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Title details for Pockets by Hannah Carlson - Available

Pockets

An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close

by Hannah Carlson
Stephanie Cannon
Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
A thought-provoking microhistory of the humble pocket that uncovers what pockets reveal about us—and why it matters.
It's a subject that stirs up plenty of passion: Why do men's clothes have so many pockets and women's so few? In her captivating book, Hannah Carlson, a lecturer in dress history at the Rhode Island School of Design, shows us how we tuck gender politics, security, sexuality, and privilege inside our pockets.
Throughout the medieval era in Europe, the purse was an almost universal dress feature carried by men and women alike. But when tailors stitched the first pockets into men's trousers 500 years ago, it ignited controversy and introduced a range of social issues that we continue to wrestle with today, from concealed pistols to gender inequality, as noted in hashtags like #GiveMePocketsOrGiveMeDeath.
This abundantly illustrated four-color book explores much more than who has pockets and why. How is it that putting your hands in your pocket can be seen as a sign of laziness, arrogance, confidence, or perversion? Walt Whitman's author photograph, hand in pocket, for Leaves of Grass, seemed like an affront to middle class respectability. When W.E.B. DuBois posed for a portrait, his pocketed hands signaled defiant coolness.
Readers of The Golden Thread by Kassia St. Clair and The Fabric of Civilization by Virginia Postrel will be enthralled. And Pockets is a perfect gift for the legions of people obsessed with pockets and their absence, and for anyone interested in how our clothes influence the way we navigate the world.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 12, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781668635148
      • File size: 191352 KB
      • Duration: 06:38:38

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      April 1, 2023

      Once upon a time in western Europe, everyone carried a purse of sorts, but in the mid-1500s, the purse moved inside men's clothing as sewn-in pockets. Carlson, who teaches in the apparel design department at the Rhode Island School of Design, reveals what this change signified in terms of privilege, sexuality, and security; why we're so fascinated by what people carry around in these little hiding places; and why women's clothing still has fewer pockets today. Four-color illustrations throughout. Prepub Alert.

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      August 1, 2023
      Award-winning researcher, lecturer, and conservator of textiles and costumes Carlson brings readers an in-depth exploration of pockets throughout Western history. The very beginnings of pockets inclusion in Western clothing are outlined, followed by pockets' usage throughout the centuries to the modern day. Similar clothing additives, such as codpieces and purses, are also examined, their own histories inextricably intertwined with that of the pocket. Textile and clothing history are not all this tome holds, however; the book explores much beyond textile history alone. Discussion of the ways pockets' inclusion and lack thereof in various articles of clothing affect culture and how we stand, move, and carry ourselves as well as how gender and age are perceived, and the ability to commit crime and hide weapons provides fascinating insight as to how something as simple as a pocket can influence culture, gender, and society as a whole. Full-color images and photos are abundant throughout the text, wonderfully illustrating that which is being discussed. Perfect for readers interested in history and textiles as well as culture, sociology, and gender.

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      September 22, 2023

      In her fascinating first book, Carlson (dress history and material culture, Rhode Island Sch. of Design) addresses the history, sociology, and politics of pockets. The richly illustrated title discusses those who routinely "get" the fashion component (men) and those who must beg, borrow, or sew their own (women). Carlson posits several theories about this imbalance (patriarchy, fast fashion), but that's only part of the fun of this book, which has nearly 50 pages of endnotes and an index. In chronological order but with plenty of cross-century commentary from the likes of Mark Twain, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, journalists and observers of the times, and contemporary fashion commentators, the book details the development of pockets in Western attire. Roughly 500 years ago, pockets began to develop from pouches. As they became more prevalent, especially in men's apparel, pockets and their contents engendered many reactions: fear of concealed weapons easily accessed; fascination with the casually defiant "hands in pockets" stance of Walt Whitman and W.E.B. DuBois; wonder at the treasures in boys' pockets; envy and frustration among women who craved the ease of pocketed clothing. Carlson's side trip discussing smart textiles, however, feels tacked on. VERDICT This erudite, enjoyable book about pockets delivers.--Liz French

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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