Discreet and cramped, one thing is certain, it is not there by chance…
They are everywhere: in your dressing room, on the catwalks, or even hanging on the racks of the trendiest thrift stores. Jeans, this undeniable pillar of fashion, cross the ages without ever losing their shine. Whether loose, skinny, faded or raw, they adapt to all styles and all occasions. But one detail has always intrigued denim lovers: this fifth small pocket, nestled in the right front pocket. Is it there to decorate, make the design more symmetrical or for a very specific function? Mystery solved!
So-called “five-pocket” jeans therefore have two large pockets at the front, two at the back, and this small pocket sewn inside one of the front pockets. This detail is so common that we almost forget to ask ourselves the question of its usefulness. However, it has caused a lot of ink to flow. A mini-trash can for candy wrappers? A discreet hiding place for a tampon? A strategic place to slip a condom or a USB key? In reality, we have to go back to the 19th century to understand its real reason for existence. Levi Strauss, inventor of jeans as we know them, designed this garment with a very specific purpose: to resist the wear and tear of workers and gold prospectors. Indeed, during the era of the Wild West, cowboys, miners and workers from all walks of life often carried precious and fragile pocket watches. These watches, without bracelets, required a safe place to avoid shocks or scratches. And that’s where this famous fifth pocket comes in. Placed at hand height, it allowed a pocket watch to be slipped in in complete safety. Its tight location and depth limited the risk of it falling or moving too much.
But, over the decades, the use of this pocket has evolved. Wristwatches, which appeared later, made this feature largely obsolete. Today, we would more likely place a coin, a key or other small objects there that we would try to hide. Regardless, the jeans have retained this historic detail, a symbol of the tradition and heritage of the brand’s first creations. In short, you will have understood, jeans without a fifth pocket would be almost like Levi’s without rivets: incomplete.