Tiny Pocket in Jeans

Some of the greatest inventions of our time have preserved their design mainly to keep the product's purpose. We have seen how the telephone has evolved throughout the decades, from a primitive landline to a tiny computer carried in our pockets. However, the purpose of the phone, more commonly known as a smartphone, still remains the original idea: to give and receive calls. Of course, there are now more features added to it, like sending and receiving text messages, connecting to the internet, and playing Angry Birds. However, some products remain the same even though some parts of the invention have changed throughout the years. One of these is the tiny pocket we have on our jeans.

Have you ever noticed that tiny pocket in your jeans? What's up with that thing? Back when they were created, they had a purpose, although it may not matter that much anymore.

Levi was the first company to stitch these tiny pockets on the jeans back in 1890, and they were first added to the "waist overall" jeans. Levi Strauss and Co. stated that the purpose of these tiny pockets was to hold pocket watches, those watches that were commonly held through a chain. However, nobody really uses pocket watches nowadays since everybody uses either wristwatches or the clock on our smartphones. So, if nobody uses these old pocket watches anymore, why did Levi keep the tiny pockets in their jeans?

Long story short, nostalgia. Levi released the tiny pocket in mass in the "Lot 501" production jeans in 1890. One of Levi Strauss and Co.'s historians spoke out about their small bags, "The oldest pair of waist overall in the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives (from 1879) include the watch pocket. The watch pocket was a feature of our first waist overalls." So that settles it; the company just wanted to stay true to its original design. But can we use it for something?

Since the tiny pocket has lost its purpose, can we put it to some good use? Some people say they use it for items of equal or lesser size. These items include keys, rings, watches, and coins. And of course, if you're feeling like you're straight out of the 1800's you can still put a pocket watch in there as well.

Many types of clothing also don't really make sense. What about the chest pockets in jean jackets? What up with those? What about the drawstrings in the hoodies? Do we even use those? Many clothing features that were useful back in the day are not used anymore…

But what do you think about the tiny pockets? Should they have removed them as soon as pocket watches went out of style? What would you use the small pockets for?