I see people rummaging through their purse/bag/backpack in search of keys/money/id/lipstick/phone all the time. I have long ago switched to using pants with enough pockets to keep at least the basics on me: keys, wallet, cell phone, a dedicated pocket for each, so I know where every item is and can feel the weight change/imbalance if something is missing. I have learned to always put each item back in its own pocket after use. This is harder for ladies but not impossible: a couple of keys, a cell phone and a tiny wallet with just enough room for an id, a credit/debit card and a few bills can fit, for example, in almost any jeans’ pockets without visible bulging. The rest can go in the purse or backpack. Does not work for formal wear, of course, but there are usually plenty of suitable casual choices.
A common complaint is that women’s clothing is very bad for pockets. Over the past couple of months I’ve attended two parties in drag, and this is by far the strongest sympathy I’ve developed from the experience.
Sometimes pockets are sewn shut for display, with loose stitches that are meant to be removed after purchase. This is worth checking before giving up. “Decorative” pockets are normally either nonexistent (just some trim that looks like the opening of a pocket) or very shallow.
A friend recently started wearing men’s jackets. They were extremely delighted by the discovery of chest height pockets inside the jacket, which really are supremely good ideas. Perfect for phone, wallet, passport, etc. In general, well-designed men’s clothing is fantastic for pockets—my formal pants have buttons for back pockets (safer for my wallet!) and smaller pockets nested inside both front pockets (one for keys, one for coins, now I don’t have keys sitting next to my phone, my keys are more accessible, it’s great).
It might be worth looking through men’s jackets and pants for something that fits you and looks good, regardless of what “gender” of clothing you usually wear.
All women (three) I know who’ve tried men’s briefs have considered them ridiculously superior to women’s underwear and wear them by preference except when their dress-up for an occasion includes fancy underwear. Women’s clothes are just terrible in some regards.
Then perhaps there is some money to be gained by designing superior women’s clothes. (At least this is how it should be. Except for humans not being automatically strategic, and million other things.)
One would think there would be a substantial market for superior women’s clothes, especially for sale in stores (rather than online) but somehow it hasn’t happened. I wonder how much capital it would take.
.. Clothes made by people with any sense of pride in craft? I sew for a hobby, and for the purpose of making gifts. - for example I just finished a nice summer jacket for my brothers birthday, english wool, silk lining. Cost to me: <70 euro. (and time, but eh.) I learned to what to do largely by reading on the internet and taking old clothes apart to see how they were built.
The clothes sold to women is depressing as all hell in that regard. Materials, build, functionality—Lowest bidder doesn’t begin to describe it. “I don’t think you even tried at all” about covers it.
I think this happens because womens clothing stores sell a ridiculously tiny fraction of the stock they purchase. The price tag on a shirt or skirt has to pay not only for that piece of clothes, but also for the 5 to nine other items on that rack nobody buys before they go hopelessly out of style. In order for that to work out to a net profit, the items on selection need to be nearly worthless. And they are.
Men’s Jeans are the perfect opposite clothing item—a store can buy those home in bulk, and be assured that every single item in that consignment will eventually be sold because they are a commodity, so the gap between price and worth is much smaller.
So, in order to make better womens clothes, you need to design something which is as guaranteed a sale as a pair of mens jeans. And to not hate women. Eh.. This really does look like something I could do…
Okay, since we live in the 21st century, I’ll try again:
One sewing machine, and a Kickstarter with viral marketing.
I am kinda serious here. If you know how to make clothes, you should just make one example piece for yourself, and if anyone compliments on them, give them your business card. Make the first few pieces custom tailored (yes, it is okay, if the first few pieces are expensive; those customers also pay extra for being unique), and if the demand grows, start doing it full-time, and later employing other people to do it for you. Just remember from the beginning that you are trying to create a brand: have a website, business cards, etc.
Costs: one sewing machine, one elegant website (without anything interactive, only “send me a message”), hundred business cards, and a few pieces of clothes for you and your friends. That’s what; under $1000?
If you don’t know how to make the clothes, make a sketch, and pay someone else to do this for you. That could be more expensive. On the other hand, if your plan succeeds, you already have a supply line, and time to focus on marketing and management.
Women’s clothes are generally terrible in most regards except, and it is less and less common, to look good. They are designed to look good on very thin women, and maintain a thin line. Most high fashion is just ridiculous, and when it gets passed down it seems most designers have an “idea” of a woman which is far removed from reality. Pockets rarely feature except in jeans, and I have had more than one item of clothing which looked to have pockets, but they were actually fake and rather pointless on all counts.
Men’s clothing is far, far better (often even in appearance), in my opinion.
Well, women also get to carry around large bags / purses without feeling self-conscious. I often wish I could get away with carrying around a purse for my things. It’d be nice to have them all in one place and not scattered among a half dozen pockets and liable to fall out when I reach for something else. The manly alternative of a backpack or satchel / messenger bag is typically overkill and not appropriate to all situations.
If you want a manly equivalent of a purse (and unwilling to be seen wearing a fanny pack / waist pack), look into photo bags. They come in all kinds of sizes including very small.
Be aware, though, that putting heavy things regularly in men’s jacket pockets—especially the inside chest pockets—will tend, over time, to spoil the ‘line’ of the jacket and make it look much less smart.
(Some people may not care about that, but it’s worth considering—see e.g this response to this post.)
Huh. My wallet has never fallen out of my front pocket (except those of a very few sports trousers with very shallow pockets), while it fell out of my back pocket a couple times back when I used to keep it there, and I have witnessed a couple more people’s wallets fall out of their back pockets too.
(Also, I don’t like what sitting onto my wallet feels like.)
Buttons make me a less desirable pickpocket target and give me one more chance to notice. Also I mind sitting on my wallet a lot less since I got a thinner wallet and carried fewer things around in it.
I am a man and my mother always told me not to stuff my pants pockets full becasue it makes me look fatter: wider hips. Her recommended solution was, somewhat ironically, a cowboyish man-purse. That may be the reason: women may care more about not looking fatter than men.
I like this scheme, which in my mind is an instance of a meta-rule that’s something like “have a definite, small place for things you will need to retrieve quickly”.
You can implement this useful system even if you only have a large container (e.g. large purse/bag/backpack) by putting things in subcontainers. Obvious if the large bag is subdivided, but you can subdivide it yourself by using smaller bags.
I recommend using pencil cases (the flexible plastic ones with zips on the top) in larger purses/bags/backpacks. This can make it much faster to find things in your bag.
So, for instance, in my work rucksack I have the following pencil cases:
clear one with commonly used electronic bits (conference calling earbuds, listening earbuds, USB thumbdrives, laptop-to-projector adapter, phone-to-laptop adapter)
clear one with less commonly used electronic bits (connectors, laptop remote control, earplugs)
Before I adopted this system, getting something out of my bag was a nightmare of jumbled wires and fishing around. Now it’s speedy and convenient. Even when there’s lots of other stuff in there (e.g. packed lunch, warm clothing, umbrella, power adapters) it’s easy to put your hand on the pencil case with the thing you want inside.
Round my part of the world, cheap pencil cases cost about a pound/dollar or two or less (for unbranded ones in large supermarkets), and come in a bewildering variety of colours and finishes. Having a clear mnemonic for the contents really helps—I can find the medicine bag faster than the others. (It has a distinctive texture, too, which helps when my hand’s in the bag.) Clear ones are good since you can instantly see the contents.
The same approach works for e.g. travelling with large bags. If space isn’t at an absolute premium (e.g. trying to fly carry-on only) I put things in smaller bags inside the big bags I’m carrying. And even when space is very tight, it’s still worth it sometimes—e.g. keeping ‘documents I will need during the journey’ in an easily-identifiable folder to separate them from ‘documents I might like to read during the journey’.
One advantage of pants/suit over a backpack is that for a permanent arrangement of a small number of items I instantly feel when something is out of place. Not sure if this is common or peculiar to me.
Well, we can say N >= 2 with confidence. I carry items in assigned pockets of my trousers/pants and jacket too, and it’s such a habit that my clothes don’t feel ‘right’ on me if I’m missing something.
And I thought it’d be useful as a tip for people who don’t like to wear men’s clothing or who want to keep less stuff in pockets for style reasons. You can’t fit as much as I carry in my pockets in high-fashion jeans.
I really like this. I have a handbag and do something akin to this with ziplock bags, but having things colour-coded seems to be an additionally good idea.
For people who prefer purses (I like them more stylistically, and also for the increased carrying capacity), I have found that using a smaller, more structured one with lots of pockets/compartments works well for solving this problem. Things I use often (like keys, cards, phone) are in specific easy to reach pockets, and I can easily find them and replace them by feel.
I am always amazed that everyone doesn’t assign a pocket to things. It’s something I’d honed as far back as middleschool after repeatedly loosing my camera due to a messenger bag without a zipper and a tendency to set things down less than carefully.
Pocketbooks* and backpacks are likely to have pockets. I use clothing pockets myself, but making better use of pockets in pocketbooks and backpacks might also be a useful habit.
*Wikipedia has it that pocketbook is an American (regional?) term for handbag, and it’s certainly the word I would use if I were talking. I take purse to refer to a small wallet which is just a single compartment with a clasp on top. I would distinguish between a hand bag and a shoulder bag. I don’t think I’ve seen pocketbook in print—to the point where it looks like it could be confused with a paperback book.
Thank you for the clarification—I’m from Australia, and if I’d guessed I would have assumed a pocketbook was just a fancy notebook (like a moleskine or something).
I see people rummaging through their purse/bag/backpack in search of keys/money/id/lipstick/phone all the time. I have long ago switched to using pants with enough pockets to keep at least the basics on me: keys, wallet, cell phone, a dedicated pocket for each, so I know where every item is and can feel the weight change/imbalance if something is missing. I have learned to always put each item back in its own pocket after use. This is harder for ladies but not impossible: a couple of keys, a cell phone and a tiny wallet with just enough room for an id, a credit/debit card and a few bills can fit, for example, in almost any jeans’ pockets without visible bulging. The rest can go in the purse or backpack. Does not work for formal wear, of course, but there are usually plenty of suitable casual choices.
A common complaint is that women’s clothing is very bad for pockets. Over the past couple of months I’ve attended two parties in drag, and this is by far the strongest sympathy I’ve developed from the experience.
Amen. Oh, thank goodness, this garment has a handy pocket—gotcha! it’s a fake, decorative pocket, sewn shut!
Sometimes pockets are sewn shut for display, with loose stitches that are meant to be removed after purchase. This is worth checking before giving up. “Decorative” pockets are normally either nonexistent (just some trim that looks like the opening of a pocket) or very shallow.
On the first occasion I was dressed (horrifically) as the Queen, and had the fairly decent drink-blagging gag that we didn’t carry around money.
For future drag efforts I may try a money clip on a garter. This is probably not a credible option for most women.
This is why a shoulder bag is a fabulously useful item when being fabulous.
A friend recently started wearing men’s jackets. They were extremely delighted by the discovery of chest height pockets inside the jacket, which really are supremely good ideas. Perfect for phone, wallet, passport, etc. In general, well-designed men’s clothing is fantastic for pockets—my formal pants have buttons for back pockets (safer for my wallet!) and smaller pockets nested inside both front pockets (one for keys, one for coins, now I don’t have keys sitting next to my phone, my keys are more accessible, it’s great).
It might be worth looking through men’s jackets and pants for something that fits you and looks good, regardless of what “gender” of clothing you usually wear.
All women (three) I know who’ve tried men’s briefs have considered them ridiculously superior to women’s underwear and wear them by preference except when their dress-up for an occasion includes fancy underwear. Women’s clothes are just terrible in some regards.
Then perhaps there is some money to be gained by designing superior women’s clothes. (At least this is how it should be. Except for humans not being automatically strategic, and million other things.)
One would think there would be a substantial market for superior women’s clothes, especially for sale in stores (rather than online) but somehow it hasn’t happened. I wonder how much capital it would take.
What exactly are superior women’s clothes?
.. Clothes made by people with any sense of pride in craft? I sew for a hobby, and for the purpose of making gifts. - for example I just finished a nice summer jacket for my brothers birthday, english wool, silk lining. Cost to me: <70 euro. (and time, but eh.) I learned to what to do largely by reading on the internet and taking old clothes apart to see how they were built.
The clothes sold to women is depressing as all hell in that regard. Materials, build, functionality—Lowest bidder doesn’t begin to describe it. “I don’t think you even tried at all” about covers it.
I think this happens because womens clothing stores sell a ridiculously tiny fraction of the stock they purchase. The price tag on a shirt or skirt has to pay not only for that piece of clothes, but also for the 5 to nine other items on that rack nobody buys before they go hopelessly out of style. In order for that to work out to a net profit, the items on selection need to be nearly worthless. And they are.
Men’s Jeans are the perfect opposite clothing item—a store can buy those home in bulk, and be assured that every single item in that consignment will eventually be sold because they are a commodity, so the gap between price and worth is much smaller.
So, in order to make better womens clothes, you need to design something which is as guaranteed a sale as a pair of mens jeans. And to not hate women. Eh.. This really does look like something I could do…
One sewing machine.
Okay, since we live in the 21st century, I’ll try again:
One sewing machine, and a Kickstarter with viral marketing.
I am kinda serious here. If you know how to make clothes, you should just make one example piece for yourself, and if anyone compliments on them, give them your business card. Make the first few pieces custom tailored (yes, it is okay, if the first few pieces are expensive; those customers also pay extra for being unique), and if the demand grows, start doing it full-time, and later employing other people to do it for you. Just remember from the beginning that you are trying to create a brand: have a website, business cards, etc.
Costs: one sewing machine, one elegant website (without anything interactive, only “send me a message”), hundred business cards, and a few pieces of clothes for you and your friends. That’s what; under $1000?
If you don’t know how to make the clothes, make a sketch, and pay someone else to do this for you. That could be more expensive. On the other hand, if your plan succeeds, you already have a supply line, and time to focus on marketing and management.
Women’s clothes are generally terrible in most regards except, and it is less and less common, to look good. They are designed to look good on very thin women, and maintain a thin line. Most high fashion is just ridiculous, and when it gets passed down it seems most designers have an “idea” of a woman which is far removed from reality. Pockets rarely feature except in jeans, and I have had more than one item of clothing which looked to have pockets, but they were actually fake and rather pointless on all counts.
Men’s clothing is far, far better (often even in appearance), in my opinion.
Well, women also get to carry around large bags / purses without feeling self-conscious. I often wish I could get away with carrying around a purse for my things. It’d be nice to have them all in one place and not scattered among a half dozen pockets and liable to fall out when I reach for something else. The manly alternative of a backpack or satchel / messenger bag is typically overkill and not appropriate to all situations.
If you want a manly equivalent of a purse (and unwilling to be seen wearing a fanny pack / waist pack), look into photo bags. They come in all kinds of sizes including very small.
Be aware, though, that putting heavy things regularly in men’s jacket pockets—especially the inside chest pockets—will tend, over time, to spoil the ‘line’ of the jacket and make it look much less smart.
(Some people may not care about that, but it’s worth considering—see e.g this response to this post.)
Huh. My wallet has never fallen out of my front pocket (except those of a very few sports trousers with very shallow pockets), while it fell out of my back pocket a couple times back when I used to keep it there, and I have witnessed a couple more people’s wallets fall out of their back pockets too.
(Also, I don’t like what sitting onto my wallet feels like.)
Buttons make me a less desirable pickpocket target and give me one more chance to notice. Also I mind sitting on my wallet a lot less since I got a thinner wallet and carried fewer things around in it.
I am a man and my mother always told me not to stuff my pants pockets full becasue it makes me look fatter: wider hips. Her recommended solution was, somewhat ironically, a cowboyish man-purse. That may be the reason: women may care more about not looking fatter than men.
I like this scheme, which in my mind is an instance of a meta-rule that’s something like “have a definite, small place for things you will need to retrieve quickly”.
You can implement this useful system even if you only have a large container (e.g. large purse/bag/backpack) by putting things in subcontainers. Obvious if the large bag is subdivided, but you can subdivide it yourself by using smaller bags.
I recommend using pencil cases (the flexible plastic ones with zips on the top) in larger purses/bags/backpacks. This can make it much faster to find things in your bag.
So, for instance, in my work rucksack I have the following pencil cases:
clear one with commonly used electronic bits (conference calling earbuds, listening earbuds, USB thumbdrives, laptop-to-projector adapter, phone-to-laptop adapter)
clear one with less commonly used electronic bits (connectors, laptop remote control, earplugs)
clear one with videocamera and tripod
pink skull and crossbones (=medicine): painkillers, plasters, clean hanky, spare contact lenses
Before I adopted this system, getting something out of my bag was a nightmare of jumbled wires and fishing around. Now it’s speedy and convenient. Even when there’s lots of other stuff in there (e.g. packed lunch, warm clothing, umbrella, power adapters) it’s easy to put your hand on the pencil case with the thing you want inside.
Round my part of the world, cheap pencil cases cost about a pound/dollar or two or less (for unbranded ones in large supermarkets), and come in a bewildering variety of colours and finishes. Having a clear mnemonic for the contents really helps—I can find the medicine bag faster than the others. (It has a distinctive texture, too, which helps when my hand’s in the bag.) Clear ones are good since you can instantly see the contents.
The same approach works for e.g. travelling with large bags. If space isn’t at an absolute premium (e.g. trying to fly carry-on only) I put things in smaller bags inside the big bags I’m carrying. And even when space is very tight, it’s still worth it sometimes—e.g. keeping ‘documents I will need during the journey’ in an easily-identifiable folder to separate them from ‘documents I might like to read during the journey’.
One advantage of pants/suit over a backpack is that for a permanent arrangement of a small number of items I instantly feel when something is out of place. Not sure if this is common or peculiar to me.
Well, we can say N >= 2 with confidence. I carry items in assigned pockets of my trousers/pants and jacket too, and it’s such a habit that my clothes don’t feel ‘right’ on me if I’m missing something.
My backpack carries way more than it’s reasonable to carry in clothing, even if you’re wearing clothes specially-designed to carry stuff.
And I thought it’d be useful as a tip for people who don’t like to wear men’s clothing or who want to keep less stuff in pockets for style reasons. You can’t fit as much as I carry in my pockets in high-fashion jeans.
I really like this. I have a handbag and do something akin to this with ziplock bags, but having things colour-coded seems to be an additionally good idea.
For people who prefer purses (I like them more stylistically, and also for the increased carrying capacity), I have found that using a smaller, more structured one with lots of pockets/compartments works well for solving this problem. Things I use often (like keys, cards, phone) are in specific easy to reach pockets, and I can easily find them and replace them by feel.
Nested bags work well too. I have one of those huge waterproof messenger bags & it is like a bottomless pit if you don’t organize it somehow.
I am always amazed that everyone doesn’t assign a pocket to things. It’s something I’d honed as far back as middleschool after repeatedly loosing my camera due to a messenger bag without a zipper and a tendency to set things down less than carefully.
Pocketbooks* and backpacks are likely to have pockets. I use clothing pockets myself, but making better use of pockets in pocketbooks and backpacks might also be a useful habit.
*Wikipedia has it that pocketbook is an American (regional?) term for handbag, and it’s certainly the word I would use if I were talking. I take purse to refer to a small wallet which is just a single compartment with a clasp on top. I would distinguish between a hand bag and a shoulder bag. I don’t think I’ve seen pocketbook in print—to the point where it looks like it could be confused with a paperback book.
Thank you for the clarification—I’m from Australia, and if I’d guessed I would have assumed a pocketbook was just a fancy notebook (like a moleskine or something).