The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women's Lives, 1660–1900

by Barbara Burman, Ariane Fennetaux

This fascinating and enlightening study of the tie-on pocket combines materiality and gender to provide new insight into the social history of women’s everyday lives—from duchesses and country gentry to prostitutes and washerwomen—and to explore their consumption practices, sociability, mobility, privacy, and identity. A wealth of evidence reveals unexpected facets of the past, bringing women’s stories into intimate focus.
 
“What particularly interests Burman and Fennetaux is the way in which women of all classes have historically used these tie-on pockets as a supplementary body part to help them negotiate their way through a world that was not built to suit them” —Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian
 
“A riveting book . . . few stones are left unturned.”—Roberta Smith’s “Top Art Books of 2019”, The New York Times
 
“A brilliant book”—Ulinka Rublack, Times Literary Supplement

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Fashion, Feminism, Fashion History, Historical, Womens

264 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2019

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focusing on 1660 to 1900 (a very precise time range!), this book uses the tie-on pocket as an ‘in’ to dig into women’s lives via the historical records, including the physical records (pockets which have ended up in collections and museums), writing and court records. It’s a fairly academic book — lots of “meaning resides in the blahblahblah” type language — and also serves as a pretty comprehensive repository for photographs of extant pockets and their details, but it’s accessible enough if you have enough of an interest, and there’s a lot of fascinating detail.

What really surprised me was how long the tie-on pocket lasted, and the wealth of evidence the authors were actually able to show about how they were used, made, obtained, bought, bartered, pawned and gifted. They really do make a good entrée for the history of women’s lives; I thought one of the most interesting parts were the court records, giving us a glimpse into what women carried in their pockets and why.

Not the most riveting read, even for non-fiction, but the photographs are beautifully done and in full colour, and the subject is fascinating enough that I found it well worth the slightly dry and academic approach.

[Ciara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women's pockets have always been a site of controversy. Modern complaints are that they are too small, too flimsy, or simply non-existent. I vividly remember an episode of "Project Runway" where Michael Kors insisted that every woman he knew cut the pockets out of all their clothes because they didn't want the extra "bulk" over her hips. He said this as part of a scathing critique of a designer who had proudly included pockets in their design. At home as a modern woman viewer, I was like, "Huh? Shut the fuck up, Michael Kors, & give me some damn pockets."

I make all my own clothes so I get to choose whether or not my garments have pockets, where they are, how capacious they are, how useful they are, whether they're a feature or a discreet secret, etc. Despite this greater-than-average intimacy with my own pockets, it hadn't occurred to me to wonder about the history of pockets until I came across this book. The first big revelation: sewn-in pockets are a relatively recent phenomenon! Even for men! Men have been enjoying the convenience of sewn-in pockets for longer than women, but they were still an invention at some point, which seems obvious in retrospect. What did people use before that, & what did women continue to use before sewn-in pockets became the standard across the board? In a society where women were afforded few legal rights but still had many indispensable responsibilities, how did their pockets function as a locus of work, privacy, gender performance, independence, status, & vulnerability?

These are questions the book explores with the assistance of more than one hundred full-color illustrations of preserved historical pockets & pocket-related historical media (paintings, advertisements, cartoons, etc). Although the authors were limited to some degree by the scope of their archival access, & therefore all of their examples are from Great Britain, it's still a wealth of information that certainly whets the reader's appetite for more information about women's sartorial secrets in other parts of the world, & other times in history. I especially appreciated that the authors explored the pockets of all classes, from the nobility to the ragpicker, & cast no judgments but to explore what the contents of a woman's pockets revealed about her life & circumstances. Too often history tells the story only of the people who were considered worth having their stories told in life, but this book features a pocket that was found discarded & used as stuffing in an antique couch, & a pocket made by a prisoner & decorated with human hair (not as uncommon as one might think).

An absolute must-read for anyone interested in the history of fashion.

[Arimathea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent hands-on (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) study of an article of clothing so often undiscussed. We know that women, just like men, have possessions that they want to carry around with them: money, keys, instruments of communication, grooming implements, hygiene articles. And we know that women's clothes often don't have pockets incorporated into the design. Enter the tie-on pocket, worn around the waist under the skirts and petticoats, usually accessed by slits in the various layers of clothing.

I was impressed by the number of examples of these items. The authors have obviously spent a great deal of time and effort researching, locating, photographing, and documenting the surviving pockets and also searching records (especially the Old Bailey's) to find mention of pockets involved in crimes, whether because the pocket was picked, the article actually stolen, or the pocket concealed items stolen from others.

I was also gratified to see the mention of apron pockets as a convenient way of carrying money and change when the apron's wearer was engaged in trade. I find a pocket in the apron that's part of my Faire garb the easiest way to carry items that are both glaringly anachronistic for the period and required for modern-day attendees: credit card, driver's license, key fob, and cellphone. However, I might switch to pockets tied under my skirts having read this book!

This book would be a useful reference source for cosplayers, especially SCA and Renaissance Faire costumers. While the book doesn't go back into medieval and early Renaissance times, I'm guessing women used tie-on pockets during those eras too.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was extremely informative, and I learned a lot about pockets (primarily pockets of the 18th century). The style is largely academic, and it reads like a thesis at times. I did feel it became a bit redundant after a while, and some passages seemed like little more than a catalogue of facts: "this woman owned this pocket, and here is what was in it, and here's a quote from the Old Bailey records, because we read all the Old Bailey records and now you should too."

That beings said, I really did gain a lot of insight into what the subtitle calls "the hidden history of women's lives," and I enjoyed the focus on women whose stories have largely been untold. Material culture is such a fascinating way to learn about everyday life for the common woman, and I came away with a new appreciation for a humble and useful accessory.

[Penelope Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating study, and an interesting insight into the lives of women and how something as simple as a pocket could provide both security and agency.

I'm contemplating making one (or two) of my own!

[Gilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a scholarly treatise on the utilitarian tie-on pocket, for centuries an essential part of women's clothing and often the sole place they could carry or (attempt to) safeguard their possessions. Citing hundreds of historical examples and documented cases, the book is obviously meticulously researched and is supported by many wonderful colour photos. However, the convoluted, repetitive academic-speak makes for very, very dry reading. But the subject matter is fascinating, and the book has inspired me to try making a pocket or two myself!

[Brandy Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this.

I think my only criticism is that the usage of (d) as (pence) is not explained nor introduced as being historically relevant, it’s just there. Any British person would likely know this as a matter of course so I’m simply culturally deficient here.

Otherwise, well written, well researched, excellent usage of the language. A pleasure to read.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is social history and fashion history and women's history all in one. Good stuff.

[Kathryn Siemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love material histories like The Pocket, and Burman and Fennetaux embody the best of the genre as they use objects to highlight understudied aspects of history. Burman and Fennetaux offer a glimpse into the multifaceted lives of women in early modern Britain. Like many scholars of women's history, the authors overcame the common problem of a lack of written examples of historical women's lives, using an ordinary article of clothing as a lens through which to observe how women in 18th and 19th century Britain hoped, worked, fostered friendships, and made sense of their lives and their places in the world.

Aside from teaching me about women's history in one of my favorite periods/regions to study, the authors' descriptions of the roles of early modern pockets made me reflect on how purses fill that role in the modern day. Like pockets, modern purses contain any number of objects that reflect their owners' shifting roles and relationships--tylenol, hand sanitizer, notebook, keys, pictures of loved ones, emergency granola bar, etc., etc. Burman's and Fennetaux's thorough analysis of early modern pockets reveal the continuity of women's experiences--or, indeed, human experience in general--through the across history.

[LPR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand in no way is this a persuasive text trying to convince me to start wearing a 18th century tie on pocket of my own creation. I do in fact have a 5th grade level of reader's comprehension skills to figure out the intended purpose of a text from the standard four purposes.
However, my main thought during the majority of reading this was *Flynn Rider voice* "I have GOT to get me one of THESE!"

So if you see me wearing one mind your business.

Anyway I LOVE material history love love love love love love love it. Our lives really are made up of the objects that surround us and they really do talk about the people and the meaning they have been around if you just learn how to read them. I was reading this like 'this is such a work in the tradition of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's well behaved women' and then BOOM last quotation in the book is Ulrich herself. I have my finger on the PULSE.

I also loved reading something unapologetically academic and knowing I was getting the full meal and not the pop-history, general-audience version of it. AND I liked that the scope of the book was so tight that I'm not left with the feeling that there was a whole other depth out there of stuff left on the editing room floor. There's a lot of other interesting clothes facts and materials facts and history facts, sure, but there's for sure nothing else about tie-on pockets in England during this period that there is for me to find out. Good stuff good stuff. Would recommend!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed examination of a small detail of clothing- the authors examine tie-on pockets in reference to safety, agency, and style. The use of Old Bailey court records as a deeper look into women’s lives was an step I would not have thought to take, and the examination of museum records as well as personal letters and diaries provide delightful insight into objects of both practical value and sentimental importance regularly carried in pockets.

[Mary Mosley]

Extremely interesting book about tie-on pockets women wore in the 17th to the 19th centuries. And we still can't get pockets in our clothes!

[siouxzee]

Excellent scholarship!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a slog. Some of this was interesting. Much of it was dry and academic feeling. If she said "plebeian" one more time I think I would scream.

[Natalie aka Tannat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Larakaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed descriptions of items and documents but not as much unsuspected reveals or stories.

[Amber Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to walk up to someone and have a look see in their purse/pocket? This book is an academic rummage through the bags, pockets and reticules of historic women.
It's a tad dry at times which is why I read it in bits in short sessions, but it's often got fascinating information which keeps you going. I loved seeing the various styles of pockets and was utterly FLOORED at how big they could get--in one instance the pockets of a thief were really two modified sacks on a belt! Mostly pockets tend to be moderate in size but had a huge range of sizes and styles.
There's a brief discussion of how the pocket evolved into reticules and purses--that I thought could have been expanded with more examples of early handbags.
I actually have two tie on pockets for a historical dress I own. I sewed an inner compartment in them for credit cards and they're fun to use and work well.
I'm sewing a jersey dress that is too stretchy for a set in pocket--so this has inspired me to make an outer tie-on pocket to be worn with the dress. I'd like to include a set in pocket in that dress, but I think even light weights might make the fabric sag, so a lovely historical pocket will be a neat addition to the outfit.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more academic than I had anticipated; it's certainly not a history book for popular consumption. That said, it was a delightful little challenge to consume for pleasure (and also not worry about being tested on the contents...).

The scope of the book was large, and at the same time it still seemed like it skimmed the surface, or only drew on what scant information survives. (They surveyed "Proceedings from the Old Bailey" of London, and so focused on southern England from about 1650-1900, a 250-year period. They did mention pockets from Wales and Scotland, and were able to tease out some regional and communal differences, and relied on journals and paintings and novels, too, to augment their material readings.)

I found the chapter (#7) on memory and memorializing to be fascinating: how both men and women would make (or have made) their child's or spouse's clothes re-made into a pocket or an accessory piece of clothing, so that a metonymic shift would happen: the new article of clothing would stand-in for the person, often including their scent or creases or stains, which would be memories of the wearer. That pockets, especially, were worn close to the body -- and therefore warm, and stretched, and well-used -- and often held sweet things like candy, or useful things like mending tools, certainly equates pockets with an ideal of womanhood and motherhood during this time period.

Most interesting to me was the rituals and care around linens, both household and body. I learned a lot more about washing linens, and the need for multiple sets of bedsheets and pockets -- and that wealthier folks during this period carried their own bed linens with them, and that they were at risk for being stolen. I learned about how thrifty and focused on reuse and mending many of the households were during the Victorian era. I learned what an "etui" is (a small carrying case for needles, scissors, and other me sing tools, has a shape similar to a cigarette lighter), and a "huswif" (also used for carrying needles and pins, but you roll it up), really learned well what "sartorial" means (relating to tailoring), and also learned the term charwoman (cleaning woman, often itinerant -- from "char" like "charcoal"?).

Some other favorite pieces were the pocket made from a grenadier's cap, and the pockets placed in homes near the entrance(?) as a sort of talisman.

I did find it lacked any discussion of why we are left with the pockets we have today. The authors dealt with the history and the significance of pockets (in some deliciously overwritten and academic prose) during the time period in question, and addressed to a small extent the demise of the tie-on pocket (paraphrased: "it is a slow and unevenly distributed demise!"). But no mention of how we have the pockets we have today, or the disparity in usefulness between pockets for men and women today.

I did enjoy the shade the authors cast on fashionistas in history and fashion historians, who made claims such as (paraphrased) "the pocket is dead, long live the reticule!", when the reality was that common folks resisted such dramatic and rapid changes in fashion.

All in all, an interesting if challenging read for a layperson like me. I'd recommend if you have any interest in historical sewing/crafting.

[Goldkehlchen20 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating read! I thought I would have read it through very quickly but it is very densely written and contains an amazing wealth of information about actual surviving pockets, in addition to court documents, journal entries and pockets in literature. The most fascinating part was how many pockets were dated to have been made after 1820, it really opened my eyes about the misconception that they went completely out of fashion around that time.
As far as I know, this is the only book that goes into such detail about pockets, so it's a must-read if you're interested in the subject.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't handle the post-modernism. Sad because was looking forward to the information.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this exploration of the lives of women in the UK seen through the lens of the humble pocket.

Firstly, I did not even know that pockets were a standard item of feminine attire in our history, and mourn the loss of pockets from our clothes. Why has this history of the pocket been lost? I spent a lot of the book wishing I had such capacious tie-on pockets under my skirts. However, while I was envious of earlier women's pockets, I am not envious of their lives.

Secondly, the photographs of extant pockets are excellent. The first time I glanced at the book, I could not help but to look through and see the beautiful handiwork, the differences in size, shape, composition and mendedness.

Thirdly, it is hard for us to understand the value of linen and cloth, but this is something that will stick with me. Although I have recently read Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times and Mend!: A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto which covered some history of the value of cloth, this book made more clear to me that amount of time that women invested in cloth. Not only in making cloth and clothing, but also in the economic management of the household linen (including mending, storing, cleaning, protecting) was significant, and was yet another contribution of women to society that has been forgotten. Also, now it makes sense that Oliver Twist stole handkerchiefs! They were valuable! Imagine!

Thirdly, I learned much about the lives of women who lived in ages past. Pockets were essential for their agency, their work and travel, and afforded women privacy and independence. Have we gained something? Yes, we no longer need pockets to house our goods and chattels. We have our own bank accounts, our mobile phones that provide access, our private homes and rooms. But I feel we have lost something in the exchange of hand-made tokens of affection between women. Perhaps that is something worth rekindling.

My only disappointment of the book is that final chapter did not really tell us why women's pockets disappeared. This seemed a quite unsatisfactory ending.

Such a simple thing, a pocket - yet looking closely at it has revealed very much about our history.

[Farah Mendlesohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hesitated over the last star because this book really is in need of editing. It's full of utterly unecessary academese (two paragraphs to say: people marked objects because they were both materially and sentimentally valuable) and that awful academic habit of saying everything three times in the hope that one of them will hit the target. (I am an academic, some of our writing habits are terrible).

But stick with it because this is a wonderful book with wonderful pictures that talks about materials, design, decoration, contents, and so much more. It's quite astonishing that women gave up pockets, and somehow no surprise that they've been reinvented in diminished form as the back pack and humble bum/fanny pack.

But what is perhaps more astonishing is that pockets so ubiquitous, are barely to be seen in historical fiction, and yet, as the authors note, the contents of a woman's pockets told us about her status, her trade, and her interests.

[RachelAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

FASCINATING! As a confirmed pocketist, I find this a riveting insight into the lives of eighteenth and nineteenth century women. The practical tools and personal talismans we carry in our pockets are a physical representation of our inner world—both practical and ideological. If archaeology studies humans through their physical culture, the pocket is archaeology condensed. What do you want to carry on your person from room to room? Love letters? Good luck tokens? Scissors? Small tools? A portable ink horn and miniature microscope? Money for survival or escape? Some pockets had built-in coin purses or specialized sub-pockets to secure small or fragile items. One silk pocket, lined in chamois, had four inner pockets so that metal items like a watch or scissors wouldn’t wear out the silk. One English woman was once arrested for stealing 2 live ducks in her pocket. I WANT TWO-DUCK POCKETS!

[a dog who learned to read · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intro massively repeats itself and suffers from jargon disease, but once I got past that I really enjoyed this book. I love the masses of images of different kinds of pockets and artwork depicting them, and I loved the detail about particular pockets, their owners, and the little ways we can access memories about them.

Most prominent here is the theme of rejecting the attractive categorisation of sartorial practices into before and after segments. Much like the neat segments of many useful tie-on pockets that allow for seperation of goods, our ideas about fashions and trends tend to be rigidly defined by decades, when of course the beauty of it all is that its individuals who held these items, and so they can't all be confined by the expectations of their decades.

Pockets rule.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fascinating dive into the private lives of everyday women in the 17th-19th centuries. I liked all the extracts from diaries, personal accounts and quotes from books which painted such a vivid picture of the habits of women, who are so often pushed to the background in historical records. The sheer quantity of images (paintings/engravings etc. and artefacts alike) really helped to create a picture of the time and the women and I just thought it was so cool. I give it four stars only for a slight habit to repeat things (but this is me being pedantic). Overall I really really enjoyed this, and it was such a fun and quick read.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting and detailed history of how women were able to carry things with them before built-in pockets were a thing in women's clothing. As woman, the first thing I look for when buying trousers is how many pockets they have - no pockets, no purchase. Same for skirts, which are much harder to find with pockets. This book was very illuminating, and the authors did an excellent job describing not just the uses of the pockets, but their construction, materials, and decoration. The copious illustrations, extensive notes, and exhaustive references all contributed quite a lot. It was nice to be able to view the online sources directly as I read. Good book!

[MaryEllen Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating, well-researched exploration of the tie-on pockets that women (at least in the UK) to carry their "stuff". Great color photos and a rich set of primary source and literary references. Some were beautifully embroidered, some were patchwork, some were simply cloth with the owner's initials and numbering scheme. Fascinating how women of all classes used these intimate spaces for a variety of purposes - practical, romantic, private. Court records detail the contents of the pockets which are equally fascinating. The emphasis was mainly on how these pockets were used by women to "navigate their way through a world that was not built to suit them".

[Aimee Leonhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very scholarly (dry) work that takes something small (the pocket) and draws from it a multiplicity of stories, actions, expectations and hints of women's lives untold. I enjoyed it but at times I found the language a little cumbersome and the ideas repetitive but this is not surprising for works of this kind. I would have liked a clearer perspective of the authors motives in pursuing this subject as well as their relationship to the study. All scholars have bias and it is helpful to have an understanding of the authors background.

[Uudenkuun Emilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and detailed look at the history of tie-on pockets. I love fashion history, and especially the 18th century, so this was really relevant to my interests. I'd have preferred a broader approach in some cases, with numbers of pockets recorded and other such info at the start, but this book had a more example-oriented approach - which is fine, I'd just have also wanted statistical data. Still: I was inspired for certain projects of my own and learnt a lot - I had definitely assumed that tie-on pockets just disappeared after the 18th century, but that is not the case!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent, well illustrated book that will appeal to any who are interested in woman's clothing of the past and through it, their lives. Woman can complain now that they do not have great pockets in their clothes, especially compared to men, but in the past, detailed here from the 17th-19th century in England, pockets were large and counted on in women's clothing. These pockets were made to wear under dresses with side slits to offer access and they took the place of today's handbags and purses and were used for a very long time. This was a fun read.