Why Don't Plus Size Women's Clothes Have Pockets?
Posted by Jen Anderson on
Well, the patriarchy of course, but that's not the only reason. The short answer is that knit fabric and pockets are not a good combination. Yes, some Vikki Vi Classics have pockets, but there is an actual reason why all Vikki Vi Classics don't have them.
Speaking of Pockets...
We've recently introduced 2 Pocket Swing Tunics inspired by the popular tops from Caribe. They're available in some of our most popular jersey prints. That means they're limited edition, so don't waste time.
Pockets and Knits - an Iffy Combination
The great thing about knit material is that it stretches, which makes it easier to get a well-fitting garment without tailoring. The bad thing about knit material is that it stretches, which means it can lose its shape.
That's why we advise against hanging up Vikki Vi Classics - gravity will pull on the garment and make it longer and misshapen. This goes for all your knitwear. Fold those garments or roll them up and store them in a drawer, on a shelf, or in a hanging organizer.
It's also an issue when you add pockets. If you actually put something in the pockets of a knit dress, the dress gets pulled down and out of shape. It's just an inch or so at first, but it's noticeable. And by the end of the day, it's several inches and is very noticable. This looks awful and really shortens the lifespan of the dress.
A Quick Fashion History Lesson
Let's go back to 16th and 17th century England. Picture any portrait of Elizabeth I - big, full skirts, dresses covered in jewels, you know the type. Since the skirts of her dresses were so full, they have pockets, right? Nope.
Those dresses were made of woven fabric, so theoretically dresses of that style could've had pockets, but they didn't. Not because women of that time didn't have pockets - in fact they had huge pockets. It's just that their pockets were more of a utility belt. Along with the many undergarments women wore, they'd wear a belt with 2 big pockets hanging from it. It was made from woven linen, so we're talking maximum sturdiness.
The big dresses had slits on the side, allowing the wearing to access their pockets.
What's relevant here is that the pockets were hanging from a belt.
Why Some Vikki Vi Classics Have Pockets and Others Don't
Our Pull On Pants have an elastic waistband, which means that a pocket would pull the pants down. The Pull On Pants With Pockets have a different waistband - still elastic, but structured to handle the weight of a few items. This adds to the manufacturing costs, which increases the price of the garment. It's only a $6 difference, but we hear a lot of concerns about how expensive Vikki Vi Classics are so we only add pockets to a few neutral colors.
Our Bootleg Cut Pull On Pants have a single pocket positioned just below a waistband that's engineered to handle the weight of a smartphone.
We can't add pockets to our dresses because there's no waistband to support the weight of whatever's in the pocket. I actually own a knit dress with pockets and when I put my phone in the pocket, I can feel it in my shoulder because that's where my dress is hanging from. (It also looks stretched out and awful, so I only put something in the pockets to demonstrate why they're a bad idea.)
Back To Those New 2 Pocket Swing Tunics
They're a completely new style for us, so they're designed to handle the weight of the pockets. How much you put in them is up to you.
It's a Tradeoff
I know women who refuse to buy pants, skirts, and dresses that don't have pockets. But that means passing on certain styles and fabrics, or wearing clothes that really shouldn't have pockets but do. Now if we're talking about jeans which are made from a sturdy woven fabric, there's no excusing a lack of pockets. But I'll gladly skip the pockets for a cute knit dress.