Pockets

A fascinating and surprising social and design history of the sewn-in pocket, from the mid-fifteen hundreds up to today that uncovers what pockets reveal about us, our place in society, and how we move through the world.
 
Who is allowed pockets and why? Why is it that men’s clothes are full of pockets while women’s have so few? How is it that putting your hands in them can be seen as a sign of laziness, arrogance, confidence, or perversion? Throughout the medieval era, the purse was an almost universal dress feature carried by men and women alike. But when men’s bags, ostentatiously belted at their hips in Western Europe, moved inside clothing and the sewn-in pocket emerged, it ignited controversy and introduced a range of social issues concerning security, sexuality, power, and privilege that we continue to wrestle with today.
 
In this abundantly illustrated four-color book, Hannah Carlson, who teaches in the apparel design department at the Rhode Island School of Design, asks a question many women are asking every day: Why do men get so many pockets, but women do not? But this pocket history is about a lot more than the politics of gender. Among her other questions: What did Walt Whitman do to usher in a new attitude toward pockets? Why are the contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets the most popular exhibit at the Library of Congress? What is the connection between pockets and pistols? And what else do we hide in our pockets?
 
The book begins when tailoring receipts for men’s sewn-in pockets first show up in the fifteen hundreds, and continues up to today, as hashtags like #PocketInequality, #wewantpockets, and #givemepocketsorgivemedeath have mobilized thousands of women to demand more from the companies they patronize. And The Pockets Book explores whether we will still need pockets when our clothes contain “smart” textiles that incorporate our IDs and credit cards and when our thumbprints replace the keys that open our front doors? The Pockets Book is for anyone intrigued by fashion but also for readers who want to discover the impact that the humble pocket has had on our culture, both high culture and pop culture.
 

“Who knew the humble pocket could hold so much history? In this enthralling and always surprising account, Hannah Carlson turns the pocket inside out and out tumble pocket watches, coins, pistols, and a riveting centuries-long social and political history.”
 —Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United State
“Who knew the humble pocket could hold so much history? In this enthralling and always surprising account, Hannah Carlson turns the pocket inside out and out tumble pocket watches, coins, pistols, and a riveting centuries-long social and political history.”
 —Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United States
In her nifty “Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close,” Hannah Carlson unbuttons the politics behind who gets to hide their belongings, and where.—New York Times Book Review
“If you’re a man, you might wonder why someone would write an entire book about pockets…if you’re a woman, the story of Pockets pretty much illuminates all of human history. Either way, once you pick up Pockets, you’ll never forget its weird and wonderful lessons of power and possession.” 
 —Faith Salie, contributor to CBS News Sunday Morning and regular panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!
“Rarely is such a feat of scholarship also such a delight. Carlson’s comprehensive history is among the best fashion books I’ve ever read. This deceptively simple premise contains surprising stories of the ways that politics, law, and technology manifest themselves in the clothes we wear. But the best part is that this book is full of so much assorted delightful useful miscellany—just like the pocket itself.”
 —Avery Trufelman, host and creator of “Articles of Interest” podcast
"Delightfully wide-ranging."—The New Yorker
“Delightfully wide-ranging... Carlson’s winning book depicts the range and relevance of the pocket, which can be a metaphor for abundance or perversion, possession or secrecy—and a way of managing the efficiencies of life.”—The New Yorker
“From feminine codes of secrecy to the fascinating culture of smart textiles, Carlson’s book is that rare thing: an exhaustive social history that’s also un-put-downable. Pockets reminds us that what we hold close says everything about who we are, what we value, and why it matters.”
 —Jessica Helfand, Design Observer
“Pockets is absolutely fascinating and beautifully written.”
 —Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator, The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
“Fascinating. Drawing from literary and artistic sources; media commentary; behavioral studies; and object histories, Carlson offers an enlightening and engaging account of the sexual politics underlying the uneven use of pockets in the design of men’s and women’s dress.”——Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge, The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
“Witty, wise, and totally mind-bending, this deeply researched, beautifully written book not only recovers the hidden history of pockets, but also reveals the ways those familiar but often ignored pouches reflected (and sometimes reshaped) cultural understandings of objects and the persons that carry them.”
 —Bruce J. Schulman, William E. Huntington Professor of History, Boston University, and author of Making the American Century
“Carlson’s fascinating book—a historical who, what, where, why and when with the pocket as its central character—is as delightfully gripping as a spy novel.”—Linda O’Keeffe, author Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers More
“Stuffed with illuminating illustrations and fresh insights, Pockets will make you reconsider an overlooked but indispensable manifestation of our designed lives. Carlson keeps ferreting out discoveries we didn’t even know we were looking for." 
 —Rob Walker, The Art of Noticing
“Sweeping gracefully over half a millennium of Western culture... Carlson’s study showcases the best features of cultural history… As sumptuously illustrated as it is learned… this highly inventive and original book demands a pocket sequel.”—Wall Street Journal
"Fascinating insight as to how something as simple as a pocket can influence culture, gender, and society as a whole. Full color images and photos are abundant throughout the text, wonderfully illustrating that which is being discussed. Perfect for readers interested in history and textiles as well as culture, sociology, and gender."—Booklist
"An entertaining, slightly academic look at how attitudes toward pockets have changed over the course of the past several centuries... juicy anecdotes."—Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Carlson’s detailed and roving examination of the pocket, a substantial and fascinating book filled with lavish color illustrations, is definitely worth a read — even if it likely won’t fit in anyone’s, well, you know."—Washington Independent Review of Books
Named a Best/Most Recommended Book by The New Yorker and Publishers Weekly
"Fascinating first book… richly illustrated… This erudite, enjoyable book about pockets delivers."—Library Journal
“[A] colorful look at an everyday piece of fashion that has been routinely underappreciated but never deeply explored.”—Inc., "The 15 Best Business Books of 2023"

Hannah Carlson is an authority on the history of clothing and an award-winning researcher and author. She has been featured on the podcast 99% Invisible, as well as in The Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, and The New Yorker. A senior lecturer in the apparel design department at the Rhode Island School of Design, she has acted as the faculty fellow in Costumes and Textiles at the RISD Museum and trained as a Conservator of Costume and Textiles at the Fashion Institute of Technology. A graduate of Wesleyan University, she earned a master’s degree from FIT, and a Ph.D. in material culture from Boston University.
 

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