Hands Deep in History: Pockets in Men and Women's Dress in Western Europe, c. 1480–1630

Pockets are now standard and accepted aspects of clothing, but their presence in dress has not always been so assured. This article examines the use of pockets in western Europe from the late fifteenth to the early seventeenth centuries, demonstrating that pockets were adopted into clothing much earlier than has often been believed. It discusses the physical form of pockets in the dress of both genders and the types of garments into which they were inserted. It also explores the possible reasons for the uptake of pockets, the uses to which they were put and the sorts of objects which were kept in pockets, showing that pockets provided the wearer with an individual and personal space which they could use to transport a wide range of goods hands-free.