In Praise of Pockets

A pocket costs a manufacturer fabric, a pattern piece and machine time. It's the first thing removed when a garment needs to be cheaper. That's the entire reason women's clothing so often doesn't have any — and the reason a piece that does is worth noticing.

What a pocket replaces

A bag. Not for a full day out, but for the half-hour version of a day — the walk to the market, the school pickup, the dinner two streets away. Phone and keys in a pocket means you leave the house with your hands empty, which changes how a dress feels to wear more than any other single detail.

The Cocoa Linen Swing Dress has a roomy patch pocket at the side — deep cocoa linen, scoop neck, wide straps, knee length, easy A-line swing. One piece, no bag.

Patch pockets vs seam pockets

A patch pocket is sewn onto the outside of the garment. A seam pocket is hidden inside a side seam. The hidden one is neater; the patch one is stronger and holds its shape when loaded, which is why it's the honest choice on a piece you'll actually put things in.

Patch pockets also become a design element. The Champagne Silk Jacket carries two at the hem, which balance the three frog-knot buttons up the centre — remove them and the jacket loses its proportion, not just its storage.

The chest pocket does a different job

Nobody puts anything in a shirt's chest pocket. It exists to break up a large plain field of fabric and give the eye somewhere to land — which is exactly what it does on the Russet Linen Camp Shirt, alongside the panel seam near the hem. Structure disguised as utility.

How not to ruin one

Don't carry a full phone in a linen patch pocket for a whole day — the weight drags the fabric and leaves a permanent sag at the top corners. Keys and cards, yes; a phone for a short walk, fine; a phone all day, and the pocket eventually shows it. Iron the pocket flat with the garment, not separately, or you'll press an outline into the fabric behind it.

Cash on delivery available. Easy 7-day returns.

Frequently asked questions

Which pieces here have pockets?
The cocoa swing dress has a side patch pocket, the champagne silk jacket has two at the hem, and several of the camp shirts carry a chest patch pocket. Each product page lists the details.

Do pockets add bulk at the hip?
A patch pocket on a loose A-line cut sits flat against fabric that's already hanging away from the body, so no.