby uniforms 85

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 85

1/24/19 2:51 PM

Figure 22. Some hunting coats feature large back pockets attached outside the garment or inside, via slashed pocket construction, and closed with zippers. Mitch Kezar / Design Pics via Getty Images.

Figure 23, 24. Wax-coated hunting jacket featuring multiple patch pockets with gussets and vertical zipped pockets. Pocket flaps are secured with snaps. Some hunting jackets also have an inside large pocket that is used to carry small prey, called a “poacher’s pocket.” Contemporary versions, such as this one, have multiple smaller slashed pockets, pick-stitched for a tailored look. Garment courtesy of Todd Conover, Syracuse University.

Figure 25. Close-up of a lighterweight canvas jacket featuring grommets in the pockets, a design detail inspired by the functional drainage holes in hunting jackets.

86 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 86

1/24/19 2:51 PM

Figure 26. Fisherman wearing pants with added tridimensional pockets to accommodate bait and hooks storage, as well as a waist area pants extension with secured closed zipped pockets and flaps for hand warming. Jeff Bergen via Getty Images.

Hobby uniforms 87

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 87

1/24/19 2:51 PM

Uniforms Construction workwear Construction activities involve carrying around extensive loads of various shaped objects. Regardless of the type of objects (such as hammers, screwdrivers, box cutters, brushes, pens, or measuring devices), storage of and access to these tools is essential. Carrying heavy tools on a garment can be uncomfortable for the wearer, so tool belts and tool vests, also called utility vests, were

designed to accommodate carrying multiple tools for multiple type of activities. For these garments, safety requirements are considered in the design of pocket flaps with closures such as Velcro, zippers, or snaps. Reflective tape can also be added to make the wearer more visible while working at night. The placement of each pocket is carefully considered depending on the needs of the wearer. For example, pockets holding tools are placed for ease of use while kneeling, reaching, climbing, or bending over. The pockets are therefore placed away from the areas of flexion (knees and elbows). More

expensive workwear features engineered seams to maximize inseam pocket bag areas, while reducing bulk. Construction worker’s pants feature various pockets and details to hold tools, such as double hammer loops, zippered leg pockets, and cell phone/ID card/pen pockets. Many of the patch pockets in such apparel are reinforced with Cordura fabric for added durability. Variations of the pocket details from construction workwear inspired the look of these fashion cargo pants.

Figure 27. Construction worker wearing safety belts, chest pockets, and pants featuring hooks that allow for balanced load distribution and freedom of movement. Reza / Contributor via Getty Images.

Figure 29. Detail on a side seam pocket. The inseam pocket opening uses an additional shaped seam toward the back of these pants to enlarge the pocket opening. Bar tacks are used to reinforce the pocket ends, and the double-needle topstitching serves as an aesthetically pleasing yet sturdy edge.

Figure 28. Details of back pockets on the pants. Narrow vertical pockets along the pant outseam allow for storage of long narrow tools. A utility belt is often worn for added pockets. Steven Weinberg via Getty Images.

88 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 88

1/24/19 2:51 PM

Figure 30. Reebok vintage vest features utility-inspired pockets. Ribbon orange tape and a metal slider are used as a pocket securing system. These pockets are also tridimensional, with a gusset and rounded edges. Metal rivets reinforce the corners of the flaps. Velcro pieces are sewn to the tape for a secure closure. Reebok Brand Archives. Reebok International Copyright 2017.

Figure 31. Wild and Lethal Trash, fall winter 1995. Creative combination of partial zipped gussets, contrast zippers and flaps, and overall volumeadding pockets. © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Uniforms 89

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 89

1/24/19 2:51 PM

Figure 32. Boy’s cargo pants, featuring nested patch pockets heavily topstitched and zipped with contrast color zipper. A gusset allows for expansion of the pocket.

Figure 33. Variations of cargo pockets, incorporating a cell phone slot. Notice the small darts at the bottom corners, to allow for tridimensional expansion of the large pocket as well as the gusset. The flap placement is reinforced with allaround topstitching.

90 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 90

1/24/19 2:51 PM

Heavy cotton fabric has been a staple for construction workwear. Denim is a classic cotton fabric material. However, its weight and requirements for durability led to creative ways of attaching and reinforcing pockets. In 1880, the denim legend and the founder of Levi’s brand, Levi Strauss, wanted to create a durable, breathable utility garment for Figure 34. Levi’s jeans with copper rivets, orange topstitching, and the signature coin pocket, also called watch pocket, inside the right front hip pocket.

cowboys, railroad engineers, and miners to wear during the gold rush of the American West. Strauss started by importing denim fabric from France to create his famous sturdy, solid trousers, which later became known as “jeans.” He made them stronger than any other working pants by placing copper rivets at the places pants rip the most: pockets and closures.

The carpenter-style jeans have extra pockets for holding the hammer and a loop for hanging the hammer, as well as a slant cut pocket placed above the knees to hold the tape measure. Extra patch pockets can be added to an extension above the waist, referencing the signature carpenter overalls.

Figure 35. A lighter approach to the coin pocket on women jeans.

Figure 36, 37. Jeans overalls, featuring the hammer pocket on the right thigh side and other varied pockets on the right side of the chest area that are good for holding pens, rulers, and cigarettes.

Uniforms 91

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 91

1/24/19 2:52 PM

Figure 38, 39, 40, 41. Back jeans pockets variations.

92 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 92

1/24/19 2:52 PM

In addition to jeans, Levi Strauss designed a few versions of a denim jacket, originally known as a trucker jacket. Today the denim, or jean, jacket features a short, tailored fit and pointed flaps on the front two chest pockets. Constructed from 14 oz. preshrunk denim as opposed to the earlier models’ 9 oz. raw denim base, it also features orange instead of yellow stitching. Some versions of the denim jacket have two additional vertical welt pockets. The pockets on the denim jacket have an inseam construction, with the flaps covering the opening in the yoke seam that allows for the attachment of the pocket bags. The pocket bags are sometimes made of lightweight woven cotton fabric to minimize seam bulk. A topstitching secures the inside pocket bags to the denim front panels, while also creating visual interest. The pockets are always wider than the two vertical shaping seams.

Figure 42. Vintage denim jacket, 1975. Courtesy of Fortepan / CC BY

Figure 45. A rectangular fabric as reinforcement is sewn under the flap, for construction detail as well as for emphasis of the flap. The flap itself, is made out of two overlapping pieces, partially hiding a button closure for the underlying patch pocket.

Many flap details can be designed to enhance the utilitarian look of a pocket, while the basic pocket construction can remain an applied patch, either shaped or rectangular.

Figure 43, 44. Detail of jacket pocket construction, outside and inside views.

Uniforms 93

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 93

1/24/19 2:52 PM

Figure 46. A new look of the classic jeans jacket, featuring multiple bellows pockets and layered inside an overcoat. Burberry Prorsum, spring summer 2015. Ian Gavan/ Staff via Getty Images.

94 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 94

1/24/19 2:52 PM

Chef Apparel Pockets are adapted to allow for overall garment safety style as required by some professions. In particular, chefs and food industry professionals need to keep objects away from the danger of falling in the food, specifically, away from the front of the garment, while still being able to carry their most important tools: thermometer, spoon measurements, pens, and so on. The asymmetric closure of the tunics allows for pocket placement only in existing seams or on the sleeve above the elbow. No pockets are usually present on the center front, and the chef’s tunics are longer, reaching slightly below the hip level. A left-side patch or welt chest pocket is also common.

Figure 47. Tridimensional origami pocket made in non-stretch cotton canvas fabric. While the pocket itself has an inseam concealed construction for the pocket opening, the pocket bag is actually a patch type, folded precisely on the left side. No topstitching is required. This type of pocket does not accommodate larger objects due to its limited opening, but multiple smaller objects can definitely be carried.

Figure 48. Chef’s coat with pockets for thermometer and pens. Similar compartment pockets can be attached on the left sleeve, above the elbow level.

Sleeve pockets are often seen on chef’s uniforms, with compartments to hold pens. For a clean look, pocket gussets can have a geometrical construction, with precise folding similar to origami art. Both patternmaking and assembly of such pockets are challenging.

Figure 49.

Healthcare uniforms Healthcare workers have various types of objects to carry in their scrub uniform. However, their uniform fabric is lightweight and stretchy, allowing for extra movement and comfort. Commonly found items inside a nurse’s scrubs pockets are: pens, scissors, thermometer, Kelly clamps, dressing tape, bandages, penlight, calculator, wipes, hand sanitizer, gloves, EKG calipers, IV caps, Post-it notes, lip balm, keys, and so on. Rectangular, simple patch pockets are usually designed for the tunics. To avoid having all the objects weighing down the shirt, extra pockets are being designed for the pants. However, nested slim pockets and precise organization of the objects are key for this profession, and no gussets are present on the pants patch pockets. The more separate compartments are present, the better. Easy access is also an important feature, so no flaps or zippers are present.

Figure 50. Detail of nested flat pockets on scrubs. Uniforms 95

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 95

1/24/19 2:53 PM

Construction challenge: adding fullness to pockets Let’s look at a few ideas for adding dimension to basic patch pockets. Small darts placed on the circumference of a rounded pocket will reduce its perimeter and create a small pouch. The darts can be fully stitched or partially stitched, as tucks.

Figure 52.

Figure 51. Shaped tridimensional pocket with tiny darts and a shaped flap. Edge topstitching applies the pocket, which has a patch construction after the darts are first closed. Alternatively, the dart can be transferred into shaped seams and topstitched for a sportier look and still having a tridimensional pocket.

Other ways of adding volume to a flat pocket are illustrated: pleats, gathers, gussets, tucks, and so on.

Figure 53. Ideas for adding fullness to a patch pocket.

Baseball

Accordion

Gathered

Box

Bellows

Gusset

Tucked

96 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 96

1/24/19 2:53 PM

Interview Steve “Krash” Vilegas, designer and founder of Utilikilts The Utilikilts company, established April 2000, was originally founded in order to fund a global arts project involving seven double-decker buses that would travel the world, putting on an interactive road show of music, dance, video art, and drama, and leaving change in thier wake. The Utilikilt, a modern, casual kilt, was one of several designs implemented by Form Follows Function (FFF), an original design company, in order to raise money for this arts project. However, the Utilikilt soon spawned the Utilikilts company, and this unique garment began to accomplish the goals that FFF had originally set out to promote, by becoming a growing social phenomenon, inspiring debate, consistently challenging the media, changing lives, and creating a common symbolism among its wearers. How did you get interested in fashion? I did not “get interested” in fashion. The stigma and industry of the fashion world are not appealing to me in any sense. If I am perceived to be a participant in the world of fashion then maybe it is just an outcry from the industry for some much needed functionality/ practicality. I ended up in menswear because I created something that was not being provided in the category. With no sewing experience, I set out to make some clothing that better suited me. Because of the warm and enthusiastic reception my creations garnished in public day-to-day living, I set out to share my designs professionally. How and in what way are pockets in Utilikilts clothing important? By integrating functionally smart pockets, I resurrected an age-old non-bifurcated design that originated in the Scottish Highlands in the 16th century. Traditional kilts were worn with Sporrans, a belt-like purse that would cover the groin. By integrating modernized pockets onto the garment itself, I increased carrying capacity, and married a very practical menswear fashion with utility and specialization.

What is the relationship between form and function of pockets? Form is defined by function. If a pocket performs perfectly, then that is what a perfect pocket looks like. What are some of the challenges for designing garment details, such as pockets? Successful designs come from the knowledge of use and application. Pockets serve a physical need. Pockets exist in the relationship of things we physically are and things we physically do. I physically immerse myself into the world which I design for. It is less inspiration than perspiration to continuously review the compromises practiced between the physical self and the clothing we wear. Isolating muscular motor memory is not an easy task.

How is pocket placement considered? Pockets connect us with the things we do. They should be in locations accessible to the hands and consider where the hands and other body parts might be when in use during any specific application. Pockets must not restrict access and hold content in ways that do not impede physical range of motion. They may further be positioned in angles or locations on the body that take into consideration expediency when in use. Do you consider pockets to be gender specific? Is this concept evolving in the marketplace? Yes, if clothing is gender specific, then pockets should be as well. Hands use pockets, men’s hands are generally larger than women’s. Men and women keep different things in their pockets.

Interview 97

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 97

1/24/19 2:53 PM

Interview Tracey Panek, historian, Levi Strauss & Co. Tracey Panek is the historian for Levi Strauss & Co. She answers historical questions, documents the evolution of the company, and shares stories about its development. Tracey also manages the day-to-day workings of the Levi Strauss & Co. archives as a key corporate asset, answering historical questions, assisting designers, brand managers, executives, and other employees whose work requires historical materials in the archives. What can you share about the history of pockets as related to jeans?

Please elaborate on history of the watch pocket.

How do you see the watch pocket evolving in the future?

Levi Strauss & Co. manufactured the world’s first blue jeans, known as waist overalls, beginning in 1873. This is the year it received U.S. Patent No. 139,121 for Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings. There were four pockets on the original pants and all of them were riveted—three on the front, including a small pocket above the right opening. The rivets kept the pockets from ripping and made the openings stronger and more secure. There was also one riveted back pocket on the right side beneath our leather patch. This back pocket included our distinctive arched design called the arcuate.

Our patent riveted waist overalls were functional and included a practical small pocket on the right. It was called a watch pocket since it was intended to store a pocket watch. Pocket watches were a typical possession during the late 1800s.

The watch pocket is one of the original features of our waist overalls and continues to be a feature of our 501® jeans today. Interestingly, we recently customized a pair of Lot 1 jeans for a left-handed fan in London—it was the 501st Lot 1 501®-style jean sold there. The watch pocket was moved to the left-hand side of the pants to accommodate him. Levi’s Vintage Clothing is also working on an unusual pair of “mirrored” pants for its 2018 line. It also features the watch pocket on the left-hand side.

We added a fifth and final pocket to the pants in 1901, just over a decade after we assigned these riveted waist overalls Lot Number 501.

The two top corners of the watch pocket on our 501s® are riveted (except during World War II when we removed them to save metal, returning the rivets to the watch pocket after the war). A watch pocket appears on our XX (~1879), the world’s oldest waist overalls, which are stored in a fireproof safe in the Levi Strauss & Co. archives. The watch pocket is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the fifth pocket, but it is not. The fifth pocket is the second pocket added to the back of our waist overalls in 1901.

For the future, I suspect that we’ll continue to see different uses for the watch pocket— especially as gadgets get smaller. What began as a pouch for a watch has been used to store everything from coins to condoms to Ipod minis.

98 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 98

1/24/19 2:53 PM

Construction tutorial Nested pockets with gussets This nested pocket design uses two strips of fabric as gussets. If the gusset pieces are cut on bias, the pocket will fold differently. An interesting visual effect can be obtained if the gussets are cut out of contrast color fabric, or even contrast texture.

Figure 56. Diagram of the overall construction.

Figure 54. Finished pocket look, made in muslin.

Figure 55. Flat sketch of the finished pocket

Construction tutorial 99

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 99

1/29/19 2:14 PM

Large Pocket Bag x1

Small Gusset x1

Large Gusset x1 Garment Front x1

Small Pocket Bag x1

Figure 57. Pattern pieces for this tutorial.

100 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 100

1/24/19 2:53 PM

Step 1

Step 2

Both pocket patterns should have notches about 1 9/16 inch (40 mm) from the top edges, to mark the beginning and the end of the gusset placement. Attach the small gusset panel to the small pocket by stitching at the seam allowance distance from the edges, recommended 3/8 inch (10 mm), starting at one notch and ending at the other notch.

Clip the seam allowances at the rounded corners, to allow for smoother edges.

Step 1.

Step 2.

Step 3

Step 4

Mark the small pocket placement on the bigger pocket piece.

Fold the top edge of the small pocket by 1 inch (25 mm), and turn the raw edges inside the hem by 3/16 inch (5 mm), creating the doublefolded hem for the small pocket. Topstitch close to the edge, then press the hem.

Step 3.

Step 4.

Construction tutorial 101

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 101

1/24/19 2:53 PM

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Edge stitch the gusset, too, at the same distance from the edge as the hem edge stitching 1/32 inch or 1 mm. Now the small pocket is ready to be attached to the bigger pocket, as marked in Step 3.

Pin the small pocket on the marked outline on the big pocket piece, by turning the raw edges inside 3/16 inch (5 mm).

Edgestitch the small pocket by following the pins, at 1/32 inch (1 mm) from the edge. Reinforce the top corners of the pocket by stitching a triangular shape as shown below.

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8 Similar to the small pocket, attach the larger gusset to the larger pocket by starting at one notch and ending at the other notch, stitching with a seam allowance of 3/8 inch (10 mm). Clip the seam allowances around the round corners, to allow the seam to lay flat.

Step 8

102 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 102

1/24/19 2:53 PM

Step 9

Step 10

Step 11

Fold over 1 inch (25 mm) of the top edge of the larger pocket, and turn again 3/16 inch (5 mm) to create a double-folded 3/4 inch (20 mm) top hem for the pocket. Edgestitch at 1 /32 inch (1 mm). Also, edge stitch the gusset on the large pocket, too, at 1/32 inch (1 mm) from the gusset seam.

Pin the large pocket on the marked area for the pocket placement on the garment by folding the raw edges inside 3/8 inch (10 mm).

Topstitch the larger pocket by following the pins, at 1/32 inch (1 mm) from the edges, also constructing a triangular shape at both top corners for reinforcement.

Step 9

Design Challenge 1 Design a tridimensional pocket integrated into an overall garment design. Show your process and explore variations. Prepare a mood board or sketchbook pages showcasing your design process.

Step 10

Step 11

Checklist:  esearch and inspiration, mood, R and colors



Fabric proposals



Design development/sketches



Muslin development



Construction tutorial 103

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 103

1/24/19 2:53 PM

Featured student work

Designer: Sirui Zhu 2018, University of Delaware, Fashion and Apparel Studies Department This project was exhibited at International Textiles and Apparel Association Conference in Vancouver, Canada, 2016. Project description The concept for this design project, Santorini, was inspired by the city of Santorini in Greece. The buildings in this city are very close together, almost like overlapping, have rectangular shapes, and are painted in happy and bright colors. Also, the ocean proximity next to these buildings, the blue color of the water, fading from darker to lighter, inspired me to choose the color blocking technique. The challenge was to create a structured overgarment inspired by such a destination, rather than a casual look, and incorporate functional pockets.

Pocket design process For the ensemble that I’ve selected to construct, I decided to use color blocking with rectangular shapes. The innovative threedimensional pocket on the front of the jacket was created based on inseam concealed pocket construction and it required a few tries on a muslin. Working with white satin squares also required extra interfacing to hide the pressed open seam allowances from the neighboring colored squares. The inside of the pocket was lined with contrasting red fabric, for an enhanced play on contrasting overlapping edges. In order to keep a flattening silhouette, I chose to make the dimensional pocket only on one side of the jacket, and create a double welt pocket at the chest area on the other side.

Figure 58. Mood board, design ideas, and fabric selection.

Design Challenge 2 Design a garment with pockets for a wearer with special needs. Show your process and explore variations. Discuss your design process and how you integrate design details to the wearer’s functional needs.

Figure 59, 60. Finished ensemble look.

104 Utilitarian Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 104

1/24/19 2:54 PM

Featured student work

Designer: Lida Aflatoony, Ph.D. student in Textile and Apparel Management/HES, University of Missouri, Columbia Project description This design concept is part of a qualitative research project that investigates tactile design strategies for visually impaired individuals. This garment focuses on techniques that facilitate the identification of clothing components by using strategies such as adding raised textures to assist the user to locate specific parts of the garment as well as creating the same back, front, inside, and outside to reduce the user’s need for touching the garment to identify the direction of it. Thus, users can put on the dress without worrying if the garment is being worn correctly.

Pocket design process

Figure 61, 62, 63. Overall design, showing on both sides, showing the identical inserted concealed pockets in the princess seams. The dress has the same design on the back too, with an additional two pockets on both sides. Model: Nadine Kaufman.

There are eight inseam pockets included in this garment, located behind the pleats in front and back of the garment as well as inside of it. Therefore, the user will always have access to two pockets in front of the garment. All the pockets have a classic inseam concealed construction, with pocket bags made in contrast printed cotton fabric. Topstitches support the pocket to stay inside. The raised texture in the form of padded shapes has been used in parts of the dress to assist the user to locate pockets without searching for the pockets for long time, as well as for added aesthetics. The pattern is made with foam inserted between the two layers of fabric. The foam was cut in the shape of rectangles and attached on the fabric first using fabric glue, on the specific spots, and then contained by a line of topstitching that goes through both layers.

Figure 64. Placement of inseam concealed pockets.

Featured student work 105

9781474272490_txt_app_03_074-105.indd 105

1/24/19 2:54 PM

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 106

1/24/19 2:57 PM

4 Pockets in Activewear

Figure 1. Jeremy Scott, New York Fashion Week, fall 2018. Peter White / Contributor via Getty Images.

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 107

1/24/19 2:57 PM

This chapter focuses on how pockets are designed to accommodate various objects that need to be carried by the wearer while performing various sport activities, for leisure or performance. Unlike the pockets showcased in the previous chapter, activewear features pockets that are slim and concealed, and close securely. Clothing known as activewear traces its origins to the early 1970s, when highperformance sportswear specifically designed for mountaineering, sailing, and hiking became popular. As these styles made their way into contemporary mainstream fashion, some of the functional characteristics of the original performance sportswear became either exaggerated, for the sake of a fashion statement, or minimized, when garment cost was a key decision factor. We will focus on a few examples from various sport activities and discuss the design features and considerations of user needs for the pockets.

Sport support Running Running as an activity requires clothing that is lightweight and fast drying, while it also allows the wearer to carry various objects such as keys, gym ID, and personal items. Although the original running pants were essentially sweatpants made of thick terry cotton fabric, with just two vertical inseam pockets below the waistband, advances in fiber and fabric manufacturing have more recently prompted new pocket constructions and designs, appropriate for waterproof, stretch, or non-woven fabrics that are used in contemporary activewear. Women’s running pants, also referred as yoga pants or leggings, are form fitting and made of stretch fabrics. Men’s running pants often have a looser fit; they are made of lightweight, windproof and waterproof woven or non-woven fabrics.

Figure 2. Women’s running outfit, with tight-fitting pants and sports bra. The body posture during running maps out the opportunities for pocket placement: around the lower part of the waist, along the thighs, and the upper front of the shirt or bra. Courtesy of Sofi Fahrman / CC BY

108 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 108

1/24/19 2:57 PM

Figure 3. Women’s running pants, featuring a long mesh pocket along the thigh, inserted between two seams. The top edge of the mesh pocket is reinforced with fabric binding to provide durability.

Figure 4. Another example of women’s running pants, featuring a “key pocket,” a small inseam concealed opening at the top edge of the waistband, allowing the wearer to carry keys. This inseam pocket usually has a small pocket bag inserted inside the waistband. The pocket opening does not have a zipper or any closing system.

Sport support 109

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 109

1/24/19 2:57 PM

For running apparel, the pockets are designed to be applied along the thighs outer seam, or horizontal around the back of the waist where it cannot interfere with the arms moving during running. For this reason, stretch nylon mesh fabric is used. Invisible zippers are often used to secure the closing of the pockets. Unlike invisible zippers used in womenswear with small and narrow zipper pulls, invisible zippers in activewear have larger zipper pulls, which are easier to grab, and they are emphasized with tape and reflective colors to make them more visible. Contrasting color details are often used in activewear to highlight the pocket placement, to reinforce the zipper edges, or to be a reflective detail for a user that runs at night. The reflective tape can be stitched or bonded to the edges of the zipper application.

Figure 6.

Figure 5. Reflective tape bonded around zipper pocket on a running shirt. The top of the zipper has a “zipper garage,” a name used for the small protective fabric piece attached to the top end of the zipper placement. This fabric attachment allows the user to fully close the zipper and cover the gap in the pocket in case of rain. The zipper is a regular plastic teeth coiled-type that is sewn inverted, with the coiled teeth inside, looking like an invisible zipper.

Figure 7. The opening of this vertical zipped pocket in a pair of sweatpants shows the pocket bag that is made of black mesh material, which provides less bulk inside and ventilation if needed. The zipper pull has long ties for easy access and handling. 110 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 110

1/24/19 2:57 PM

Figure 8, 9. A jogging shirt can have front slanted pockets as well as a horizontal pocket at waist level at the back of the garment, secured with invisible zippers. This style of garment shows emphasis on vertical seams that are topstitched in zigzag, and the pockets are not bonded or topstitched, for a sleeker, elegant look. The dressy invisible zippers are entirely concealed.

Figure 10 and detail. This men’s running t-shirt has a chest pocket with sealed edges in reflective material. The inside mesh pocket bag is entirely fused to the t-shirt front panel, adding to the wearer’s comfort and maximizing the clean, flat look of the garment.

Sport support 111

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 111

1/24/19 2:57 PM

Construction challenge: exposed zippered pocket Figure 11. This zipper construction has one side of the zipper tape in a vertical seam and the other side in a rectangular shape insertion. The zipper is not the invisible type; it is a plastic molded regular zipper. The color contrast is considered as a design detail, and the color of the thread used for topstitching around the zipper construction is changed from white to black accordingly. The most difficult part of executing this type of zipper construction is achieving a perfect right angle at the top right of the zipper, where a non-woven stiff zipper tape has to be sewn to a very stretchy and soft jersey fabric. The bottom end of the zipper is sewn into another seam. A pocket bag is attached inside the zipper opening.

Figure 12.

Figure 13. Men’s running shorts may feature pockets around the knee area for carrying a locker key, a cell phone, or a snack. While cargo shorts have a much too bulky look for running or active sports in general, a patch pocket can have an invisible zipper opening for a safe closure and sleek appearance. The invisible zipper is set into a seam within the patch part of the pocket.

Figure 14. This running shirt has slanted inseam pockets at the back, which do not have a secured closing, therefore allowing for easy access for smaller items. The edges of the pockets also provide design detail, being topstitched with flat seaming.

112 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 112

1/24/19 2:57 PM

Figure 15. The entire front part of the bottom band of this running shirt is a pocket, with openings on both sides, and curved bound edges for reinforcement as well as design detail. The darker backside of the fabric accentuates the curved pocket opening.

Figure 16. This lightweight, lined Corneliani windbreaker designed for running features multiple pockets, It has a versatile, borderline utilitarian, look. The topstitching detailing and the heavy plastic molded zippers add textural interest to the otherwise plain fabric and slashed pockets. A flap closed with a snap above the chest is just a decorative detail, to add dimension to the silhouette. “Corneliani Windbreaker” by Robert Sheie is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Figure 17. A colorful running wind jacket from 1991 features a hidden patch pocket at the back neck to store the lightweight hood. Reebok Brand Archive/ Reebok International © 2017. Sport support 113

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 113

1/24/19 2:58 PM

Figure 18. Hood pocket inside the collar of an updated windbreaker on recent runway show of Anne Sofie Madsen, during the women’s 2018 spring/ summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show in Paris. AFP Contributor via Getty Images.

114 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 114

1/24/19 2:58 PM

Skiing Winter apparel is usually made of waterproof fabrics, so concerns with water getting into the pockets is an important design consideration. Slim invisible zippers could work, but the zipper pulls need to be extra-long, for ease of access while wearing winter gloves. Safety features inside the pocket bags, such as a clip for keys, are popular.

Figure 19. Featuring contrasting triangular overlaps, this mountaineering jacket is a classic example of the pocket placement and emphasis for winter sports. Reflective tapes and elongated zipper pulls are required because often the users wear gloves. Courtesy of https://pxhere.com/en/ photo/1065461 /CC BY

Figure 20. Pucci ski jacket, c. 1995, featuring several invisible zipped pockets enhanced with piping inserted in the seams. The pockets have loops attached to pocket bags, allowing for securing items such as a handkerchief or keys. The sleeve pocket has a small invisible zipper, posing quite a construction task. The edges of the pocket openings are reinforced with visible bar tacks. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University. Sport support 115

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 115

1/24/19 2:58 PM

Figure 21. Jeremy Scott ski-inspired jacket, New York Fashion Week, 2018. The tridimensional pockets have a shaped patch construction, using darts, and also feature contrasting zippers and gussets. Contrasting piping contours the areas where the pockets are placed, for a borderline utilitarian look. Peter White via Getty Images.

116 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 116

1/24/19 2:58 PM

Golf Golf is a sport that requires extensive walking, bending over from knees and hips, as well as the need for the player to carry golf balls and tees. Therefore, the presence of pockets on the pants or skirt is an important design consideration. While men’s golf uniforms remained quite conservative in details, the rise of women players has brought sleeker silhouettes, materials, and details to the women’s outfits.

Figure 22. Zakiya Randall playing in event at PGA Village. Her left sleeve features a patch pocket with a white zipper right above the elbow. The patch pocket bag has the sides gathered to accommodate for a bulkier content of the relatively small pocket. Courtesy of Executiveone / CC 3.0

Many golf clubs have uniform restrictions that leave players with few fashion choices regarding the overall silhouette of the golf pants and golf polo shirt. A chest pocket on the shirt can be featured, but it is not common. The backside welt pockets however are a staple feature of golf pants of any length. Activewear garments designed for rainy and windy weather are made of waterproof and windproof fabrics, which are often coated and stiff, allowing for zipped pockets to be easily constructed. Windbreakers with longer zippers, across the entire chest, made their way out of the activewear category into the fashion runway, such as this Hermes look from 2000.

Figure 23. Welt pocket detail on the Ryder Cup Team USA uniforms. The pocket bag is made of contrast printed fabric that creates a focal point. The loop for pocket button closure is a high-end construction detail that usually results in heavy fabric bulk at the seam allowances, especially since these pants are made of wide wale corduroy, so advanced sewing skills are needed to achieve a smooth inserted look. Montana Pritchard/PGA of America via Getty Images.

Sport support 117

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 117

1/24/19 2:58 PM

Figure 24. This pair of men golf pants, made of lightweight woven fabric, features back horizontal pockets with invisible zippers and two front slant pockets. The front pockets have a reinforced edge construction, with reflective tape insertion and fusible interfacing between the fabric layers. The pocket bags of the back pockets are topstitched to the outside of the pants for reinforcement as well as to keep them from bunching upwards.

Figure 25. This pair of golf pants made from a lightweight performance fabric feature a creative solution to enhance the durability of the front pockets. The bottom corner of the pocket opening has an elastic insert to allow for the pocket to open larger when needed, and recover back to a flat shape.

Figure 26. Hermes 2000 windbreaker jacket, featuring an oversized front pocket, with a narrow welt covering the zipper. For such large pockets, often the pocket bag would be topstitched to the outer fabric layer, as to be sturdier and not bunch up inside the garment. For this specific design, the pocket bag might be attached to the inside lining layer instead of the outside fabric layer, for a cleaner and more elegant look. © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 118 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 118

1/24/19 2:58 PM

Cycling Cycling apparel features pockets designed to carry objects while riding a bicycle. The placement of the pockets considers the various body positions during this activity. For this reason, pocket design has some specific features, one of them being a larger size than the pockets for running pants.

Construction challenge: triple patch pocket Figure 27. This 1987 men’s cycling shirt is made of stretch Swisstex jersey fabric, with three pockets at the back waist level and an engineered red graphic that overlaps the pocket edges. The three pockets are constructed from one large fabric piece with vertical stitch lines creating the pocket compartments. The top edges are reinforced with double-needle cover stitch hems. Another aesthetically pleasing detail is that the black and white print on the pockets is aligned with the rest of the print on the shirt, a high-end construction technique. Reebok Brand Archives. Reebok International Copyright 2017.

Figure 28.

Figure 29. Activewear vest from the Reebok archives has a removable pocket that was innovative at that time. This design feature gives the garment versatility, as it could be worn without the pocket for cycling, running, or any outdoor active sport that requires less bulk around the waist area, as well as be worn with the pocket during regular lifestyle activities, allowing the wearer to carry objects. Reebok International 2017. Reebok Brand Archives.

Sport support 119

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 119

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Figure 30. Bradley Wiggins of team Sky carries a can of beer in his jersey pocket after the 20th and final stage of Le Tour de France 2010. Courtesy of Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

120 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 120

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Tennis, Baseball, Football Highly active sports require the players to run fast and bend over significantly, so most of the pockets are placed below the waist level, mainly on the pants or skirts.

Tennis players need to hold extra tennis balls while playing. For menswear, the regular slant pockets placed below the waistband in shorts serve this purpose well, with the only adaptation that the pocket bags are large enough to hold one or two tennis balls without

taking too much room away from the overall comfort of the pants. For women’s tennis apparel, a mesh elastic pocket is placed on the shorts that are worn under the tennis skirts or dresses.

Figure 31. Tennis player Wang Qiang during warm-up at the 2013 TIF Women’s Circuit–Wenshan. A classic tennis skirt, short and flared enough to allow for wide steps and fast running. Women’s skirts usually have attached undershorts, which may feature stretch patch pockets on the side of a leg. The outfit in the image shows a tank top with a patch pocket on the player’s left side above waist level. The inside panel of the pocket is made of mesh, to allow for ventilation. Courtesy of Timsong311 / CC 3.0

Figure 32. The curved edge of the tennis ball pocket is elasticized for durability. Some pockets are also placed with the opening at the bottom of the short leg, so the player can avoid lifting the skirt to get access to the ball.

Sport support 121

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 121

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Figure 33. Victor Roache playing for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 2013. The pocket construction at the back of the pants is a classical double welt slashed type, with the pocket bag made of the same material as the garment. The pocket opening needs to be large enough to fit the player’s gloves. Courtesy of Alorrigan / CC 3.0

Construction challenge: sports pocket Figure 35. Reebok woven fabric cropped pants featuring rouched and shaped pocket edges with a finishing elastic binding. This inseam-exposed pocket construction also has a narrow gusset that allows the pocket to enlarge for a tridimensional look and added functionality. The fact that the fabric of the garment does not provide stretch was probably a factor in the design decision to add fullness to the pocket via fabric gathering and gusset insertion. Reebok Brand Archives. Reebok International 2017.

Figure 34. American football players have thick protective pads inserted in the legs of their pants via patch pockets applied on the inside of the legs of the pants, at the thigh level. The patch pockets are topstitched with flat seaming or zigzag to accommodate the stretch fabric of the garments. The patch pockets have an opening inside the pants to allow the players to remove and replace the pads as needed. Photo via pxhere. com.

Figure 36.

122 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 122

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Interview Melanie Maslany, product developer for adidas Digital Sport Futures Group Having spent a decade in the Wearables and Smart Garment space, Melanie Maslany has cultivated expertise in conductive textiles and advanced garment design. Currently working with adidas Digital Sport Futures Group, she has developed a variety of technologies ranging from couture and commercial, such as jerseys with built in GPS for player tracking in field sports, warm-up pants with built-in soft-heaters for basketball, and heart rate sensors for personalized cardio training. Product development is just a small portion of Melanie’s repertoire. She also founded Spruce, a men’s wardrobing company based in Philadelphia. And she finds her greatest joy in traveling and connecting with the rich cultures that span our globe. informs both the design of the garment as well as the pocket. Consider as examples a slim profile garment made of breathable fabric for running will need a slim profile pocket that is supported against jostling during footfalls; thick pad assemblies for American football offer many opportunities for tucking in electronics but will need to be tested for impact protection to make sure the player will not be injured during use. I would say, the end use is the driver of the design, but all stages should be considered.

Figure 37. Melanie Maslany. Courtesy of Melanie Maslany.

How important are pockets in wearable technology? In what way? Pockets are an integral part of a Wearables design, as there is almost always a need for housing removable electronics/batteries. They house, protect, isolate the “brains” of the wearable so the placement relative to the garment, placement relative to the body, construction, durability, aesthetic should be thought out thoroughly. How does the garment inform pocket design? Because Wearables have a unique secondary functionality over being a typical garment, the end use or primary function of the wearable

challenges, they are usually not the prime feature of the Wearable—one will spend much more time and effort in designing the wiring, the sensors, the actuators, whatever is going into the garment. In all cases, and I can’t say this enough, the form and function must be developed and iterated in parallel.

Figure 38. Men’s activewear shirt featuring a pocket on the back of the garment holding an electronic wearable device.

What is the relationship between form and function of pockets in wearable technology? Typically, in Wearables, the function of the pocket is to house and protect the electronics, while the form ensures durability and longevity, and contributes to ease of use and proper system function. Without the electronics, in most cases the Wearable is of no use. So function drives form, but form must be carefully considered. What are some of the challenges for designing garment details, such as pockets? Where does inspiration come from? A pocket, being a secondary or additional element applied to a garment, sometimes can affect the drape, fit, conformity, and so forth, of the garment. While these are all valid

Interview 123

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 123

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Inspiration should be drawn from the intended dynamics of the Wearable, and then the fit and execution should be redesigned and modified over as many prototype rounds as possible until the optimal level function is reached. How is pocket placement considered? The location of a Wearables pocket is critical to the wearer’s comfort and safety, as well as the functionality, durability, and usability of the electronics. Pocket placement is often researched thoroughly for each specific use case. In my experience in sportswear, we characterize the differences of body sizes and builds that the Wearables garment will need

to accommodate, noting optimal electronics and pocket positioning, digitizing the results for easy analysis. We may do this analysis in both sedentary and active states, with multiple wearers, and do final testing in “simulated realtime” use. During these stages, we also will test wash durability, resistance to the elements (simulating the uses and environments that the garment will see in its lifetime), check that the wearer will not be physically harmed during use (typically this is impact protection design), and lastly a third party laboratory will verify electrical and chemical safety of every component of the entire system.

Do you consider pockets to be gender specific? Is this concept evolving in the marketplace? There are certainly design features that can influence the aesthetic to be more masculine or feminine. Often times it’s the closure system on the pocket—a big thick zipper may be considered more rugged and masculine than say a drawstring or a hook and eye. But the material selection, the assembly, and the technologies used in protecting both the electronics and the person, are generally the same. In the market place, we continue to see the trend of miniaturization, which lends itself well to ubiquitous pocket designs.

124 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 124

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Interview Kristen Morris, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Textiles and Apparel Management, University of Missouri Concurrent to her M.S. and Ph.D., Dr. Morris worked for seven years as an apparel designer, technical designer, production manager, graphic designer, and art director for three Denver-based apparel producers. In one of these experiences, she led the creative and technical development of activewear for pregnant women. Through this experience, Dr. Morris developed an interest in designing functional clothing for niche and underrepresented markets. Dr. Morris’s research focuses on ways to enhance the comfort, utility, and aesthetics of clothing through a user-centered design approach. Dr. Morris believes that by developing garments with the people who will wear them, she can develop innovative approaches to apparel design to address human needs. In your opinion as a fashion consumer as well as a designer, how important are pockets in clothing? In what way?

Figure 39. Kristen Morris. Courtesy of Kristen Morris.

Pockets are important because they add extra utility to the garment. I enjoy having pockets in my “everyday” clothing because it frees up my hands from having to hold on to my essential items—mostly my cellphone! I always appreciate clothing items that have pockets. When you get into my design work, pockets become even more important because athletes, particularly runners, need to carry certain items on their bodies for safety reasons. These items can include a photo ID, car keys, and cell phones. Pockets become an important selling point for certain markets because their garments need to provide storage for key items that have to be worn on the body. How does the garment inform the pocket design? The choice of fabric and garment fit both have a huge impact on pocket choice. Pocket bags in close-fitting knit pants can show through to the outside creating a bulky appearance. Therefore, designers need to be aware of how to control the pocket bags. In stretch fabrics, it is imperative that the pocket construction techniques (e.g., cover stitch) also stretch and move with the fabric. In addition, stabilizer fabrics can give you temporary control over

the fabric that will allow the sample sewer to install the pocket without the fabric shifting. Sew-free pocket applications are popular in the outerwear market and becoming more prevalent for activewear. Bemis is a manufacturer of seam tapes, and have developed sophisticated stretch tapes that can be used on stretch knits. Depending on the market, bonding pockets versus sewing pockets have some advantages. In waterproof outerwear garments, bonding reduces the amount of holes pierced in technical fabrics, and in close-fitting activewear garments, bonding reduces the likelihood of chafing caused by seams rubbing on the skin. Manufacturers may also use a combination of stitched seams to install pockets and reinforcing the stitch lines with seam tape to make it waterproof or reduce chafing. For me the final consideration in designing pockets has to do with the weight or potential bulkiness of the pocket components. If the garment is made of a bottom weight twill, the pocket can have more substantial components like a metal zipper and welt. But if the garment fabric is lightweight or stretch, the pocket also has to be lightweight. Pocket bags can add a substantial amount of weight and bulk. Therefore, the pocket bag fabric has to be thoughtfully considered, based on the garment fabrics and design.

Interview 125

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 125

1/24/19 2:59 PM

What is the relationship between form and function of pockets? The relationship between form and function of pockets has to do with the end use environment. If pockets have to be accessible in extreme environments or situations then the function of the pocket should have more credence than the form. This is also true for situations when the body is in movement. For example, runners may need to access their gloves, tissue, or gels while the body is in movement. In this situation, the pocket should be accessible, easy to open and close, and secure as to not have items fall out. After form is addressed, then designers can work on making the pockets look nice and address

aesthetics! Every design should attempt to make the garment components look well integrated into the garment system and have a cool factor! What are some of the challenges for designing garment details, such as pockets, for functional apparel design? How about for activewear in general? Please comment on differences. The main challenge in functional clothing design is to ensure that all parts of the garments work together in a system, pockets included. For example, in outerwear, you may have a jacket that is sold with a removable thermal fleece and an outer protective

softshell layer. Some garment manufacturers may include a zipper on the outer garment that can be used to access the pocket on the interior layer. In this case, pockets on the interior layer can also be accessible from the outer layer and should the wearer need to remove the softshell, they need not also rearrange items in their pockets. Another example is firefighter turnout gear. Firefighters have to wear an external air tank over their jackets. In this situation, the straps of the air tank should not cross over pockets on their jackets, keeping firefighters from accessing their tools. It is the designer’s job to consider not only the utility of pockets but also that they are useful for the wearer in the overall garment system.

Figure 40, 41. Lucent jacket. This is a lightweight waterproof jacket for runners made from silicone impregnated ripstop nylon. There are two zippered welt pockets on the front of the garment. The main design considerations for this garment were how to install an aesthetically pleasing pocket because the fabrics are relatively translucent. In this design, you can see the pocket bags through the fabrics, so the shape of the pocket bag had to be designed in a way that went with the overall lines of the garment. Courtesy of Kristen Morris.

126 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 126

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Figure 43. Thermic jacket: this is a base layer garment developed for runners. The running top has an applied patch pocket on the back of the garment. The pocket is bonded to the garment with clear stretch Bemis seam tape and the zipper is set into the pocket using Bemis Nylock adhesive that was laser cut into the shape and applied with a heat press machine. The Nylock adhesive is reflective. This sew-free pocket construction reduces the possibility of stitches causing chafing. The pocket on the tights is also constructed using Bemis Nylock reflective material. The pocket bag for the pocket on the tights is inside the garment. Photos on this page courtesy of Kristen Morris.

Figure 42. Luminosity jacket: Model Nadine Kaufman. This is a thermal running top with a high-visibility story. It is made of a textured polyester/spandex knit with a moisture wicking finish. The garment has one zippered pocket on the small of the back. The pocket has two entry points for left handed and right-handed wearers. The exposed zippered pockets have reflective tape, which ties in to the rest of the visibility story.

Figure 44, 45. Thermic tights pocket.

Interview 127

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 127

1/24/19 2:59 PM

How should pocket placement be considered? In activewear and functional clothing, pocket placement is a major consideration. Again, the pocket placement has to be such that users can access the pocket easily, particularly if other garments or accessories are worn over or around the pockets. In other situations, designers need to ensure that people can access pockets without contorting their bodies in an awkward position or exert an extra effort to access their pockets. For example, I worked with a group of runners to design a thermal base layer garment. The runners wanted pockets on the base layer so they could also use the garment as an outer layer. They liked the “kangaroo” front pouch style pockets on sweatshirts; however, having heavy items in the front would cause too much bounce when runners were in motion. Instead, they

suggested having a similar style of pocket on the back. If the pocket was on the small of the back, it would bounce less. Another thing to consider when choosing the pocket location includes making sure the pocket is easy to access. The pocket should be at a comfortable level where the user does not have to expend any extra energy to access the pocket. Designers should also consider easy access for both left- and right-handed people. In the green base layer photos, the back pocket has zippers on both the left and right side so regardless of handedness, people could easily access the pocket.

pockets were more widespread in certain markets such as men’s clothing or the outerwear and activewear markets. Female consumers, regardless of size, often consider how the placement and size of pockets accentuate their bodies. In activewear, pockets on tight-fitting stretch pants/leggings/tights/ crops can add extra bulk and are hard to conceal due to the combination of the fabric and the fit. During my tenure as an activewear designer for the maternity market, I spent lots of time attempting to conceal pockets inside wide elastic waist bands, or inside pants so they did not draw any extra attention to the lower body.

Do you consider pockets to be gender or size specific? Is this concept evolving in the marketplace? I believe that pockets are more prevalent across all markets, whereas previously,

128 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 128

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Interview Aubrey Shick, fashion designer and researcher for Intel Corp., New Devices Group, Smart Device Innovations; also founder and CEO of Origami Robotics Two of your recent projects, VibeAttire and First Person Vision, involved wearable technology for a specific end user. Can you briefly describe these projects?

Figure 46. Aubrey Shick in VibeAttire.

VibeAttire is a wearable music experience for the hearing impaired. It is a vest that can be worn and plugged into your smartphone or MP3 player so that you can feel sound as vibrations with enough detail to tell songs apart. In the vest, the music is broken down into separate channels (think about what an equalizer looks like and it’s mapped to be played across 32 regions on the body). Some challenges are that it needs to be washable. If the user dances and sweats while wearing it, it needs to be cleaned. It also needs to fit users of different sizes. Some innovations include a removable electronic membrane that insets through invisible zippers and hangs as in the vest with snap grommets. There is shock cord lacing to custom fit the vest to anyone from 120 to 250 pounds to maintain contact with the body and feel the vibrations. First Person Vision is a system to support computerized glasses with high power vision processing. It takes images of your pupil that correspond to images of the work to dynamically get a pinpoint of exactly what the user is looking at. The end user is an older adult who takes care of spouses with dementia. A challenge is being able to take it off without damaging the vision system. It is also worn eight hours out of the day and needs enough battery life and to be comfortable.

Some innovations include heat isolation to keep the wearer from getting hot, pockets for memory transfer cards and personal items, and a recording light button pocket so others knew when the user was recording. The system is machine washable and fits bodies from 100 to 250 pounds. Velcro and wire tunnels accommodate and manage the wires and sensors. Your work seems very user-centered in both design and function. For these projects, how did you approach integration of components, from the user’s perspective? How about from a purely aesthetic perspective? With VibeAttire, washability was a concern. Buttonholes were used to enable access to controls without taking them out of the pocket. There are battery connectors in the pocket, so batteries could be replaced from the pocket without taking the vest off. The aesthetics are subtle. There are piping accents that match the invisible zippers to disguise the technology integration. First Person Vision is designed for all-day wear. Comfort is key, so pockets allow the user to easily take off the glasses as they take off the vest. First Person is designed for older adults who do not understand how technology works. They need fabrics that don’t stain easily and garments that can be thrown into a washing machine. The aesthetics are also subtle, with grays and dark blue colors as to not look too fashion-forward. There is a slight asymmetry to accommodate the chest-mounted processor.

Interview 129

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 129

1/24/19 2:59 PM

What role, if any, does the concept of pockets play in your design or construction process? Can you give us an example from VibeAttire? VibeAttire was really a giant pocket; sort of like a bed duvet cover. I designed the pockets with tunnels for the wires and used buttonholes for access to the knob controls. This gave the user control without the need to reach inside. The electronics membrane was a non-stretch fabric that had circuit boards with buttonholes and felt dampening patches to smooth vibration. There are snaps inside of the vest for hanging and the invisible zippers resembled piping that matched other accents on the vest to draw attention away from it. There are shock cords to allow the excess to be tucked away into pockets and kept out of sight.

What advice would you give students interested in learning more about wearable technology?

Demo often: participate in fashion shows; submit proposals for funding to get feedback on your ideas.

Prototype a lot. Don’t let the fact that it contains technology be an excuse for neglecting wash and wearability. Take apart clothes you find interesting to learn from; particularly sports clothing.

Think about users. Also, consider the public performance aspect of your wearable devices and the public display of personal experiences. Think about the lights that shine through the fabric so viewers can see the music and how the model feels them moving over their body.

Cannibalize and alter existing clothes as part of prototyping. Consider different approaches to fabrics: elastic, canvas, non-stretch, transparent. Mix functionally: areas with electronics need to be non-stretch to protect wiring and electronics, whereas body contours need to stretch. Think about designs in terms of the visual and the physical. Play with different orders of operations. There is more than one way to apply a zipper or finish a hem. Let people wear them often. Don’t be afraid to have it get torn or dirty or broken with excessive wear. You’ll learn from that.

130 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 130

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Construction tutorial Invisible zipper patch pocket This inseam pocket construction offers an alternative to making the pocket bag. Instead of having separate fabric pieces that tend to bulk up inside the garment and are hard to attach to the zipper opening, this construction tutorial shows how to use a hybrid half patch pocket half inseam pocket construction to replace the pocket bag. An

Figure 47. Finished look of the pocket made in cotton stretch jersey fabric. All the stitchings are made with black thread to enhance visibility.

applied fabric layer that contains the invisible zipper pocket opening is being stitched on top of the garment, which can be a pant leg or the front part of a running jacket, and the space between these two layers creates the pocket bag. The fabric chosen for this tutorial is lightweight stretch cotton jersey, as stretch fabrics are more appropriate for activewear pockets, but the tutorial can be executed in woven non-stretch fabric, too.

There are five pieces of patterns that are used to cut the fabric. Two of the patterns create the seam to insert the invisible zipper, a third pattern piece serves as the layer onto which the pocket is applied, and the last two pattern pieces create the two seams that close the vertical pocket edges.

Figure 48. Flat sketch of the finished pocket

Figure 49. Overview of the construction.

Construction tutorial 131

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 131

1/30/19 9:55 AM

Step 1 Cut the patterns on straight grain. Mark the notches on the cut fabric pieces. These notches serve as guidelines for invisible zipper placement as well as for the applied pocket placement. All patterns have a approximately 3 /8 inch (10 mm) seam allowance.

Under Pocket Piece x1

Left Panel x1

Pocket Panel Left x1

Pocket Panel Right x1

Right Panel x1

Step 1.

132 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 132

1/29/19 2:08 PM

Step 2 Using an invisible zipper presser foot for the sewing machine, stitch the right side of the zipper, face down, onto the larger pattern piece of fabric, starting at the top and aligning the top of the zipper coil with the notch on the fabric. Backstitch at the start of the seam as well as at the end, which is where the zipper closure ends and it should be aligned with the second notch on the fabric.

Step 2.

Finished zipper stitching shown between the notches.

Construction tutorial 133

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 133

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Step 3 Similarly, the left side of the zipper is attached to the other pattern piece, also between the notches. Use pins to place and pin the zipper tape to the fabric between the notches, close the zipper, and make sure the fabrics align at the top and bottom edges. Open the zipper and start stitching following the pin marks, from the top notch to the bottom notch. Backstitch at both ends.

Step 3.

You can start stitching the zipper from the bottom end toward to top end, too, if this direction of the stitching is more convenient for you. Stitch as clåose as possible to the zipper’s coiled teeth, allowing also for the 3/8-inch (10-mm) seam allowance.

Finished invisible zipper application, shown from the wrong side of the fabric. Depending of the width of the invisible zipper you are using, your seam allowances might not show outside the zipper tape edges. In this figure, we show the seam allowances extending wider than the zipper tape for demonstration only.

134 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 134

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Step 4 Close the zipper and stitch the remaining opening of the seam, above and below the zipper placement. Backstitch at both ends for each of the two steps.

Step 4.

Finished invisible zipper application, shown from the right side of the fabric.

Align the pocket piece (the piece you just finished with the invisible zipper), to the part of fabric that will be applied onto. Mark the pocket placement, shown with dashed lines.

The overlapped pocket and the under piece. Their widths should match.

Construction tutorial 135

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 135

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Step 5 Fold the 3/8-inch (10-mm) seam allowance of the pocket inside, starting at the top edge, and use pins to secure placement to the underlayer, matching the folded pocket edges to the notches marked on the underlayer.

Step 5.

Step 6 Use a regular presser foot for the sewing machine, and topstich the pocket following the pin marks, allowing 1/32 inch (1 mm) distance from the folded edge. Depending on the thickness of your fabric, this edge stitching distance can be changed to accommodate for straight topstitching. As a design variation, this topstitching can also be made with flat stitching, zigzag stitching, or multiple rows of straight topstitching.

Step 6. Finished look of the pocket topstitching at the upper edge.

136 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 136

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Step 7 Similar with Step 6, pin the folded, bottom edge of the pocket, aligning the pocket between the notches, and edge topstitch the bottom part, too. This is not the finished look of the applied pocket. The vertical edges of the pocket are open, and they will be closed via the next steps that will construct the vertical two seams.

Step 7.

Step 8 Align the remaining two pattern pieces to each vertical side of the finished applied pocket. Turn over these two pieces and align on top of the vertical edges of the pocket. Notches and outer edges should align.

Step 8.

Construction tutorial 137

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 137

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Step 9 Use an overedge sewing machine (serger) to close these two vertical seams, making sure you follow the 3/8-inch (10-mm) seam allowance and do not cut out from the width of the pocket. Alternatively, these seams can be reinforced with an additional row of single needle chain stitching, mimicking a safety stitch construction. If one of these vertical seams is the outseam of a pair of leggings, the safety stitch construction is then highly recommended.

Step 9.

138 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 138

1/24/19 2:59 PM

Figure 50. Views of the front and back side of the finished assembled pocket.

Design Challenge Design an activewear garment made for everyday use, featuring several pockets. Show your thinking process and explore variations. Prepare a portfolio page showcasing your design proposal. Checklist:  esearch and inspiration, mood, and R colors



Design development/sketches



Muslin development



Construction tutorial 139

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 139

1/24/19 3:00 PM

Featured student work

Designer: Marissa Mazzella 2016, University of Delaware, Fashion and Apparel Studies Department The collection Inspired by the drive and engagement of a contemporary woman, my collection, “Baseline,” incorporates mesh and pockets as a way for women to better connect to the world around them. A modern day emphasis on technology led to the inclusion of pockets specifically designed for phones, keeping this essential item close by, while freeing up

other pockets for additional necessities. The incorporation of mesh along major seams allows for more freedom of movement, while also accommodating any changes in the consumer’s body. Angular seams and a variety of soft knits create a sleek, but comfortable option for an active women looking to make an impact on the ever-changing world.

Figure 51, 52, 53, 54. Marissa Mazella sketches showing analysis of seams and pocket engineering. Courtesy of Marissa Mazella.

140 Pockets in Activewear

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 140

1/24/19 3:00 PM

Pocket design process In activewear there seem to be two types of pockets: an overly large kangaroo pocket or a small, almost unusable, zippered one. That is why pockets in “Baseline” were designed to be practical and aesthetically pleasing. By placing them on sleeves and seams, each look was provided with extra functionality, while keeping a clean appearance. Before fastening pockets to the garments, each was finished with either a cover stitch, or bound in contrasting fabric. Because all of the pockets fell along a seam, they were all secured to the piece by feeding them through the serger with the body of the garment. Working with knits was a fairly new experience and involved experimenting with the serger and cover stitch machine. The stretch was forgiving when it came to matching up seams but could also be problematic. Before pinning, the fabric had to be pulled extra taut to avoid a limp pocket. Overall, the pockets fulfill their utilitarian purpose, while still blending with the rest of the design. Figure 55, 56. Sleeve pocket and waist pocket, with use of contrast topstitching as design detail.

Figure 57. Inseam pocket detail placed right below the waist level.

Featured student work 141

9781474272490_txt_app_04_106-141.indd 141

1/24/19 3:00 PM

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 142

1/24/19 3:04 PM

5 Couture Pockets

Figure 1. Maison Martin Margiela, runway, haute couture spring summer 2015–2016. Victor Virgile via Getty Images.

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 143

1/24/19 3:04 PM

Although the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, the regulating French commission that determines which fashion houses are true haute couture houses, has very strict rules defining what constitutes haute couture, the current global fashion luxury environment has altered the perception of couture. A true haute couture garment is often made for a specific client, tailored specifically for the wearer’s measurements and body stance, via exclusively hand sewing techniques and high quality fabrics, and the fashion label has to employ Parisian craftsmen. However, the contemporary couture approach is less prohibitive in the techniques employed in making the garments, with many of the haute couture looks presented in Paris shows not being entirely hand sewn or even made in Paris. The use of emerging technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting are surely making their ways into the high fashion market, but the desire to preserve original craft is important and seen via design concepts. Couture as it used to be in its earliest beginnings, as per Worth, Chanel, and Dior houses, was focused on managing the fabric properties in such a way as to mold it to the wearer’s body, allowing for the desired comfort and wear durability, being timeless

in holding its shape, but also having design details emphasizing, beautifying the body’s shape and motion. For the purpose of this chapter, we will present examples of pocket designs that employ high fashion skills and techniques, and we will not necessarily limit the examples to just fashion houses currently being part of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

and matched with the pattern of the rest of the garment. Treated in this manner, patch pockets are not necessarily functional, but they are often present on garments as historic or cultural references.

Patch pockets

In the context of haute couture, the Chanel jacket is one of fashion’s chicest garment pieces. Designed in 1954 by Coco Chanel, the jacket was conceived to release women from the tight waisted fashions of the 1950s. Although inspired by menswear jackets, the iconic Chanel jacket was boxier, shorter, and provided more freedom of movement by nurturing the soft fabric and allowing it to mold to the body without much support materials such as interfacings. Its original pockets were real, functional, adorned with braid trim in matching tones or contrasting to the rest of the fabric, with buttons stamped with the Chanel house symbol. The original buttons had buttonholes, similar to menswear this way. Karl Lagerfeld reinvented season after season the original jacket, however, the updates maintained the historic heritage of Chanel’s iconic jacket.

Patch pockets in couture are often hand sewn in order to avoid topstitching, and, if there is a fabric pattern, it is always carefully aligned

Patch pockets can also be asymmetric, and serve as a focal point for couture design, the pocket itself being an excuse for heavier surface decorations.

The latest couture shows displayed a vivid creativity in the way the pockets are used as an enhancing design detail, and the couture construction techniques allow for aesthetic outcomes unmatched in the ready-to-wear market. Today, luxury wear is both subdued and flawlessly elegant, or over the top, conceptual, and extravagant. These two approaches are reflected in the way pocket design and construction are treated in the couture shows.

Figure 2, 3. Chanel tweed jacket, c. 1965, with variation of the patch pockets. Images courtesy of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

144 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 144

1/24/19 3:04 PM

Figure 4. Chanel, runway, Paris Fashion Week womenswear spring/summer 2018. The patch pockets with a side seam opening are overly exaggerated, made in contrasting tweed fabric, and their geometric shape is extended down to the hem of the shorts, blending into textural fringes. They are also placed lower on the body, for a more casual stance. Kristy Sparow via Getty Images.

Patch pockets 145

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 145

1/24/19 3:04 PM

Figure 5. Chanel 2018 spring/ summer haute couture collection showed refreshing inserts of slashed pockets in heavily beaded pieces, while keeping the contrasting edge treatment reminiscent from the signature tweed pockets. Even as an eveningwear style, this jumpsuit has pockets that allow the wearer to place their hands in a comfortable position and walk gracefully. Patrick Kovarik via Getty Images.

146 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 146

1/24/19 3:04 PM

Figure 6. Jean Paul Gaultier, runway, Paris Fashion week haute couture Spring Summer 2015 showed a flurry of pockets, the ones in this image being heavily embellished in a very classic couture way. Victor Virgile via Getty Images.

Patch pockets 147

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 147

1/24/19 3:04 PM

Figure 7. Versace, fall/winter 1990, using the signature gold embroidery on one pocket, balancing out the visual weight of the top area embroidery. © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., photographer Niall NcInerney.

148 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 148

1/24/19 3:04 PM

Construction challenge: couture patch pocket with beaded trim A staple construction technique of couture patch pockets is the way the pockets are lined and then hand applied with invisible stitches to the garment. Figure 8. Patch pocket embellished with a gold beaded trim on a novelty wool A-line dress, c. 1968. The pocket is lined in silk fabric and has a generous 1 inch (25mm) folded over top hem. The hem of the pocket is reinforced with sewn-in woven interfacing to maintain its sharp edge and not collapse due to the weight of the gold trim. The trim is cut out at the ends of the pocket and hand stitched to not unravel the beads and golden motif. The hand sewing of the pocket to the garment is made with perfectly matched color thread and tiny invisible stitches. Courtesy of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 9.

Figure 10. Another example of a shaped and tailored pocket on a wool plaid jacket ensemble, c. 1967. The pockets are placed right below the waist seam. The pattern on the pockets was matched closely to the pocket placement on the coat. Sue Ann Genet Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 11.

Patch pockets 149

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 149

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Figure 12. Maison Margiela, spring summer 2016 runway, Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week Paris. These pockets are deconstructed, overlapped, and not expected to be functional. However, their inside construction is as carefully crafted as it can be demanded by couture quality, with appropriate pocket bags and reinforcements. Francois Durand via Getty Images. 150 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 150

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Pockets can also be purely decorative and used as a concept reference. Another approach to couture patch pocket design is to use its surface as a fabric manipulation opportunity, adding overstated, visible handmade delicate details to contrast voluminous silhouettes.

Figure 13. Dita Von Teese wearing a look from Jean-Paul Gaultier’s fall/ winter 2008–2009 haute couture collection. The jacket has patched pouchy pockets with openings on top and sides too. Stephane Cardinale—Corbis via Getty Images.

Figure 14. Balenciaga, runway RTW, spring 2015, Paris Fashion Week. The construction of these pockets requires skillful handling of seam allowances to create flawless right angles between the thin strips of white fabric. Even though this garment was presented in the ready-towear collection, the high fashion construction of the pocket can pass easily as couture. Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho via Getty Images. Patch pockets 151

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 151

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Construction challenge: couture patch pocket Another approach to couture patch pockets is to design their surface and shape to enhance the body posture and silhouette in the place where they are positioned on the body.

Figure 15. Another example on a silk dress, c. 1965. This applied pocket has shaped patch pockets that are doubled in self-fabric, have lightweight interfacing, and the rounded edge is bound in self-fabric to achieve a smooth contour and conceal the hand stitching. Just like classic couture patch pockets, this example is also hand sewn with tiny stitches below the binding strip, allowing for a folding edge and not stitched flat to the garment. The intention was to have these small pockets stay open, reshaping the silhouette below the gathered waistline. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 16.

Figure 17. This Conover/Mayer satin jacket from their 1995 collection features four pockets, placed at bust and hip levels. A tridimensional construction with four small darts at the bottom of the pocket allows for added volume only at the lower end of the pocket and not at the top shaped edge. The exaggerated bound mock buttonhole is a creative detail, and the button is stitched at the end of the buttonhole. The trapunto rows of straight stitchings add texture to the pocket surface, and all the details are highlighted by the encircling tiny ruffle that also serves as a transitional design element between the tridimensional pocket and the jacket surface. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 18.

152 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 152

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Newer sheer fabrications such as vinyl are used in couture for their translucent color and shape creating properties. Construction becomes visible, with any color thread being contrasting, therefore a visible design

element. The patch pockets can also be more utilitarian in inspiration, while construction details need to have high-end quality, such as beautifully crafted jewel like buttons, handmade buttonholes. The use of luxurious

fabrics prohibits the use of fusible interfacing to reinforce pocket placements, and handattached sheer silk organza is used instead.

Figure 19. Schiaparelli, runway Paris Fashion Week, haute couture fall/winter 2017–2018. Utilitarian approach to vinyl pockets, added pocket content for design accents, and utilitarian patches on pants. Victor Virgile via Getty Images.

Patch pockets 153

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 153

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Figure 20. Schiaparelli, runway Paris Fashion Week, haute couture fall/winter 2017–2018. Utilitarian approach to vinyl pockets, added pocket content for design accents, and utilitarian patches on pants. Victor Virgile via Getty Images.

154 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 154

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Inseam pockets Lace fabrics are delicate and patch pockets would be too obvious, so inseam pockets are often preferred. Pockets in lace are created as an opportunity for the wearer to show the garment, in this case the delicate intricacy of the lace, and have a different body stance, and not at all as a carrying pouch.

Figure 21. France, Christian Lacroix haute couture fall/winter 2008-2009, Paris Fashion Week. Lace inseam pockets. Stephane Cardinale— Corbis via Getty Images.

Inseam pockets 155

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 155

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Construction challenge: concealed inseam pocket Figure 22. Black crepe dress, c. 1944, with an inseam concealed pocket in the princess seam that becomes the placeholder for heavy sequined embroidery. The presence of the pocket allows the leaf design to move and be more visible, catching attention. When the wearer uses the pocket, the leaf design changes and caresses the wearer’s wrist, emphasizing her arm as a bracelet. The heavy velvet fabric is a great support fabrication for the sequined embroidery. The belt round buckle is also designed to add to the embroidered leaf detail. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 23.

156 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 156

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Slashed pockets The most common type of slashed pockets, the single welt and the double welt pockets have a timeless home in couture designs. Most of the jackets and overcoats feature some version of slashed pockets, with embellished tailored flaps in womenswear or simple and subdued style in menswear.

Figure 24. Christian Dior, runway, Paris Fashion Week, haute couture fall/ winter 2015–2016. The only tailored pocket added is exaggerated in shape and size, with an otherwise classic construction. Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho via Getty Images.

The classic tuxedo silhouette is either redone in modern fabrics, such as metallic and vinyl, either deconstructed or divided in exaggerated features, one of them being the pockets.

Figure 25, 26. This asymmetrical wool felt jacket, designed by Geoffrey Beene, features a basic single welt slashed pocket, with a flap and button closure. However, the inside pocket bag detail is exquisitely constructed to allow for carrying a few things. The inside of the jacket is not lined, therefore the pocket bag becomes visible when the wearer takes the jacket off. In the full spirit of couture design, such details, that are more or less visible, need special treatment. Therefore, a pocket bag gusset made of lightweight silk lining fabric is attached and also used to bind off the felt edges. The gusset is handstitched to the jacket fabric and the stitches are invisible to the front of the jacket. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Slashed pockets 157

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 157

1/24/19 3:05 PM

Construction challenge: double welt pocket

Figure 27, 28. This Bill Blass wool plaid jacket has interesting double welt pocket details, such as the shape of the welts as well as the fabric orientation. The pockets are visible due to the bias orientation of the welt fabric. The angle of the slashed pockets is accentuated by uneven rectangular shapes of the welts, narrower toward the center of the jacket and wider toward the side seams, a waist flattering detail. The jacket is not lined, therefore the pocket bags are clean finished around the edges using enclosed seams. Surprisingly, the pattern of the pocket bags is placed on straight grain as the rest of the jacket, but the stripes are not matched. Courtesy of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 29, 30.

158 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 158

1/24/19 3:06 PM

Figure 31. Chanel, runway, Paris Fashion Week, haute couture spring summer 2018. An intriguing design for eveningwear with a kangaroo pouch pocket. The pocket openings are just large enough to hold four fingers and is not intended to have the entire hand resting inside. Kristy Sparow via Getty Images.

Slashed pockets 159

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 159

1/24/19 3:06 PM

Interview Georges Hobeika, haute couture designer, Paris, France Internationally known for his signature expression of femininity, romance, and elegance, haute couture designer Georges Hobeika has captivated the fashion world with his creative style and his consistent crafting of statement pieces admired as works of fashion art. During his civil engineering studies, Georges Hobeika discovered his innate passion for fashion design when he began sketching dresses to assist his mother who owned an atelier business with a growing clientele. Pursuing his passion, he left to Paris during the height of the Lebanese War and was immersed in the world of fashion via his internship at Chanel. Georges Hobeika returned to Beirut, established his atelier, and was ready to debut on the Paris couture runway in 2001. Today, Georges Hobeika enjoys an ever-growing haute couture clientele and has successfully established three ready-to-wear lines—Georges Hobeika Bridal, Georges Hobeika Signature, and GH by Georges Hobeika. How did you get interested in fashion? I became interested in fashion when my mother requested my help to meet with her atelier clients, servicing them with sketching and overseeing the production of their dresses and ensembles. Even though I was studying civil engineering at that time, having no idea that I would be interested in fashion design, I began to love working with my mother’s clients, who eventually became my own. Currently, I independently operate my own fashion house and am involved in every facet of my brand’s operations. As a haute couture designer, you have specific reasons for the addition of pockets in a design. Why do you include them? I have incorporated pockets into my designs for several reasons. First, women typically enjoy the utility and comfort of pockets. Second, pockets paired with a look that typically does not have pockets adds an element of modernity or trendiness that also tends to bring a youthful, casual air to the look. It’s much the same when flat shoes accessorize an evening dress.

What considerations do you take when designing a pocket for a look? If a pocket is part of the design, I make sure it is evident. I also consider how the pocket, though noticeable, compliments the look, without being out of place.

Figure 32. Georges Hobeika.

dress, jacket, or pants. We design pockets to noticeably and purposefully placed or beautifully embroidered to stand out as an accessory. This gives a sense of elegance and modernity to a design, while also beckoning the future of haute couture and ready-to-wear.

What are some challenges when designing pockets with embellishments and/or delicate fabrics? The challenges of designing pockets concern how to design and incorporate them in a way that you achieve a modern look while staying true to the classical function of the pocket. Are pockets integral to your brand? I would say that pockets have always been an important stylistic code for my brand, like the bow. The pocket has become something that those who follow fashion can certainly use to differentiate my designs from those of other fashion houses. Is there anything else you would like to add? The use of pockets in my collections was always for the purpose of providing a visual detail that is obviously apparent on a

160 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 160

1/24/19 3:06 PM

Figure 33. Georges Hobeika spring 2017 couture. Alain Jocard via Getty Images.

Interview 161

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 161

1/24/19 3:06 PM

Construction tutorial Inseam exposed pocket with tuck pleats This pocket design incorporates a few couture techniques such as draping, drafting pocket opening based on body proportions and hand sewing for the purpose of managing fabric bulk underneath the pleats. The construction steps were kept to a basic minimal level, based on the muslin fabric used. However, a different fabric should require different treatments to manage softness and draping of the tuck pleats as well as the way the seam allowances are finished. While this tutorial is a great exercise in couture pocket design, if you attempt to do these steps in a different fabric than muslin, you should

start by draping your patterns. The supplied patterns might not fit the body in the same way if they are cut in a different fabric of a different weight and structure than muslin. Although the pocket has an inseam construction, its description does not fit into inseam concealed neither inseam exposed pocket. The curved pocket openings end in the same seam, the side seam, but the pocket bag is constructed by inserting this entire panel into a similarly shaped patch in an existing front of the garment pattern.

Pattern drafting from draping After the drape of the tuck pleats is finished, mark on the muslin while still on the dress form the pocket opening. In this tutorial it is curved, to shadow the tuck pleats, but you can change the shape to consider overall design concept and silhouette. After you marked the picket opening, remove the muslin panel from the dress form making sure you marked with a pencil all the seam allowances (allow 3/8 inch (10 mm) all around).

Before starting the sewing tutorial, an overview of the pattern drafting that resulted from the draping process is presented.

Figure 35. Flat sketch of finished pocket. Figure 36. Pocket muslin draped on dress form size 8. Four tuck pleats are draped to fit the curve of the high hip of the dress form, above the intended pocket opening, and the tucks are arranged and marked closed until the fabric spreads out of the pleats and falls flat around the edges of the muslin piece, so it does not form any gathering or pleats at the bottom or front vertical edges. Figure 34. Finished pocket panel.

162 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 162

1/24/19 3:06 PM

Figure 37. Finished draped pocket muslin, removed from the dress form and laid flat on the table. Correct any uneven pencil marks by using patternmaking tools such as rulers and hip curve. Also trim all seam allowances evenly all around.

Figure 38, 39. Remove the underneath muslin piece that is basically the pocket bag, and mark notches for the pocket opening, transferring them from the pocket piece.

Figure 40. Remove all pins from the pocket piece and mark the eight tuck lines with a pencil. Measure and make sure the paired tuck lines have the same length, as they will be stitched together.

Under Pocket Piece x1 Pocket Bag x2

Figure 41. Finished pattern pieces. The pocket piece needs to be cut twice, and the second piece will clean finish the pocket opening.

Construction tutorial 163

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 163

1/24/19 3:06 PM

Sewing tutorial Cut out the patterns in muslin, following the grain lines and marking all the notches. Also, mark the tuck lines on the right side of the fabric on only one piece.

Step 1

Step 1 Overlap the two pocket patterns, with right side of fabric inside, and pin around the curved pocket opening. Figure 42. Overview of the pocket construction.

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Machine stitch the curved pocket opening, with 3/8 inch (10 mm) seam allowance, backstitching at the beginning and at the end for reinforcement.

Grade the seam allowances, by trimming one of them only down to 3/16 inch (5 mm). This will reduce the bulk inside the seam.

Clip the entire curved seam with the scissors, evenly, about 3/4 inch (20 mm) apart, making sure you do not clip the stitch line.

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

164 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 164

1/24/19 3:06 PM

Step 5

Step 6

Turn the pocket on the other side, and check the curved edge of the pocket. It should be flat, with no puckering. The fabric side that has the marked tuck lines should be on top, as in the image above. If it is not on top, place the paper pattern on top of this sewn piece and trace the tuck lines again so they are visible on top of the work.

Open the pocket pieces again and prepare to edgestitch the underlayer, as close to the seam line as possible, to help the seam allowances stay toward the back side of the pocket.

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7 The understitching should be visible only from the back side of the pocket. Use a hot iron to press flat this seam.

Step 7

Construction tutorial 165

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 165

1/24/19 3:06 PM

Step 8 Fold the pocket panel along the first tuck lines and place pins along the seam line. Make sure you mark where the tuck stitching ends. Machine sew along the pinned line, backstitching at beginning and end.

The front side of the pocket should look like this, with the first tuck pleat completed.

Step 8

Step 9 Similarly, pin along the marked line of the second tuck pleat, and machine stich making sure at the start and end the fabric layers are not shifting. Backstich, turn on the front side, and check that there is no puckering of seams or wrong sewing.

Step 9

166 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 166

1/24/19 3:13 PM

Step 10

Finished tuck pleats. Step 11

Step 10 Follow the same steps for all four tuck pleats.

Step 11 You will now discover that the pleat folds are uneven, resulted from the draping process, and that the pleat folds overlap and create excessive bulk on the back side of the pocket. Therefore, it is necessary to trim away the

extra fabric bulk from each pleat. Using scissors, cut each pleat fold, but make sure the trimming is shorter than the tuck stitch line. If your trimming is longer, a hole will be visible in your pocket.

Construction tutorial 167

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 167

1/24/19 3:14 PM

Step 12 Now it is necessary to press down the pleat folds and hand sew them to the pleat seam allowances using a hand needle and catch stitch technique. Strat from the edge and sew left to right direction (if you are right handed), catching in the needle just a bit of the fabric. Check the front of the pocket often to make sure your stitches do not show through. Stitch all the way to the end of the raw edges created by the trimming away the extra fabric. Make a knot at the end of stitching, cut the thread, then start catch stitching the second pleat’s raw edges. Repeat for all tucks pleats.

Step 12

Step 13

Step 14

Press the tuck pleats with a hot iron, making sure they are flat.

Grab the other piece of the muslin that you cut using the patterns. This last piece will close the pocket bag via patch application.

Step 13

Step 14

168 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 168

1/24/19 3:14 PM

Step 15 Overlap the pocket and the pocket bag, aligning the notches and the curved pocket opening. Pin all around to secure and prepare for stitching. Machine stitch with 3/8 inch (10 mm) seam allowance all around the raw edges, starting at one pocket opening end and finishing at the other opening end.

Step 15

Finished pocket.

Design Challenge Design a garment that has pockets integrated via couture techniques. Show your process and explore variations. Try using natural fibers (silk, wool), high-end fabric finishes that incorporate surface designs, such as beaded fabrics and embellished nets. Experiment with different linings, support materials and closures.

Construction tutorial 169

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 169

1/24/19 3:14 PM

Featured student work

Designer: Jakia Nur 2018, Syracuse University Fashion Design Department Project description The assignment was to create a jacket/coat out of felt, a material that is not manageable by draping. In terms of design process, I went through several designs until I reached my final one. I wanted to create something that was different, that would have a strong

visual impact. I have always been intrigued by peacocks from an early age, specifically the male peacock, yearning to see one in person. From the vibrant colors to the graceful movement, there was something majestic about the creature. The first time I got to see a peacock was when I was 12 years old, when my mother took me and my siblings to the

zoo. There was something intriguing about the vibrant colors and the majestic grace. For this reason, I chose to show the imagery of two peacocks intertwined onto my coat starting from the front sides wrapping around onto the back.

Figure 43, 44, 45. The peacock coat.

170 Couture Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 170

1/24/19 3:14 PM

To get started I had to draw the peacock to the scale I wanted it to be on butcher block paper. I then picked out all the different colors of felt I wanted to use to illustrate the peacock onto my coat, blue for the body; red and yellow for the shadows, feathers, beak; and around the eyes, green, yellow, gold, light blue, and a darker shade of blue for the feathers. After perfecting the drawing to my liking and picking out my colors of preference, I started to cut out the individual pieces of the peacock from the details such as the shadows, the feathers, the eyes, and so on. I then took these pieces and placed then onto my fabric color of choice, and cut them out. I created the body of the peacock first, and pinned it onto my coat.

For the feathers, there were several layers of various shapes and sizes to create depth and have a more realistic looking appearance. Once I cut out all the layers, I arranged them on top of each other, then pinned them onto my coat, which I had already sewn up using a red felt fabric. As I was looking at my coat, all ready for the peacock to be sewn on, I looked at the body of the peacock and thought of adding volume to the peacock body by turning it into a pocket. To do this, I sewed on all the feathers, then for the body of the peacock, I sewed only the bottom, the neck, and the top part of the head, leaving an opening at the top. The placement of the body and the way the peacock was

standing made it easy for the pocket to appear. To finish it off I added one large button as a closure to close the coat if desired. I had smaller buttons that matched the larger ones so I then took the smaller buttons and used them as eyes of the peacock which served as the perfect finishing detail to highlight the garment and the imagery as a whole. I also added a peacock feather to both of the sleeves to tie everything together. The style of the coat itself was kept as a simple, notch collar pea coat so as not to take away attention from the peacock itself. The color red was chosen as the main fabric for the coat as it matched the most with the rest of the colors used for the peacock.

Featured student work 171

9781474272490_txt_app_05_142-171.indd 171

1/24/19 3:14 PM

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 172

1/24/19 3:18 PM

6 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

Figure 1. Yohji Yamamoto: Runway, Paris Fashion Week ,womenswear spring/summer 2017. Pietro D’aprano via Getty Images.

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 173

1/24/19 3:18 PM

Frontal impact This chapter focuses on how the current fashion of ready-to-wear uses pockets as a design detail, with influences from various references, such as historic, cultural, utilitarian, or active sports.

Garments such as jackets and coats often use pockets as balancing design element, using pattern, closures, and proportions to emphasize bust and/or hip areas.

Given the variety of details that pocket constructions can have, the ready-to-wear designers must choose constantly between the value added by pockets and their manufacturing cost. The utility part of a pouch is not a main consideration anymore, even though the wearers appreciate the advantage of being able to carry their small electronics. Therefore pockets are either exaggerated but properly constructed for design impact aimed at brand recognition without neglecting their functional addition too, either “fake”, missing the pocket bag, being inserted just for aesthetic considerations.

Figure 2. Bill Blass jacket featuring a fake pocket at the top that serves as an oversized flap for the bottom patch pocket. The top “fake” pocket could have easily become functional if a topstitching line had been added across the bottom, but that line would have disturbed the overall design, therefore function was sacrificed for aesthetics. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

A few examples are discussed, starting from early 1970s to current runway looks, organized by placement on the location of the wearer’s body.

Figure 3. Another piece from Bill Blass clearly uses the patch pockets as a design contrast element. These pockets are functional, too, and they have a couture construction, with lining and hand stitching for attachment to the coat. The button closures of the patch pockets are also used for added design impact. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

174 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 174

1/24/19 3:18 PM

Figure 5. A model walks the runway at the Raf Simons fashion show during New York Fashion Week menswear 2017. The enlarged chest pocket serves as a stripe pattern contrasting area too, for creating focal point. Jamie McCarthy via Getty Images.

Figure 4. This jacket detail from Conover Mayer 1994 collection features an extended pocket bag as a focal point and enhancement element of the bust area. The masculine wool fabric and the classic double welt pocket with a looped buttonhole are a creative contrast with the feminine shaping of the bust darts placed under the chest pocket bag. Enclosed seams for the pocket bag allow for a clean look but challenging construction. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Construction challenge: circle patch pocket In this example, a feminine lace overlay fabric for a jacket required an equally feminine design approach to the pockets placed right below the waist level. Figure 6. The patch pocket construction had a tridimensional feature that is added by the round pocket opening, in the middle of a circular patch, which is gathered with a satin tie in a generous size bow. The patch pocket is lined and topstitched to the jacket. The lace fabric hides the topstitching line. If the fabric of the jacket had been a solid pattern, then the topstitching would have been more visible, and a blind hand-stitching pocket application would have been appropriate.

Figure 7.

Frontal impact 175

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 175

1/24/19 3:18 PM

The utilitarian references of patch pockets with gussets and flaps can be seen exaggerated by a heavy fabric, to change the silhouette of coats or jackets. The lack of topstitching can further enhance the thick edges. A softer utilitarian detailing can still emphasize the pocket area and change the shaping of a garment, by using tridimensional details such as pleats and tucks. Contouring of the pocket shapes using binding and piping is also effective.

Figure 8. Y-3, runway, Paris Fashion Week, menswear spring/summer 2017. The layered applied pockets serve as textural detail as well as silhouette definition. Victor Virgile via Getty Images. 176 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 176

1/24/19 3:18 PM

Figure 9. Fendi, runway, Milan Fashion Week, spring/summer 2017. Victor Virgile via Getty Images.

Frontal impact 177

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 177

1/24/19 3:18 PM

Hip focus For separate garments such as skirts and pants, pockets on the hip area can be used as an added design value to otherwise basic silhouettes. Vintage 1940s garments feature delicate and creative pocket treatment details.

Figure 10. Beautiful construction details on the pocket of a wool fabric pencil skirt, c. 1952. The shaped slashed pocket with two single welts but overlapped is difficult to execute in such a flawless manner. Added embroidery pink details such as arrowhead tacks, serve not only as aesthetics but also as reinforcement to the end of welts construction. Interestingly, the waist darts are angled and manipulated to add to the pocket design. A tiny pink silk pocket bag is attached inside, between the outer skirt layer and the lining. Fusible interfacing supports the fabric around the entire area of this pocket placement. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 11. Another example of pocket as design element from a wool fabric A-line skirt, c. 1955. This inseam exposed pocket construction features a contrast gray fabric that is color-blocked in a zigzag shape to accentuate the pocket opening. Additionally, the illusion of a button is created via embroidery and fabric applique. Courtesy of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 12.

Figure 13. This contemporary skirt features a variation of a kangaroo pocket, with an applied triangular patch extended between the two side seams, offering two side pockets with only one pocket bag area. The edges of this pocket are reinforced and accentuated with contrast black leather piping and 1-inch (25-mm) topstitching to match the skirt hem construction. The pocket is lined with black lightweight fabric. Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

178 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 178

1/24/19 3:18 PM

Figure 15. Christopher Kane, runway, London Fashion Week spring/ summer 2016. The angle of the delicate vinyl pockets on the hips of this coat was designed to use the hands of the wearer as an added design element, not necessarily as a functional feature. The clean vertical edges of the pockets are reinforced by folding them, and the topstitching in rectangular blocks at the top and bottom are visible design details. Tristan Fewings via Getty Images.

Figure 14. A model walks the runway at the AltewaiSaome show at Fashion Week spring/ summer 2015 in Stockholm on August 28, 2014. This design features contrasting black mesh patch pockets with a zipper opening, placed low on the hips, below outlined flaps that add slight volume to the silhouette and soften the large black area color contrast. Anna Lu Lundholm via Getty Images.

Hip focus 179

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 179

1/24/19 3:18 PM

Figure 16. Gianfranco Ferre, Summer 2000 look. The exaggerated and geometric pocket shape creates a definite focal point, an emphasis of the hips, as well as the illusion of a top that folded over and fell below the waist level for an extra casual look. The patch pocket construction with a slash pocket opening required extra supportive interfacing to allow the fabric to be stiff and maintain its geometric cut outside the hips. © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., photographer Niall NcInerney.

180 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 180

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Construction challenge: triangular concealed pocket Pockets, while adding functionality to overgarments, can also provide opportunities to add construction details without ending with a big obvious pocket as a design element.

Figure 17. Inseam concealed pocket with a triangular pocket bag that is attached to the outer jacket via two rows of topstitching. This delicate detail in a heavy fabric enhances the pocket placement while adding flattering lines to the coat at the hip level. To prevent the stretching of the pocket opening, interfacing is used as a stabilizer. Images courtesy of Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, Syracuse University.

Figure 18.

Figure 19. Chromat spring/ summer 2015 Formula 15 runway show. The three-dimensional pockets on this design feature lights that make the pockets visible in the dark. JP Yim via Getty Images.

Rear focus Utilitarian pockets with large gussets are ideal for silhouette enhancements, therefore the back side of jackets and coats is sometimes a placement found to be capturing the interest of designers.

Figure 20. Jean Paul Gaultier, fall/winter 1992. © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., photographer Niall NcInerney.

Rear focus 181

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 181

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Figure 21. Fendi, runway, Milan Fashion Week, spring/summer 2017. The cargo-type pocket placed at the knees of these leather striped pants are somehow subdued but are definitely adding volume to the knee area. Estrop via Getty Images.

182 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 182

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Interview Emme, supermodel For over two decades as a leading voice and face in the fashion industry, Emme is the world’s first iconic curvy supermodel. With the conviction that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, Emme has paved the way and given women the platform to feel beautiful and empowered. A TV personality, model, mom, author, brand spokesperson, creative director of her clothing lines, cancer survivor, lecturer, and globally recognized women’s advocate for positive body image and self-esteem, Emme’s message is clear—to awaken the inner magnificence inherent in each of us, to be whole. She is the first model invited to speak before a congressional subcommittee in Washington, D.C. with a mission to increase public awareness of eating and body image disorders. How did you get interested in fashion, and what are your current professional activities? I fell into fashion when I left my reporting career in Flagstaff AZ and was a marketing director for a temporary office real estate firm. . . . I did a cold call on an agency that had a write up in an on-flight magazine promoting full figured modeling. . . . I got signed on the dot and took it from there. Right now I am a serial entrepreneur, an author, with a base in modeling shooting image campaigns, and being a body image expert on TV news outlets. In your opinion as a fashion consumer as well as a designer, how important are pockets in clothing? In what way?

Figure 22. Supermodel Emme.

Women love pockets in dresses, tunics, and of course outerwear. We have stuff and stuff needs to go somewhere close by. Without pockets, I put my credit card, gloss and God knows what else in my bra and that’s never good! How does the garment inform the pocket design? No pocket is the same. The architecture of the fabric and garment’s design lead where and how a pocket should be constructed.

What is the relationship between form and function of pockets? The form and function of a pocket depends on the person wearing the garment. . . . For me I love to have a place where my hands can go, sometimes as a gesture, or a form of function to stow a small item away for later use. What are some of the challenges for designing garment details, such as pockets, for larger sizes? The larger the woman it seems the pockets follow suit, which is not the way to go. Pocket placement, especially in a jean’s back pocket can totally lift and enhance a curvy woman’s derriere where as a haphazard pocket can add 10 pounds or diminish her back appeal, which will definitely kill a sale. Do you consider pockets to be gender or size specific? Is this concept evolving in the marketplace? I see the need and use for pockets beyond size, age, or gender. Anything you would like to add? When I don’t have a pocket in a top or dress or jacket, I feel like something is missing. When a pocket is missing or misplaced, lacking in balance, proportion, or esthetic, you will lose a sale from me.

Interview 183

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 183

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Interview Rebecca Billante, senior knitwear designer of TBD private labels, with Nordstrom Product Group in Seattle, Washington

How did you get interested in fashion, and what are your current professional activities? I have been with Nordstrom for four years. My current job entails developing seasonal trend direction, creating seasonal color palettes, researching and designing sweaters and cut and sew knits, sketching in Illustrator, working in PLM, developing original Fair Isle/intarsia patterns and artwork, working on a daily basis with product developers and technical designers, weekly fittings, and presenting collections, ideas, and designs to our merchandisers and buyers. As a child, I always gravitated toward artistic expression through drawing, coloring, painting, ceramics, and styling my Barbie dolls. As I grew older, I knew that I needed to pursue a professional career in something artistically related but wasn’t quite sure how to do so. I began college at Shippensburg University and was studying business but elected to minor in art. Through the wonderful art department at Shippensburg University, I connected with a network of passionate, intelligent, and exciting professors. Through those connections, my eyes were opened to the possibility of actually pursuing my dream of becoming a professional working in a creative field. For a long while, I had more specifically fantasized about becoming a fashion designer but was still a bit self-conscious about pursuing what I had perceived as an intimidating and potentially impossible profession. After working with the faculty who supported me in my search, I finally landed on applying to

Drexel University where I was then accepted and completed an M.S. in fashion design. After graduating from Drexel in June 2008, I found myself in the height of the economy crash. With diligence and perseverance (and wine), I started my first job working in private label for Target in New York City at the very end of 2008. During my time working in private label, I was sent abroad to Hong Kong for just shy of six months in 2010–2011 to hire, develop, and grow our offshore product development staff and small scale sample room matrix. I then left the private label company half way through 2011 and accepted the job of men’s sweaters technical designer at J.Crew HQ in New York City. After two years at J.Crew, I left and accepted a position with Nordstrom Product Group in Seattle, Washington, as senior knitwear designer of their TBD private labels. How important are pockets in knitwear and/or womenswear? In what way? Pockets play an important role in sweaters, most commonly in cardigans. Cardigans are viewed as a third piece item. And typically, all third piece items should offer some type of pocket as a third piece is a “jacket.” From a functionality perspective, third pieces are not only used to add a layer of warmth, they provide pockets to keep additional items on your person as a great resource of convenience. Additionally, pockets on cardigans are used as a design detail. They can be patched on, welts, or on seam. The

patches can be shaped into rectangle, circles, or “pork chops” to name a few. They create dimension, depth, and additional worth/value to a garment. What is the relationship between form and function of pockets? Pocket form and function go hand in hand when it comes to cardigans. Historically, sweaters are a very traditional category of clothing. Therefore, I feel that cardigan pockets have originated out of function before design. But as years have gone by, they have been used as a way to root a design in heritage and give added value, even in fast fashion, especially when using a welt. Welts are a very traditional, old school pocket design and are used primarily in men’s cardigans. That being said, if a welt pocket or a patch pocket doesn’t aesthetically feel right for a particular garment and we associate all cardigans as a third piece and lacking of quality without pockets, we use the on seam pocket to maintain the garment’s integrity. What are some of the challenges for designing garment details, such as pockets in terms of knitwear? In my opinion, there are a few issues with designing cardigans/knitwear with pockets. The first issue is dealing with welts and on seam pocket bags. When we are using a particularly chunky yarn/knitting a larger gauge garment, pocket bags can become quite bulky if knit in self yarn. Often times, we

184 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 184

1/24/19 3:19 PM

opt to knit the pocket bags in a smaller yarn size in a comparable color and quality as the garment. But we have to be mindful that the bags can only be up to two gauges smaller than the garment or the manufacturer will not be able to link the bags to the garment due to machinery limitations. The second issue is with on seam pocket bags and welt pockets that are placed on an angle. As these bags “float” inside the garment and either come from the side seam toward center front or from a welt that is on angle, there can be issues with visibility. These bags need a self-thread chain to anchor them somewhere inside the garment to keep them invisible while wearing and to hold them in place. Working this issue out completely has a few variables to consider: side seam placement/ welt seam placement, pocket bag shape/ angle, and thread chain placement. A good technical designer takes these things into

consideration during fittings and works with the manufacturer to ensure all of these points are appropriately addressed. Where does inspiration come from? Most inspiration comes from traditional placements and shapes. In my current role, we don’t often stray outside of rectangular patches, on seam pockets, and traditional welts: both straight and angled finished with a single layer of full needle rib strapping in self yarn. How is pocket placement considered? Pocket placement is typically determined from high point of shoulder and from center front or side seam. As center front is a constant, some feel this is a more true/accurate point of measure versus from side seam. Side seam will remain constant, but if the garment is

out of spec in chest or hip width, then the placement will be less accurate than from center front. Pocket widths and heights are typically formulaic as well, but all of these positions and measurements can and will be adjusted in fittings based on visual proportion of pocket size and placement against garment proportion. Do you consider pockets to be gender specific? Is this concept evolving in the marketplace? I do not necessarily feel that pockets in knitwear are gender specific. I do think heritage and history of pockets in knitwear, particularly in shape and size, have been more gender specific which in turn can affect a designer’s decision/design. Otherwise, in current day, I do not feel that is a conscientious decision based on gender.

Interview 185

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 185

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Construction tutorial Cascading pockets This draped pocket design incorporates three different pockets, overlapping, creating a cascading effect that enhances the hips of the wearer. The overall look of the draping can look different based on the fabric used: a lightweight charmeuse would be a softer drape than a medium weight canvas fabric. Heavy fabrics are not recommended for this particular construction, however, an exaggeration of the drape, with extra added fullness, in heavy fabrics that also have a support understructure to reinforce the pocket placement can lead to an interesting design. This tutorial is shown having a pocket placement below the waistline on a pair of pants made in muslin and using black contrast thread. The same construction can be incorporated for the front of a skirt pattern too. The design process started by draping the cascading pockets into an exposed inseam construction type setting, shaping the placement as a patch on the hip.

Figure 24. Illustration of the finished assembly.

Figure 23. The finished draped pocket cascade, from which the paper pattern was traced.

Figure 25. Overview of the assembly parts.

186 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 186

1/29/19 3:30 PM

After draping the pockets on the dress form, the muslin pieces were laid out flat and traced onto pattern pieces. Seam allowances of 3 /8 inch (10 mm) were added all around the pattern pieces. The small pocket patterns were draped folded and on bias grain, so the pattern pieces have fold lines. Notches were added to the pocket opening piece to mark where the cascading pieces need to be attached. FOLD

FOLD

Pocket 2 x1

Pocket 1 x1

FOLD

CF

Pocket 3 x1

Under Pocket Piece x1

Front Pants x1

Figure 26. Overview of the five pattern pieces, all being cut one time for one cascading pocket.

Construction tutorial 187

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 187

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Step 1 After cutting the fabric pieces using the patterns, identify the three pocket pieces, and fold them along the pattern folding line. The folding line will be the top edge of each of the three smaller pockets. Identify the order of the pockets from top to bottom. Close the bottom curved edges of the first two pockets via overedge stitching. The first two pockets from top down have overedge stitching closing their bottom edges. The third larger pocket is just folded on the top edge at this time.

Step 1.

Step 2 Place the first pocket piece (the smallest one) on top of the pocket under patch, aligning the top pocket edges to the first top two notches. Use pins to secure the placement. The pocket edge will be larger than the under patch, as this is how it was draped. Align the pocket along the side seam, then distribute the rest of the fabric and secure with pins without allowing any fabric folds.

Step 2.

188 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 188

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Step 3 Stitch around the contour of the first pocket, allowing only 3/8 inch (10 mm) seam allowance, except for the top edge that is the opening of the pocket. This is a stich that should not show on the finished pocket, that’s why it is sewn closer to the edges than the 3 /8-inch (10-mm) seam allowance added to the initial patterns.

Step 3.

Step 4 Similarly, pick up the second pocket (medium size one), align its top edges to the two notches below the edge of the first pocket, and use pins to secure placement. Align the vertical edges to the under patch piece, while allowing the top pocket opening to drape larger than the under piece. Use pins to secure all around, except the pocket opening.

Step 4.

Construction tutorial 189

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 189

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Step 5 Stitch all around the pocket edges at 3/16 inch (5 mm) from the edge, removing pins after stitching, except for the top pocket opening edge.

Step 5.

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Pick up the last pocket piece (the largest one), and align its folded top edge at the two notches below the edge of the previously sewn pocket.

Just as in the previous steps, align the vertical edges to the underpiece and use pins to secure all around. This pocket has the largest bulge, so its tops edge will be even larger than the underpiece.

Stitch around 3/8 inch (10 mm) from edges, removing pins after stitching.

Step 6.

Step 7.

Step 8.

190 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 190

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Finished cascading pockets attached to the under piece, front view and back view.

Step 9.

Step 9 Pick up the main pattern piece (pants) and align with the finished cascading pockets piece. Check if it fits. This will be the front side of the work. You need to insert the piece with the cascading pockets into the curve opening of the main piece. The stitching will be done on the back side.

Step 10 Align the insert piece to the main piece, facing fronts toward each other, pinning from side edge to the top waist edge on the back side of both pieces. Stitch around with 3/8 inch (10 mm) seam allowance from the raw edges, backstitching at the beginning and at the end, for reinforcement. Step 10.

Construction tutorial 191

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 191

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Step 11

Step 12

Clip the seam allowances at the roundest part of the seam, making sure you do not clip the stitch line.

Use the overedge machine to stich around the same seam you just clipped, from waist edge to side edge, finishing the insertion of the piece with the cascading pockets.

Step 11.

Step 12.

Step 13 Make sure that the insertion seam is smooth, with no fabric gathering or pleats. Use the hot iron to press this seam. Depending on the fabric and design of the overall garment, an edge topstitching on this seam could also help flatten down the seam allowances, but it will also make the insert panel more visible.

Design Challenge 1 Design a ready-to-wear look that uses pockets as a design detail. Show your process and explain your concept.

Step 13.

Finished cascading pockets insertion.

192 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 192

1/24/19 3:19 PM

Featured student work

Designer: Erika Relyea 2018, University of Delaware, Fashion and Apparel Studies Department Project description This garment was inspired by a subterranean universe infected by a mutant virus. Reflected in this design is the event of a failed quarantine wherein the virus is beginning to seep through layers of clothing and skin. The construction details become more apparent with increasing overlaying of the sheer yellow nylon tricot, the contrast red tricot, and the yellow nylon mesh support—some areas with eight or more layers.

Figure 27. Concept sketch.

Featured student work 193

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 193

1/24/19 3:20 PM

Pocket design process The shape of this pocket is utilitarian in form, though unconventional in fabrication; this patch pocket design has been present most commonly in jeans since the late 19th century. Here, particularly human elements of dress are mocked through an alien lens. The pocket consists of a lightweight nylon tricot supported by nylon mesh within and attached to the body through topstitching.

Figure 28, 29. Finished garment with sheer back patch pockets.

Figure 30. The back pants and pockets details are a classical jeans silhouette, with the added construction complexity of integrating the red interfacing strip.

Design challenge 2 Design an upcycle garment using pockets as a central feature. Describe your design rationale.

194 Ready-to-Wear Pockets

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 194

1/24/19 3:20 PM

Featured student work

Designer: Sierra Benedetto-Brouillet 2019, Syracuse University Fashion Design Department Project description For this upcycle project, I had to find used clothing from a thrift store or my own closet and redesign them into something new. The skirt that I made started out as a floor length floral skirt and a pair of trousers. I cut the skirt to mini length and used the leftover bottom to

make a cape. I wanted to incorporate the pants into the skirt somehow while utilizing the already existing parts of it such as the zipper and pockets of the front, the waistband, and the back pocket. The back pocket became a patch pocket on the skirt and I placed the front of the trousers

with zipper and side pockets and placed it off center on the skirt. This created pockets on the skirt; although unconventional, they are still functional, one on the side and one acting as more of a back pocket. I wanted to use parts of the garments that were already there, and utilize them in a new, uncommon way.

Figure 33. Front of upcycled skirt.

Figure 31, 32. Initial garments, and sketches planning the cuts.

Featured student work 195

9781474272490_txt_app_06_172-195.indd 195

1/24/19 3:20 PM

Conclusion As showed in the previous chapters, pockets not only may add to the overall aesthetics of a garment, but having such functional features can prolong the lifecycle of clothing. Menswear almost in its entirety is designed with pockets, as traditionally, men are looking for functional details in order to buy a piece of clothing. The fast fashion trend led to elimination of pockets as an obvious costing item. Moreover, the contents of a pocket can be creatively translated into an overall original fashion look, as a way of communicating individuality and social messages. Kosuke’s Final Home coat, featuring over 40 pockets, represents the designer’s concept that clothing can ultimately become a home. By filling the pockets with newspaper, one can stay warm when outdoors; by inserting cushions into the pockets, one can transform the coat into something appropriate for watching an outdoor sport. This garment, while made in 1994, illustrates a deeper concept behind the product, that of awareness of social issues and sustainability, which currently are at the forefront of fashion industry.

Figure 1. A see-through nylon-made jacked filled with flowers by Kosuke Tsumura titled “Final Home.” Image courtesy of the designer.

196 Conclusion

9781474272490_txt_app_07_196-208.indd 196

1/24/19 3:22 PM

Further Readings Couture Sewing Techniques, Claire Shaeffer, 2011. Just pockets- Sewing Techniques and Design Ideas, Patricia Moyes, Taunton Book & Videos, 1997. Pockets—A directory of design details and techniques, “Select –n- Stitch Fashion Elements” series, Fox Chapel Publishing, 2011. Sew Any Patch Pocket, Claire Shaeffer, Menlo Park, CA, Open Chain Publishing, Inc., 1992. Sew Any Set-in Pocket, Claire Shaeffer, Radnor, PA, Chilton Book Company, 1994. Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket, Editors of Creative Publishing, 2005. Vintage Details: A Fashion Sourcebook, Jeffrey Mayer and Basia Szkutnicka, Laurence King Publishing, 2016.

Further Readings 197

9781474272490_txt_app_07_196-208.indd 197

1/24/19 3:22 PM

Glossary Backstitching: stitching backwards a few steps to secure ends of a stitch line Bar tack: approximately 1/4-inch (6-mm) long row of small and dense zigzag stitches Baste: hand sew or machine sew with large steps to temporarily hold layers of fabric together

Blind stitch: small stitches that hold fabric layers together, usually a hem, that are not visible to the outside layer Clips: short snips into the fabric edge to make a mark, such as for pocket opening, or to release the seam allowance from curling

Bias: fabric is cut at 45 degree angle relative to lengthwise or crosswise grain

Edge stitching: topstitching as close to the seamline as possible, approximately at 1/16 inch (16 mm)

Binding: an edge finishing using a strip of fabric that is folded around the edges that need finishing

Ravel: to fray

Selvage: the finished edges of a woven fabric, running parallel with the lengthwise grain Serger: a sewing machine that creates an overcast stitching over the fabric edges and trims the edges in the same time Understitching: technique of stitching by hand or machine through the facing and seam allowances

Grain: the direction of the yarns in a woven fabric, either lengthwise or crosswise

198 Glossary

9781474272490_txt_app_07_196-208.indd 198

1/24/19 3:22 PM

Appendix: Pocket Flat Sketch Library Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Appendix: Pocket Flat Sketch Library 199

9781474272490_txt_app_07_196-208.indd 199

1/24/19 3:23 PM

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

200 Appendix: Pocket Flat Sketch Library

9781474272490_txt_app_07_196-208.indd 200

1/24/19 3:23 PM

Index A

activewear, 108 collection, 140 cycling, 119–20 golf, 117–18 invisible zipper patch pocket, 131–39 pocket design process, 141 running, 108–14 skiing, 115–16 tennis, baseball, football, 121–22 Aflatoony, Lida, 105 agbada, 51, 52 Aggarwal, Amit, 64–66 AltewaiSaome, 179 asymmetrical wool felt jacket, 157 A-2 bomber jacket, 76

B

back horizontal pockets, 118 back jeans pockets, 92 backstitching, 8, 43, 44, 133, 135, 164, 191 Balenciaga, 151 Balmain fall, 79 baloch, 57 barong, 57–58 Barong Tagalog shirt, 58 bar tack, 8, 33, 44, 77, 88, 115 baseball, 121–22 battledress, 78 bean bag double inseam pocket, 42–44 bellow pockets, 85 B-15 bomber jacket model, 77 bias, 40, 43, 99, 158, 187 Billante, Rebecca, 184–85 binding, 31, 37, 43, 122, 152, 176 black crepe dress, 156 black velvet watch pocket, 27 Blass, Bill, 10, 158, 174 blind hand-stitching, 175 bomber jackets, 76 breeches, 21 broadfall, 53 bundhosen, 53 Burman, Barbara, 23

C

caftan, 55 cargo pockets, 78, 90 cargo-type pocket, 182 carpenter-style jeans, 91 Cashin, Bonnie, 35, 36, 37

catch stitch technique, 168 Chanel, 159 Chanel tweed jacket, 144 cheongsam, 48 chest pocket, 29 Chinese Cultural Revolution, 48 Chinese tunic suit, 62 cigarette pockets, 77 circle patch pocket, 175 classic double welt pocket, 175 classic jeans jacket, 94 classic men shirt, 57 clips, 43, 44, 101, 102, 164, 192 coat pocket, 37 coin pocket, 91 concealed pocket, inseam, 9, 10, 56, 105 Conover/Mayer satin jacket, 152 Corneliani windbreaker, 113 couture pockets draping, pattern drafting from, 162–63 inseam exposed pocket with tuck pleats, 162 inseam pockets, 155–56 patch pockets, 144–54 project description, 170–71 sewing tutorial, 164–69 slashed pockets, 157–59 cowboy shirt, 59, 60 Cuban shirt, 58 cultural dress ethnic. See ethnic dress guayabera shirt pocket, 67–71 qipao pocket, 51 welt pocket, 54 world. See world dress cycling, 119–20

D

dashiki, 51, 52 denim, 91, 93 patch pocket in, 8 Digital Sport Futures Group, 123–24 double welt pocket, 13, 28, 158 dress shirts, 57 Dubay-Betters, Danielle, 72–73 DuBreuil, Mikayla, 45

Emme, Supermodel, 183 ethnic dress, 48 from Asia Minor, 55 from Germany, 53–54 from India, 56 from Japan, 48–50 from Pakistan, 57 from Sweden, 53 from West Africa, 51–52 exaggerated pocket, 180 exposed pocket, inseam, , 9, 11, 37, 122, 162 exposed zippered pocket, 112

F

fashion, Aggarwal, Amit, 64 Balmain fall, 79 Billante, Rebecca, 184 cargo pocket, 78, 88 Chanel jacket, 144 fashionable silhouette for, 26 get interested in, 97 golf uniforms, 117 haute couture, 144 Hobeika, Georges, 160 military uniforms, 76 Plummer, Brianna, 39–41 pockets, 23, 45, 196 purse-pocket design, 35 ready-to-wear uses pockets, 174 runway kurta, 63 Shick, Aubrey, 129–130 sportswear, 108 summer ready-to-wear collection, 114 supermodel Emme, 183 Walford, Jonathan, 38 welt and inseam pockets, 20 Fashion History Museum, 38 Fendi, 177, 182 field jacket, 81 firefighters, 126 First Person Vision, 129 flap pocket, 76, 77, 82 fob pocket, 26 football, 121–22 Form Follows Function (FFF), 97

E

edge stitching, 36, 102, 103, 137 eight knives, 51 embellished pockets, 23

G

Gaultier, Jean Paul, 147, 181 geometric pocket, 180 Index 201

9781474272490_txt_app_07_196-208.indd 201

1/24/19 3:23 PM

golf, 117–18 golf pants, 118 grain, 164, 187 guayabera shirt pocket, 58, 59, 67–71 Gucci, 11

H

hammer pocket, 91 hanging pocket, 20, 22 healthcare uniforms, 95–96 hip pocket, 29 history of pockets, 40 breeches, 21 design detail, 32 as functional detail, 26–31 hanging pocket, 20 inseam pocket, 33–35 justaucorps, 18 linen pocket, 22 patch pocket, 36–37 saccoccia/loose pocket, 23 secret pockets, 23–25 hobby uniforms hunting gear, 85–87 motorcycle apparel, 83–85 Hobeika, Georges, 160–61 hood pocket, 114 horizontal pocket, 111 hunting jacket, 85

I

in-dart pocket, 45 inseam pocket, 9–11, 33, 34, 88, 141 concealed, 156, 181 couture pockets, 155–56 exposed, 9, 11, 37, 122, 162 interior coat pocket, 36 interior pocket, 24 invisible zipper patch pocket, 115, 131–39 Italian house dress, 61

J

jacket pocket, 93 jeans, 91 jersey pocket, 120 jetted pocket, 28 jogging shirt, 111 jump jacket, 78 justaucorps, 18, 20, 28

MA-1 model, 76 mandarin collar, 63 Mao suit, 62, 63 Maslany, Melanie, 123–24 Maxmara, 13 Milan Fashion Week, 177, 182 M-1943 field jacket, 81 M-1965 military field jacket, 81 mock-trapunto pocket, 50 Morris, Kristen, 125–28 motorcycle jacket, 83–85

patch pocket, 8, 30, 31, 34, 36, 51, 52, 58, 82, 96, 117, 122 Aggarwal, Amit, 65 couture pockets, 144–54 peacock coat, 170 Perfecto jacket, 83 piped shaped pockets, 51 Plummer, Brianna, 39–41 poacher’s pocket, 86 pocket activewear. See activewear bean bag double inseam pocket, 42–44 couture pockets. See couture pockets cultural dress. See cultural dress design detail, 32–37 design process, 72–73 ethnic dress, 48 as functional detail, 26–31 guayabera shirt, 67–71 history of. See history of pockets inseam. See inseam pocket patch, 8, 30, 31, 36 qipao, 51–53 ready-to-wear. See ready-to-wear pockets research and design process, 45 secret, 23–25 shape and opening of, 20 slashed, 12–15 sleeve, 77 tailored, 12, 14, 149 types, 8 utilitarian. See utilitarian pockets welt, 54–63 Pockets of History: The Secret Life of an Everyday Object (Burman), 23 pouch, 23, 24 product development, 123 Pucci ski jacket, 115

N

Q

K

kaftan, 55 kamiz, 56 kangaroo pocket, 8, 9, 141, 178 inseam, 11 pouch, 159 Kaufman, Nadine, 105, 127 key pocket, 109 kimono sleeve, 49 kniebundhosen, 53 Kosuke Tsumura “Final Home” jacket, 112 kurta fashion, 63

L

lace fabrics, 155 lapel pocket, 78 layered applied pockets, 176 lederhosen, 52, 54 Levi Strauss & Co., 98 Lewis Leathers Bronx Aviakit Jacket, 83 lighter weight canvas jacket, 86 linen pocket, 22 long mesh pocket, 109 lucent jacket, 126 Luminosity jacket, 127

M

Nehru suit, 63 nested patch pockets, 90, 95 nested pockets, with gussets, 99–103 Nylock, Bemis, 127

P

Panek, Tracey, 98 paratrooper jump jacket, 78 Paris Fashion Week, 145, 147, 153, 159, 176

qipao dress, 48, 49 qipao pocket, 51–53

R

ready-to-wear pockets, 174 cascading pockets, 186–92 circle patch pocket, 175 frontal impact, 174–77 hip focus, 178–81

202 Index

9781474272490_txt_app_07_196-208.indd 202

1/24/19 3:23 PM

rear focus, 181–82 triangular concealed pocket, 181 Reebok, 122 archives, 119 vintage vest, 89 reticules, 23 running, 108–14 running shorts, 112

S

saccoccia, 23 salwar, 56 Schiaparelli, 153, 154 Schoolboy Q, 52 secret pocket, 23–25 serger, 139, 141 sew-free pocket, 125 shaped tridimensional pocket, 96 sheer back patch pockets, 194 sheer mesh pocket, 65, 66 Shick, Aubrey, 129–30 side seam pocket, 88 silk apron, 54 silk dress, 152 single welt pocket, 12 sinus, 18 Sirui, Zhu, 104 skiing, 115–16 ski-inspired jacket, 116 slanted pocket, 11 slashed pocket, 12–15, 146 couture pockets, 157–59 sleeve pocket, 77, 141 smile pocket, 59, 60 sport cycling, 119–20 golf, 117–18 running, 108–14 skiing, 115–16 tennis, baseball, football, 121–22 sports pocket, 122 staple construction technique, 149 Strauss, Levi, 91, 93

sudarium, 18 Sun, Yat-Sen, 62 Swisstex jersey fabric, 119

T

tennis, 121–22 tennis ball pocket, 121 thermic jacket, 127 ticket pocket, 28, 29 triangle-shaped pocket, 26 triangular concealed pocket, 181 triangular patch, 178 tridimensional pocket, 85, 87, 116 triple patch pocket, 119 trucker jacket, 93 tuxedo silhouette, 157

U

understitching, 165 uniforms chef apparel, 95 construction workwear, 88–94 healthcare uniforms, 95–96 utilitarian pockets construction tutorial, 99–103 flap pocket, 82 hobby uniforms, 83–87 military uniforms, 75–82 nested pockets with gussets, 99–103 sleeve pocket, 77 uniforms, 88–96 zippered pocket, 83 utility-inspired pockets, 89 utility vests, 88

V

Versace, 148 vertical zipped pocket, 110 VibeAttire, 129, 130 Vilegas, Steve “Krash,” 97 vintage denim jacket, 93 vinyl pocket, 73, 153, 154, 179

W

waist overalls, 98 waist pocket, 19, 141 Walford, Jonathan, 38 watch pocket, 26, 27, 91, 98 wax-coated hunting jacket, 86 Wearables pocket, 123–124 wearable technology, 123 welt pocket, 28, 54–63, 117 western shirt, 58–60 windbreaker jacket, 118 winter apparel, 115–16 women’s running pants, 108, 109 wool coat, 34 wool fabric A-line skirt, 178 wool fabric pencil skirt, 178 wool jacket, 31 wool plaid jacket, 158 world dress, 57 Chinese tunic suit, 62 dress shirts, 57 features of, 57–58 guayabera shirt, 58 Italian house dress, 61 Mao suit, 62 Nehru suit, 63 western shirt, 58 western shirt/cowboy shirt, 59–60

Y

Y-3, 176

Z

Zhongshan suit, 62 zipped slashed pockets, 14 zippered pocket, 81, 83 exposed, 112 slashed, 14 welt, 126 zippered welt pockets, 126 zipper garage, 110 zipper pocket, 81

Index 203

9781474272490_txt_app_07_196-208.indd 203

1/24/19 3:23 PM