One Useful Pocket

A pocket should begin with the hand and the object, not with a line added to animate a drawing. Its opening must be found without looking, its depth must secure a key while sitting and its cloth must tolerate the repeated weight of a phone or notebook. Too many pockets make a garment anxious. One well-positioned pocket can make it indispensable.

We will develop this article through examples from workwear, tailoring and outdoor clothing. The point will not be that utility requires a military arrangement of compartments. Good utility is selective. It anticipates the object most likely to be carried and gives that object a settled place, leaving the rest of the garment free to move, age and remain recognisably clothing.