Not a Coin Pocket: Here's Why Jeans Have That Small Pocket

If you pay attention, you might notice a small pocket on your favourite pair of jeans, especially from brands that focus on designing and releasing denim collections. If you’ve ever wondered about its function and purpose, read on.

This small pocket has had many names throughout its history in the fashion world. According to Today, some people call it a coin pocket, watch pocket, frontier pocket, match pocket, or even a ticket pocket.

It’s too small for a phone and too shallow to hold a wallet.

According to Yahoo Lifestyle, the small pocket on jeans was originally designed to hold pocket watches. At the time, jeans were not considered a fashion item but rather workwear for labourers such as carpenters, construction workers, miners, or farmers.

Because their jobs were demanding, pocket watches were considered important items that needed to be protected. So, an additional small pocket was created to prevent pocket watches from easily falling out or breaking while being worn for work.

“The small pocket we see sewn into the front right pocket is an excellent example of functional fashion and a lasting legacy,” said Amanda Massi, a stylist with a postgraduate degree in fashion design and experience in customising denim.

In addition to the small pocket, jeans are also known for the rivets on the corners of the pockets. Britannica states that this detail was created to strengthen the area that is easily torn due to the pressure and heavy activity of the workers.

Even though pocket watches are no longer relevant in the age of technology, as people have switched to wearing smartwatches or relying on their phones to tell the time.

Today, the function of the small pocket is much more flexible. Some people use it to store lighters, earphones, coins, lip balm, or even house keys.