Why do jeans have that tiny, pointless pocket?
If you are the owner of one, or several, pairs of well-worn jeans, you’ve probably asked yourself at one point or another why your jeans have a tiny pocket inside of one of the front pockets.
While its use has been cited to various objects over the years, including coins, matches, tickets, and even condoms – the reason for the pocket actually dates back to the 1800s.
"The first blue jeans had four pockets – only one in back and, in the front, two plus the small watch pocket," a blog post on Levis parent brand, Levi Strauss & Co. reads.
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"Originally included as protection for pocket watches, thus the name, this extra pouch has served many functions. Not only is the pocket extremely useful for holding tiny trinkets, it is also is loved by denimheads for the faded and worn nature it takes on over time."
The watch pocket
So, it was originally intended as a watch pocket and Levis would know, they were the first brand to put the small pockets in their jeans after all.
"In 1873, Levi Strauss & Co and Jacob Davis received US Patent No 139,121 for ‘Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings’," Anita Lo, owner of vintage clothing and antiques boutique Clara's Box, says.
"The copper rivets improved the strength and durability of the denim workwear, they kept the pocket and seams from bursting when doing heavy work.
"Although this small pocket is sometimes referred to as the fifth pocket, that honour actually belongs to the back left pocket, which didn’t appear on the jeans until 1901."
The reason why it was created as a watch pocket is because it was made for pocket watches, which was a typical item to carry with you in the 1800s.
A brief history of jeans
Despite Levi Strauss & Co sparking the world’s love affair with jeans, Lo says that the fabric used to make jeans was derived from Europe during the 16th century, with origins in Genoa, Italy and Nîmes, France.
"In Genoa, they developed a fustian (heavy woven) cloth used to kit out ships with sails and make clothing for sailors," Lo explains.
"‘Gênes’ is the French word for Genoa and may explain why the trousers are called ‘jeans’. By the 17th century, the fabric was a crucial textile for working-class people in Northern Italy.
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"Weavers in Nîmes were inspired by the jean fabric and developed a similar twill fabric that became known as denim or ‘de Nîmes’, meaning ‘from Nîmes’."
It wasn’t until the 1860s that people in the US began wearing jeans as work trousers.
"In the 1800s, Levis Strauss sold sturdy imported denim in America," Lo explains. "His customer, Jacob W Davis, was a tailor. He purchased the fabric to produce long-lasting, heavy duty trousers for a gold mining company."
Davis is credited with being the inventor of the modern jeans that we know today.
Enduring popularity
In 1954, zippers were added to jeans for the first time and they were no longer for industrial workers but for the every man and woman.
"While Marilyn Monroe reimagined the denim jean as an empowering and moderately sexualised style, James Dean and Marlon Brando redefined the trousers forever with their highly stylised roles in cult movies," Lo says.
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"Naturally, everyone wanted to emulate these idols. Culturally, jeans became a symbol of the youth rebellion during the 1950s and 1960s as college students started wearing them as a protest against the Vietnam War and the formality of the establishment."
These days, jeans are a staple in most people’s closets, from the skinny to the slouchy, the ripped to the high waist, it’s an item that will continue to be a classic for decades to come.
