POCKETS: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close

Hannah Carlson

Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA

Year 2023

Pages 286

Who knew the humble pocket could hold so much history? In this book, the author turns the pocket inside out and out tumble pocket watches, coins, pistols, and a riveting centuries-long social and political history. It is a history of the United States Pockets showcases the best features of cultural history: a lively combination of visual, literary and documentary evidence of who gets pockets, and why? It is a subject that stirs up plenty of passion: Why do men’s clothes have so many pockets and women’s so few? And why are the pockets on women’s clothes often too small to fit phones, if they even open at all? In this captivating book, the author reveals the issues of gender politics, security, sexuality, power, and privilege tucked inside our pockets. Filled with incredible images, this microhistory of the humble pocket uncovers what pockets tell us about ourselves: How is it that putting your hands in your pockets can be seen as a sign of laziness, arrogance, confidence, or perversion? And what else might be hiding in the history of our pockets? Thinking about the future, the author asks whether we will still want pockets when our clothes contain “smart” textiles that incorporate our IDs and credit cards. This book is for the legions of people obsessed with pockets and their absence, and for anyone interested in how our clothes influence the way we navigate the world.