Have you ever wondered what that little square pocket sticking out of the front bags of jeans is for? It’s the perfect size to hold a solitary coin or even a guitar pick, but what actually motivated this mysterious compartment to be invented?
On the Q&A site Quora, a post about the pocket emerged. “Why do jeans have a front pocket? Was it something useful or just a fad?” the original question asked. After some tentative ideas and answers, the final one arrived: “It’s for pocket watches. In the 1800s, cowboys used to wear their watches on chains attached to their waistcoats. To prevent them from breaking, the Levi’s brand introduced these pockets where they could keep their watches safe.”
Faced with the imminent questioning of this answer, arguing that the pocket of jeans is too small to fit a pocket watch, another contributor helped the explanation, clarifying that as the use of watches of this type decreased, manufacturers began to reduce the size of the pockets, although some still retain the design of the original piece.
The official blog of Levi Strauss & Co. confirms this hypothesis. “Our first jean had four bags – just one on the back, two on the front and the little bag for the watch. Originally included as protection for the pocket watch, this extra division has several functions: condom bag, match bag, movie tickets. It is a bag that is still extremely useful, as well as being adored by denim enthusiasts as it tends to wash naturally with use,” says the brand’s facts site.
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