Due to this historical reason, every pair of jeans includes a small pocket inside the front pocket. We’ve been pondering its purpose, but even after our best efforts, we couldn’t find a practical use for it. It’s too small for a mobile phone, small banknotes, or even keys – retrieving them would be nearly impossible.
Don’t worry, The Independent claims to have unraveled this long-standing mystery, and it’s probably not what you’d expect. You may have wondered about it occasionally.
All jeans, whether for men or women, typically come with two front and two rear pockets. Sometimes, one of the front pockets also includes a small additional pocket. But why is it there? It’s a fascinating tale that traces back almost 200 years to its origins.
That thumbnail-sized pocket wasn’t just a stylish addition to pants but rather a practical solution to a problem that has since faded away.
The concept was ingeniously devised⁹ by Levi’s, the renowned jeans manufacturer, in the 1800s. According to The Independent, this first “extra” pocket was crafted to protect pocket watches. Back then, cowboys, who were often seen wearing jeans, used to stow their pocket watches under their jackets or secure them with a strap while riding.
Unfortunately, these methods often resulted in the watches falling and breaking. Therefore, Levi’s introduced pants with a small pocket specifically designed to safeguard the pocket watch from such mishaps.