The History of the Pocket – or Why Historical Reenactors Crave Them

 Although many people don’t realize it, pockets first appeared in early modern clothing, and they might seem like a small detail—until suddenly you have nowhere to put your things. That’s when you truly appreciate what an invention it is! People always carried their most essential items with them, only what counted as essential changed depending on the era. You certainly couldn’t fit the contents of a woman’s reticule into a 17th-century pocket (let’s be honest, women’s reticules have always contained a half brick “just in case”), but a larger pocket could really be life-saving. I’ve experienced this at almost every historical festival or living history event over the past few years. Even with my trusty old leather belt, where I could hang things in the manner of an ancient or medieval person, it’s still nice to have a proper, comfortable pocket! The problem is, it only occurs to you when there’s no solution… precisely when you need it most. So this year, I’m finally thinking ahead: the Great Pocket-Making Project begins!

Hungarian nobleman

In: Cesare Vecellio: De gli habiti antichi et moderni di diverse parti del mondo. 1598.

Were There Pockets in the 16th–17th Centuries? – Following the Sources 

Fortunately, we have plenty of clues: written records, visual representations, archaeological finds, and museum pieces. For a textile history topic, that’s almost a luxury—but if you dive in, it quickly becomes clear that the pocket story is not as simple as it might first seem. 

It’s not enough to say, “Of course they existed!” — the real question is what form they took. 

The Power of Written Sources – or What Bethlen Gábor’s Keys Tell Us 

János Kemény (a Prince of Transylvania, who was a herold of the former Price when he was a youngster), writes in his diary, that Gábor Bethlen had a “foszlány” (or “fosztán” aka fustian) dolman, from whose pocket a person under his patronage took the keys to the “golden chest.” The dramatic part of the story is beside the point here—what matters for us is that the prince kept his keys in a pocket. In other words: the doublet had a pocket, and it was functional. 

Archaeological and Museum Pieces – Dolmans, Mentes, and a Pair of Trousers 

Among the finds in Sárospatak, there are two dolmans and a mente, all featuring side slits, and the fragments indicate that they originally contained silk lining. Even the only known 16th-century trouser find from the area shows a pocket opening. So these are clearly the predecessors of the “modern” pocket. 

Women’s Clothing – Hidden Slits 

The situation is more complicated for women’s clothing. For example, on a skirt preserved at the Museum of Applied Arts, probably belonging to Erzsébet Thurzó, there is a slit—which very likely belonged to a pocket. However, while we can imagine sewn-in pockets on dolmans similar to modern ones, that’s not necessarily how it worked for women’s garments. 

Thurzó Erzsébet szoknyája ,1640 körül Forrás: http://gyujtemeny.imm.hu/gyujtemeny/szoknya-feltehetoen-thurzo-erzsebet-ruhatarabol/2862?ds=eyJxIjoic3pva255YSJ9&i=38

The Hidden, Tie-On Pocket – A Transitional Garment Type 

From the 17th century onward, we know of a special type: the tie-on, separate pocket worn at the waist—not over the outer skirt, but beneath one or more layers of skirts. This is basically a larger pouch in which a woman could carry everything she would keep in a modern pocket—or even more. Many examples have survived from the 18th–19th centuries, but we already know them from the 17th century.

Embroidered pocket from the Metropolitan Museum (18th century)

Source:  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/156892?rpp=20&pg=1&rndkey=20120216&ft=*&when=A.D.+1600-1800&where=United+States&what=Costume&pos=5

And then came the realization: I had seen one of these before! My dear elderly friends from Kalotaszeg (nowaadays in Romania), aunt Katalin and Erzsébet—who for decades came to the Dobó István Castle Museum to sell folk costumes and beadwork—carried their money in precisely this way: in a small hidden pocket under the apron and upper skirt. 

In other words, this solution survived into the 21st century, at least in certain regions. Looking at it this way, it’s completely logical: this type of pocket is a transitional form between the old “pouch tied to the belt” and the modern “sewn-in pocket.” 

And practical too: 

• larger than any modern pocket, 

• doesn’t pull on the skirt, 

• doesn’t bang against the leg while walking,

• and can hide heavier items. 

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European Examples – Embroidery, Patterns, Use 

Unfortunately, I don’t know of any surviving examples in Hungary (though hope remains), but abroad there are plenty. For instance, the Metropolitan Museum holds several 17th–18th-century examples embroidered on white linen. They were decorated with dense floral patterns—carnations, tulips, tiny flowers. At the time, the Western world fell in love with these floral motifs just as we did, so it’s not only a matter of Ottoman influence. Even though the pockets were hidden from view, they were highly decorated—indicating that they contained personal, important items. 

The Big Surprise: Knitted Pockets

 Then came the next shock—I found knitted pockets too! Several of the earliest examples are knitted. After my stocking project, this was especially exciting: another area where early knitting techniques appear.

Kötött zsebtáska Cooper Hewitt gyűjteményből
Forrás: https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18571791/

1. The Sewn Pocket – A Pair, Based on 17th–18th Century Examples 

Many years ago, my mother gave me a piece of embroidered satin with the note, “Use it for something beautiful, because it’s too small.” Indeed, not much could be done with the half-meter of fabric. But when I designed the pockets, the memory suddenly surfaced, and this fabric became the basis for the first prototype. Later, several more pockets were made, including one for a museum commission in Egervár, scheduled for spring 2025. The process isn’t complicated at all: draw the pattern, cut two front and two back pieces. The opening is in the upper third of the front piece, centered, and I finished it with satin bias tape—which you can buy ready-made or cut from your own fabric. The edges of the pocket were finished in the same way. I sewed a strap at the top of each pocket and threaded a flat ribbon through them so it could be tied around the waist. It’s not a long project: even hand-sewn, it can be done in a single day. 

Blue velvet pocket for a museum project (author's own photo)

Embroidered satin pair of pockets (rigth side-reverse side) - author's own photo

The Pocket Project Today 

With this sewn pair, the Pocket Project officially began, and I can already see how many small questions, solutions, and experiments can fit behind a seemingly insignificant garment. The history of the pocket is not just an interesting costume detail; it’s a very practical matter: it solved the same problem 400 years ago as it would for any reenactor today—where to put your things? In the next part, I’ll introduce another type: the knitted pocket, which holds even more exciting surprises.