Pockets! They are like my phone to me – I always need them near my hand. It is so unfair that most of the outfits available for girls in the stores do not have any pockets. Have you seen a guy’s garment without a pocket?
There are many instances when a pocket can come in handy in your clothes; A purse is handy too, but you need a pocket when you need your hands free, which is too many times to count. For this reason, I have regularly added pockets to most of my clothes.
I have listed here the pockets I know of and think can be added to your clothes.
Different types of pockets
1. Bellows Pockets
This type of pocket has a center box pleat or inverted pleat that expands when the pocket is used—also called Safari pocket. This pleat can be at the center of the pocket or along the sides. This is a type of expandable pocket.
2. Besom Pocket
Besom Pockets are inset pockets seen on a man’s suit jacket made with a narrow welted edge above the pocket opening. (welt pockets)
It is a double-besom pocket if both edges have welts. The picture below shows you the most common style of pockets used in suit jackets.
3. Breast pocket
Breast pocket is seen on the upper chest area (left) on men’s jackets. A Besom pocket is a breast pocket.
4. Cowl Pocket
Cowl pocket is a decorative patch pocket with folds of fabric draped around the opening like a scarf.
5. Expandable pockets
These are pockets that can expand if there is a need. This expandability is contained in its design, like folds, pleats, tucks, and gathers.
You can make a tucked pocket with a central tuck containing the extra fabric or a gathered pocket that gathers to the top edge of the pocket. An Accordion pocket is the most common expandable pocket with folds in the sides, allowing it to expand and enabling you to fill the pocket with all your things.
The cargo pocket is an expandable pocket with a flap usually seen in pants by the name cargo pants. Check out the tutorial to make a cargo pocket
Many of the pockets given above overlap in their properties; for example, a welt pocket is also a slit pocket; a cargo pocket is a patch pocket and an expandable pocket. A pleated patch pocket is also expandable. A flap pocket is a patch pocket with a flap.
6. Faux Pockets
A faux pocket is a fake pocket – a closed-up pocket, usually seen in jeggings.
Can’t get more faux than this one(Picture given below). This jeans has only an impression of the pocket.
7. Flap Pocket
This pocket has a flap covering the slit of the pocket. This type of pocket is usually seen in formal clothes like jackets. The pocket is usually a patch pocket or a welt pocket, or a slit pocket. The flap is usually rectangular shaped, but angled-shaped flaps and curved flaps, angled flaps are also popular.
The flaps will sometimes have a buttonhole on them with button fastening on the pocket. Usually, the flaps are interfaced for slightly thicker look.
Double flap pockets are trendy in casual shirt styles. Double flap pockets are the same size on both sides of the chest.
8. Hacking Pocket
This is a slanted pocket placed at an angle on men’s suit jackets/coats. It is located at the waist level.
9. Hidden Pockets
These are secret pockets sewn to the inside of garments to safeguard your belongings. This is usually additionally added and is not visible from the outside. Easy to make, they are a must-have when traveling.
Check out the tutorial to make hidden pockets.
10. Handwarmer pockets
This is a patch pocket with a side opening that allows you to insert your hand inside.
11. Jeans pockets
Pockets play a very important design detail in jeans. They talk volumes about the style of the person wearing the jeans. The back pockets of jeans come in many shapes – Standard, Rounded, Curved, Arch. They sometimes have different types of flaps -Standard Flaps, Rounded Flaps, Curved Flaps & Asymmetrical Flaps, Pleated Flaps
Check out this beautiful picture of the different types of pockets you find on jeans
SOURCE : danielladeconstrt.blogspot.in
12. Pork-Chop pockets
Pork chop pocket is a kind of oversized front pocket seen on pants and jeans.
13. Kangaroo Pocket
This is a patch pocket that is usually seen in the front of garments used by workmen. It usually has two compartments.
14. Patch Pocket
This pocket is as named added as a patch on the garment. It is also the most common type of pocket. You must have seen patch pockets on shirt fronts. It can be of different shapes like square, rectangular, round and even triangular.
Sometimes patch pocket is stitched with a pleat in the front. The pleat is usually a box pleat or an inverted pleat. This pleat is given so that you get more space inside. They are called the Bellows/Safari Pockets -outside pockets made with a center box pleat or inverted pleat that expands when the pocket is used.
Checkout the tutorial to perfectly sew a patch pocket with patch pocket templates
Checkout this post with tutorial to sew a divided skirt to see how to make a patch pocket with facing
15. Pouch pocket
This type of pocket hangs along the side of the garment and is connected to it only at the top.
16. Post Box pocket
A post box pocket combines a welt pocket and a patch pocket. The Patch is a decorative element around the slit pocket bound in the opening.
17. Slit Pocket
A slit pocket is one of the most common types of pockets in garments. You must have seen this in the back of your pants. It is named so because, from the outside, you only get to see the slits of the pockets. A pocket bag is attached to the slit.
18. Slash Pocket or Cross pocket (Curved Inset Pocket)
Another commonly seen pocket. You have seen it in the front of pants and on skirts. It starts from the waist and goes diagonally down to the sides. This pocket is a kind of back facing to the front of the garment. Sometimes it is shaped as a curve or as straight but slanted. They are also called cutaway pockets
The Jeans slash pocket is shaped slightly differently from the trouser slash pocket, which is more slanting. A scoop pocket is a slash pocket that has a curved shape.
Checkout the tutorial to sew a Pajama Pants with slash pockets for instructions. You can add this to any pant or skirt pattern by following the directions. In the tutorial, the pocket bag in the back of the garment is stitched to the face of the garment whereas you can also leave the pocket bag hanging loose.
19. Shirt pockets
A shirt pocket is a patch pocket. This pocket is top-stitched to the garment. The two common patch pockets on shirts are angular-shaped pockets & round-shaped pockets. They are placed on the left side of the shirt. They are usually placed a little above the third buttonhole.
In denim shirts, the patch pocket is topstitched with a double-needle.
It can have the bottom edge straight, round shaped, or shaped into a triangle; the top edge can sometimes have a welt effect, with the fabric turned over.
The patch pockets on shirts are usually of size 4 3/4 inch by 5 1/4 inch; they can be slightly smaller as well for smaller shirts. The position of the shirt pockets is about 2.5 inches from the center of the shirt.
20. Side pocket (Side seam pocket or hidden seam pocket)
This almost invisible pocket is placed in the side seam and is usually seen on tunics. The slit of this pocket will be on the side seam of the garment. Here is a tutorial on sewing a side pocket. Here is a tutorial to sew a side pocket.
21. Stand pocket
This pocket has a separate piece of fabric added to the top edge, which stands above the pocket opening.
22. Ticket Pocket (Key pocket)
A ticket pocket is a pocket inside a pocket. You must have seen this teeny tiny pocket on your jeans – earlier; it was supposed to carry your railway ticket. It is usually seen inside the side inset pocket. Also called a Coin pocket.
23. Welt pocket (Bound)
Welt pocket is a slit pocket where the slit is finished with a band of a separate piece of fabric or a welt.
Here is a tutorial to sew a welt pocket.
Here is a single welt pocket on a shirt
24.Zippered Pocket
Zippered pocket is a zippered opening given to a slit pocket or a patch pocket.
25. Utility Pocket
Utility pocket is a variation of Kangaroo pocket with different divisions for carrying tools and such, usually seen in the front of the garment.
26. Yoke seam Pocket
This is a slit pocket placed on the yoke seam
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Updated on December 18, 2022 by Sarina Tariq
thank u with the description they are helpful.
Hi
I have these tutorial on the site- How to add a SIDE SEAM POCKET to your clothes or this Sew a gathered skirt with pockets and elastic waistband (Tutorial) – you can get a general idea about creating the curved front pockets, side seam pockets from these. Hope they help. Will post tutorial for pants with pockets sometime soon. Best wishes.
Hello Sarina,
Your pocket tutorial Is fun and informative! I especially like the great photos you’ve used. Came across your site while searching for an example of #12. ‘Pork-chop pockets’, and took notice of #6. ‘Faux pocket’.
Recently I purchased a pair of jeans that were an excellent fit and deeply discounted. While trying them on I didn’t realize that the back pockets are real, but front pockets are not. Front pockets are a must-have for me.
Now I want to open the seam and put in real front pockets, but I’m not quite sure where to start. I no longer have a sewing machine, and have arthritis in my hands. Thought about looking for an old pair of jeans at a thrift store and repurposing pockets, rather than starting from scratch with new fabric. Any thoughts on how to make it a low-sew project?
I’ll greatly appreciate any suggestions you might have.
Thank you! 🙂
I was shopping online and looking at pants with L pockets. I couldn’t see any pockets in the photo and can’t find answers to L pockets on a web search. Help.
You are quite correct about that ‘original’ watch pocket.
Great! I looked here because I looked for “old man work pants” and of course if i’m an old man then I shouldn’t be working, right? I should be retired! So there aren’t any! You either get youthful work pants, or geriatric stuff! My only problem is that my tummy grew a bit so when I sit down I always want to undo the front, which can lead to more issues that I do not need!
Bellows Pocket or Safari Pocket looks like the kind my cargo pants have sewn onto them. And Utility Pocket or Kangaroo Pocket
But my question to my search engine was ‘how to attach it’ and sewing is not very easy so I wondered if I can use staples or clamps or whatnot. iron-on patches my mom used to put on my knee holes always seem like the best workaround for sewing difficulty but maybe it’s an immature thought 🙂
I like sewing
That’s why I training a learners to know the sew
There used to exist a zippered pocket the spanned across the belly area. It was quite a big pocket. I have tried in vain to find any such shirts that have that pocket. I would like to find any buy a couple of them. Can anyone help?
This so great.. I love it
Hi Dave
Thanks for the interesting input. This post has some details on the jeans pockets
The so-called ‘ticket pocket’ mentioned for jeans was originally a watch pocket.
A well-dressed gentleman would carry his pocket watch in a vest pocket; miners and railroad workers (the original consumers of jeans) didn’t wear vests, so a small pocket in the jeans served that function, allowing secure storage and quick access to the watch.
Where can I buy denim cargo pockets to sew onto jeans that don’t have cargo pockets?
Love your site
Hi Zoya,
I always have sideseam pockets on my tunics – but patch pockets also work
hi
Nice site . can u tell me What pocket would be best for a tunic ( hip length) – I am making a tunic and is stuck at the pocket