Women Finally Have a Reason to Demand Pockets: They Save Lives

How many women must tumble down the stairs before clothing manufacturers listen to us?

This woman is missing a clothing addition that could save her life. Pexels | Photo by Hải Nguyễn

Whenever a woman meets a staircase, one thought enters her brain — how many items can I carry while making this perilous journey?

I recently had such an existentialist debate rushing to a doctor’s appointment in a cute polka-dotted frock. (I am using the word “frock” because I like to fantasize about bumping into a Mr. Darcy type in my doctor’s waiting room. Just play along…)

Of course, I grabbed the usual necessities — phone, wallet, keys, water bottle, the cat (she needed a hug), and the entire unabridged collection of Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. (That’s how late my doctor runs.)

And then I began my descent.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Bang. Splat.

My purse went flying. My keys rattled down the stairs. The cat did some sort of Salvador Dali freakish summersault in the air. And my arse hit the bottom stair with a not-so-cute thud. Ouch.

Yes, I am a hopeless klutz, but according to statistics on fall-related injuries, my stair acrobatics is all too common. In old(ish) adults, the rate of emergency room treatment for fall-related injuries was 80…