Why Is There a Tiny Pocket Above the Front Pocket on Jeans?

If you’ve ever been an avid jean wearer, you’ve probably discovered that the little, tiny pocket right above the front pocket on a pair of jeans doesn’t hold much, but it had a clear reason behind its creation. It’s just that we don’t use it for that reason today.

That small pocket originated back in the late 1800s with the first pair of jeans sold by Levi Strauss & Co, which they called “waist overalls.” The jeans debuted in 1879 with four pockets. Three pockets were on the front, one on the left and right, and the small pocket above the larger right pocket. The fourth pocket was on the back on the right. All the pockets were riveted since Levi Strauss & Co. and Jacob Davis had gotten a patent in 1873 for Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings. The rivets were there to make the pockets stronger. But why was there such a small pocket?

The reason for the little pocket was practical, at least during the time period. It was there to store and protect a pocket watch, especially for someone working. Suit pants didn’t have a small pocket because a suit jacket already had a pocket for a pocket watch.

The small pocket stayed on jeans for Levi Strauss even when a fifth pocket was added to the back left of the jeans in 1901. The original design with the small pocket has stayed the same since the…