simpleek

Shopping for a good pair of jeans can be tough. There are a lot of factors to consider from the color and style to the cut and fit. No one jeans are ever alike, and sometimes it’ll take time before you find a pair that’s just right. If finding your one perfect pair isn’t difficult enough, there’s a new trend I’m loathing even more than going jeans shopping and that’s fake front pockets.

Fake front pockets have been the “in” thing for shorts and jeans in the last few years. You’ll find them in most department stores in the women’s or juniors section when shopping for new bottoms. The fake pocket will have the recognizable outline of a pocket, but it just won’t be an actual pocket you can slip your loose change or phone through.

When I first encountered these pair of jeans or shorts during some shopping trips, I couldn’t help but feel baffled by this strange style aesthetic. Why create the illusion of pockets that don’t exist? At what point did real pockets become a not so flattering thing to be included on the bottoms you wear with a T-shirt or blouse?

I lamented my grievance about the fake pockets trend to my mom the other day and she suggested that the reason behind the uptick for this type of style could be because it allows for a much streamlined and smoother fit. With pockets, there can be a slight bump or gaping of the material as you walk or sit down. No pockets eliminates that minor issue when wearing pants or shorts.

Thinking about the explanation further, my mom may be right but it doesn’t mean it makes any ounce of sense. If having real pockets is the issue, then why not wear or buy bottoms that don’t have the fake pockets at all? Why are designers bothering to add the seam or outline where a pocket would be? Unless they feel that women don’t have a use for pockets on their jeans or shorts but men do?

I personally want functional pockets on the jeans or shorts I wear. It’s what I came into the store to buy. I’m very particular about the kind of jeans I wear and it has to meet certain specifications before I bother to buy them. One of those specifications include real pockets. The fact that I nearly had a difficult time finding jeans I liked with pockets on a recent shopping trip to H&M has been a frustrating and confusing experience for me. Fake pockets are one trend I want to die a quick and immediate death.

What do you think of the fake pockets trend on jeans or shorts? Love them, hate them, or simply perplexed by them?