Pockets on Women's Pants
 

No really, it's not a spam thread, I promise.

It's a complaint I hear frequently from the female students on our team (No, I don't choose to talk fashion with them, they bring it up). Their pants lack pockets. Not only that but they've shown me pants that appear to have pockets that are sewn shut.

It's not a problem I personally have had to suffer from but it annoys me that anyone has a hard time shopping for a decent pair of pants. It also annoys me that I can't get all my pants with zebra stripes but I kinda understand the niche market that exists there.

At any rate, I figured with all of the silly summer CD threads recently I would start one myself and see what others have to say about the subject.

Also, some of you might be delighted to know that the (un)functionality of women's clothes is a problem larger than just our little microcosm and seems to be impacting retailers finally (It's an interesting article and what really triggered this thread): https://www.washingtonpost.com/poste...e-bad-clothes/

So yeah, let's make pants have pockets again!

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Unlike robot design, in the clothing world there's no such thing as too much pocketing

Reaching for a fake pocket is like going to the cookie jar, knowing it's empty, opening it to grab a cookie, only to find a bunch of crumbs. You knew you were going to be disappointed, but you tried anyway.

I really don't know where I'm going with this post but viva la pocket

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Big Handbag And Purse lobbyists need to be stopped!

Although that sounds funny I have a feeling they probably do have some sort of influence?

Interesting thread! I have quite a lot of friends in fashion who I may reach out to about this for some insight.

Also, are the pockets that are sewn shut in women's pants able to be opened? Sounds like any pocket sewn shut in a men's suit.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I was surprised to see what I thought was spam at first with two replies ;)

While many may deem this to be a ridiculous topic to address, I can agree that it is an underlying issue of sorts. I am going to approach this as seriously as possible.

I have heard plenty of complaints about this from female students on teams, my own and others included. We have ladies who do just as much handy work as the male students on the team, yet the biggest difference between the two in workflow are the pockets. I do not know how I would stand to live with half my phone sticking out my pocket, but it is an issue that plenty of ladies seem to face. Beyond the necessary cellular device, most of them cannot fit a ball-end hex driver, an open ended wrench, or even their entire hand into their pocket. I know that if I were in this situation, I would be bit outraged to say the least.

I have seen ladies within FRC resort to buying men's pants, that is, if they could find a sizing that fits them reasonably. Beyond that, I have seen utility belts, fanny packs, and even some custom made items to address this issue for the ladies. The decent pair of female pants that you speak of seems to be something of a rare find for them, and I do not understand why that has to be the case. I know nothing of fashion or clothing trends, but I see the shrinking pocket size as a mistake.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

This topic of conversation is nothing new in my house. I have heard my wife complain about this for more than 20 years now. The "pockets" are fake. If my wife can find slacks that have real pockets, they are only 2-3 inches deep and serve no real purpose.

We require our students to where khakis as part of our team uniform. I can't tell you how many times a young lady has come to be and railed about how stupid women's pants are and how unsuited they are for a member of a robotics team.

Could those who know create a list of pants that actually have REAL pockets? I would love to be able to point my students to this thread when they rightfully complain.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Darn. Someone beat me to it.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Some (or all?) of females Dickies work pants have full pockets... Or at least equivalent to male size, the male size pockets are a tad smaller than typical jean pockets.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I don't believe they can be opened. I've tried on some jeans before and no luck. I've never seen a pocket sewn shut that actually has the cloth that can store things, so they're just fake pockets.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I didn't realize how much I use my pockets at robotics until we had a pajama day during build season. I spent all day walking around and reaching down for a sharpie or a wrench, only to find a tragic lack of pockets. Now I have more empathy for my female teammates.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Some can, some can't. Not to long ago, one of my students asked to borrow my pocket knife so she could open a pocket on her jacket (long story). Same student has also sewed pockets into her school uniform skirts.

I've also had suit's with pockets that were closed, and had to cut them open myself in order to use them.

It's a question of balance between utility and appearance. Women's fashion has seemed to prioritize a sleek look with no bulging pockets over the utility of actually having pockets. Men's fashion supports utility a lot more, although that's starting to pull back a little with backlash against cargo shorts (my mom and sister have been railing at me this summer to get rid of mine because it's not in fashion anymore!).

It's just like in designing a robot... there are tradeoffs with any design decision you make, and two people approaching the same problem can come to different decisions because their priorities are different.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Were cargo shorts ever in fashion? I thought they were in the socks with sandals category.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

A key difference is that most men's pockets that are sewn closed are actually pockets, and are only sewn closed for transport. Many pockets that are sewn closed on women's clothing are either not actual pockets or are insultingly small.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Men's pockets are also sewn shut so that everything stays in the right shape during production and so that people trying on the garment don't shove their hands in the pockets.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

But, like every pair of shorts I own are cargo shorts. And most of my pants too.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

From what I have seen and heard from the ladies themselves, Dickies female pants are no better. Just about 2" deep pockets on them, and nothing much more of that, but I would not be the one to make the final say on that. I can certainly recall that male sized pockets I have come across for team event use, which are Dickies or similar style pants, are around 8" deep.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

If any of you want to experience what it's truly like wearing women pants and the struggle of them; wear them to a competition if you are on pit crew.

You end up not having a place to carry tools when you go off to the practice field or a match and have to carry a backpack everywhere... it's quite frustrating.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Why not just wear a light jacket with pockets? That is what most of the girls on my team end up wearing, and as long as it isn't too hot, there have not been any issues.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Nearly impossible in California.
We're all sweating by the first hour of pits open usually.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Dickies have lines geared towards work, and others that are pretty much just pants. I'm certain female students in 973 have used the work oriented line with larger pockets.

I love dickies for robotics, low priced and super durable.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I guess the lack of pockets is from clothing makers expecting all women to carry pocketbooks. Kinda absurd if you ask me although outside of a robotics competition the idea isn't that far fetched.

Off topic. Cargo shorts are actually more in style than they used to be.The best pants I have used for FRC are actually these. They are very expensive but on sale for right now. They have a gigantic pocket on the right that can hold a small laptop and a normal pocket on the other side. They are also very high quality and very warm. Ironically if you check out the woman's version here you notice it is missing the big amazing pocket....

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Some of the women I know who work construction like the pants from Aramark
https://shop.aramarkuniform.com/home

The girls might have to choose between making a Fashion statement and comfortable, functional, durable work wear.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

As a girl, I can definitely agree with the pocket issue. Even if you avoid trying to make a fashion statement, there are still very few options out there. If you notice, sites like Aramark and Dickies have fewer options for women, and they are often more expensive. That's why I'm a fan of buying men's pants. They don't always fit as well (especially not if you have hips like mine!), but it's worth it to have a pair of cheaper, reliable pants to work in. I know a lot of girls, especially those who work in STEM or construction who do the same thing.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

You could also go for aprons. Some of the boys on my team have been known to do this, inspired by team 360.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

This might be slightly off topic, but as someone who is known to like clothing and outerwear with lots of pockets, here are my experiences from this season:

Whenever we were doing serious woodworking like building the defenses and field objects, I wore Carhartt overalls. They have lots of pockets and are super durable, so they are great when building stuff. For the rest of the season, I just wore whatever clothes I wore to school that day. After the season, I picked up one of these Mechanix Wear Aprons. I really like it, and it is great for keeping grease, metal shavings, etc. off your clothes. It also has huge pockets for storing pretty much anything.

As far as at events, I find myself stuffing my pockets with whatever I need. This season it typically included: grease, rags, zip-ties, my Leatherman (either a Crunch or Wingman), flashlight, and other random stuff. As having all this stuff in my pockets sucked, I have one of these bags (this particular one isn't availible but 5.11 still sells it in other colors) that I might try for holding everything. While it might look a little silly (my friends and I call it a tactical purse), it has more space to store things. If you are looking for something to hold what you need at a competition, I would probably go with that, as it's small enough to not be a nuisance but big enough to carry everything.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Try a tool bag?

I am trying to remember if I ever had anything in my pockets that wasn't what I normally have in my pocket during a competition. Can't say that it was all that common except maybe a shirt pocket. I mean I am a pocket protector kind of guy.

On one rare exception I had carpenter's pants on. So in the lower pockets I had a few things.
http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/m...s-for-men.aspx

For the Ladies:
http://women.duluthtrading.com/store...cessor=content

This topic amuses me: I have taken several sewing classes. Almost without fail the Ladies think I found the wrong classroom. I guess people don't think about tailors and the guys that used to sew all the ship sails.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

#makefannypacksgreatagain

But actually I would love to see fanny packs make a comeback because girls' pockets are a joke. The pockets on Norts are just barely large enough to hold a phone, so at competitions I throw all my other stuff in my oversized "mom purse" and keep it in a somewhat secure place close to the field where I can easily access it.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Pro tip: Crossbody bags. 80% of my purse collection is crossbody bags. Ideally, you're looking for something smaller than a piece of paper, vertically aligned, no flap, with a zipper top. You need to be okay with washing out the liner when grease eventually gets in the bottom. Or if you're looking to resell it, black fabric lining.

Marc Jacobs, Rebecca Minkoff, and Kate Spade are my favorites. I take off extra tassels so they don't get caught and clean them after events.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Repor...oh wait. This isn't spam...

Tool belts or pouches may be a good alternative.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

This sounds like a good time to plug skirts Utilikilts.

On a more serious note, I've seen this come up before even outside of robotics. Best I can say is look at what Uniqlo (ユニクロ) offers.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Pockets are great and useful when being mobile, but they do have their downsides.

- The biggest issue we used to have were tools accidentally being taken home.
- Its one less place to look, when something is missing.
- Aluminum shavings have a way of ending up in the pockets.

I realize pockets are useful on home construction projects. But in the shop, I never use my pockets. Not even for a pen.
Everything stays on the table. I group the tools on one side, the robot and actively used parts on the other side and backup parts in a box. It makes it easy to find stuff when everything is visible.

For those in hot environments maybe something like a fisherman's or cameraman's mesh vest would work. Breathability and pockets in one garment.

http://www.orvis.com/p/clearwater-mesh-vest/44hy
https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Fisherma.../dp/B0114A3UY2

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I opened this thread expecting to see a SPAM discussion after the OP, but I must say how very CD this thread is! Despite the serious discussion you do have to take a step back and see the bigger picture, and I find it hilarious. (Not the difficulty in finding pockets, but the robotics forum having a serious discussion on women's utility-fashion.)

Kudos

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I have never been fashion conscious and have recently run into significant issues as a result of this issue. Due to being heat sensitive, I had to trade my jeans at work for light-weight slacks that have no or small pockets. I now have to use a "purse" or "clutch" which I am very uncomfortable with. I lock the purse in one of my file cabinets. When I wear the slacks that have no pockets, I am left with the issue of where to leave the keys for my file cabinet. Do I leave them in my backpack? Do I just carry them around with me and hope I don't forget them?

The issue isn't just about tools, but personal items, particularly in public areas.

It's the worst!! I had to ask our driver to carry my gloves, match schedule, Allen wrenches, and small screw drivers because these could not fit in my "pockets". Don't even get me started on leggings! They are (for some) more comfortable than jeans and I like them because they make long days just a little easier, however there are no pockets! And the ones that do have pockets can barley fit a tube of chapstick!! It's so annoying!! #pocketsforall


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

These are definitely issues. We have small tools (mostly allen wrenches) disappear all the time. I use to joke with one of our students (A champs Dean's List Winner) that any tool we were looking for was bound to be in her pockets - she wore overalls to just about every meeting, just for the pocket space. And her mom always complained about the "dents" put in her washing machine by nuts and bolts left in pockets!

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

It sounds to me that some of our more business-inclined FIRSTers should start a business selling practical clothing geared for girls. They'd already have a dedicated niche market.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Oh gosh, leggings are the only things worse than girls' pants when it comes to pockets. If your legging are even fortunate enough to have a pocket, it's probably only big enough to fit a tic tac or two, let alone a phone or tool or something actually useful.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I think girls everywhere, in and out of FIRST, have been eagerly awaiting this for a long time now.

Besides this, even though I am a guy, I always bring a small backpack a bit bigger than a standard brown bag. It's big enough to carry several tools and things in it, but not too big to get in the way. Even so, it's an okay solution compared to pockets.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

ChiefDelphi is talking about women's clothing. What a time to be alive.

Hands down, the most frustrating thing for me personally regarding women's pants (and I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned so far) is that I can't fit my wallet in them. Phone fits in my back pocket okay, albeit not very securely...but my wallet not so much. It can be squeezed in, but I'm always terrified it will fall out if I sit down or do anything other than standing up straight. Formal or business casual situations makes this worse (and the depth of the pockets is also worse than jeans), because there are times when it's very inconvenient for me to carry a purse around - weddings, business meetings, career fairs, or anywhere where you have go get your bag checked by security. EDIT: the same problem applies to keys, which are just as essential. Would be great to be able to fit those in my pockets...

Work is another issue - one item that I have to carry around is a 9" long flashlight, and it does NOT like to stay in my pockets. If I had a dollar for every time my flashlight has fallen out of my back pocket in the past month, I could probably buy a pair of pants with large enough pockets.

At events or in the shop, it's surprisingly less bothersome to not have usable pockets. I try to avoid putting tools or small parts in my pockets (easy to forget about them there), and really the only things I need to carry on me is my phone, sharpie, leatherman, and gloves. I have belt clips for the latter two, which while not ideal, is bearable. However, it is very uncomfortable and distracting to have my phone digging into my legs or back pockets when I'm twisting and bending in odd ways to get under a robot. It would also be nice to be able to carry zip ties around without leaving a trial of them behind me.

Unfortunately, women's pants with deep pockets are either a) expensive, b) bulky, c) made from inconvenient materials (either too thin or too thick), or a combination of those three. I wish I could afford to replace all of my work pants with ones with better pockets, but I also don't want to shell out $500 to do it. Women's pants are expensive in general (that's another topic entirely), but work pants or specialty pants with deep pockets are even more expensive, making it less affordable for say, a high school girl looking to carry her tools with her at a robotics competition. Tool belts are a slightly cheaper alternative but are still not always as convenient as having pockets. I wish I could suggest some better alternatives, but all I've got is "belt clips are your friend".

This. I got one free from work and it's crazy useful, for both girls and guys (let's be real, thick gloves are a pain to fit in any size pocket)

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I have been aware of this problem for many years, but can only imagine having to live directly with it. Even with men's pants/khakis/jeans/etc, I have worn out the pockets, or the pocket area, first on most of my bottoms. A pair of khakis hit the trash can just this week due to irreparable right rear pocket issues (at least if I want to wear them respectably to the office). I have several pants with pockets held together with safety pins or hand stitching.

Loading down a belt has its own issues. At Red Stick this weekend, I felt like I was a D&D adventurer, with my phone on one hip and a camera on the other. I feel bulky enough with these two pouches on my hips; I can see that this would be a non-starter for many women.

On a number of occasions, I have thought of making something that would be a cross between a Sam Browne belt, Batman's utility belt, and a bandolier to use in the shop and at competitions. It would have dozens of pockets and tool slots from left shoulder to just below the right elbow, and across at just below elbow height. I currently keep eight items in my left pocket (plus the occasional "thing that needs replacing"), and way more often than chance would dictate, the item I'm looking for is the seventh or eighth or ninth or tenth that I find.

Cargo shorts: I have one pair, and wear them as often as any other pair of shorts (including right now), but I almost never use the lower patch pockets for anything other than a kerchief or similarly light object, because it feels wrong. I suppose that's why I never bought a second pair.

#pocketsforall
#morepocketsforall
#moreandmoreandmorepocketsforall

This past week, one of our veterans told the rookies something very much like:
"If you have a question, Mr. Gus probably has the answer. If you need something, Mr. Gus probably has it in his pocket."

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

One of the A/V crew that tends to work the regionals out here is known for wearing a khaki utilikilt at least once per event. This year, it fit the theme...

I tend to wear cargo shorts (or cargo pants, if it's cold) at work; not quite so much at robotics events. I generally run water bottle on one side and gloves on the other (if they aren't on my hands). Dickies, FWIW.


Kara, I think you might want a flashlight holster--a lot of the smaller Maglite varieties and knockoffs of those come with one or have one available. The only issue is needing to wear a belt.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I was going to suggest Duluth Trading pants too. As a woman who occasionally gets down on the ground, I want my pants to not only have pockets but also maintain a certain level of professionalism. Hard to do at times but the Duluth pants seem to work OK.

Trying to Help

Brighid

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

YES!

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

pls don't try this in college

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

This is my go-to! I have a fanny pack that I always wear at competitions, otherwise I'm carting around a back pack all day. You can find all kinds of sizes and styles these days (I have two from Amazon) and they are incredibly convenient.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Good news for you don't even own a pair nor have I ever owned a pair.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I totally agree. Sometimes pockets can go too far though.



It would take me half an hour to get into my house with these bad boys. Now where did I put my keys?

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I washed a load of just cargo shorts today. Oops.

Oh well, I'm a mechanical engineering major, everyone already knows I have no concept of fashion.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

This hasn't been too much of an issue with me at comps. I just carry around a backpack, or lose some pounds walking back and forth from the pit. The annoying part is definitely more with where I put my phone and wallet as I like to have those with me at all times. I just carry arround a phone/wallet case with a band to wear on your wrist. Thank god for NYC weather so I usually just stuff that mass into my boots when needed. It might be a bit more helpful to have bigger pockets for daily life though.

I work in a lab for the summer, and I like womens pants for the reason i don't accidently put something in my pockets. Don't need to take home any hydrogels accidently :p.

I mention this because when I was wearing my coat and did have pockets at comps/in the robo lab , I found myself taking home saftey glasses and locknuts home a lot. I should probably return those soon :D

Also, I didn't realize cargo pants went out of style/were never in style. I always found my womens cargo shorts quite fabulous. #hatersgonnahate #immastartafashiontrend

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Ah, So that's where all of our safety glasses went.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

And then there's the RoboMom solution (borrowed by LRIs everywhere, and FTAs at least for a while). It's a vest with a lot of pockets.

Of course, the question of whether vests are fashionable is one that should be answered by someone who isn't an engineer.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

4 pages? Well this topic appears to have resonated.

Not just CD, summer CD. You're welcome. :cool:

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

After a quick consult with some active relatives, I found some pants which meet storage criteria.

http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsa/unifor...vt-ldy-29.html

Where can I buy those?

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I have had luck with bog standard Target jeans. They have pockets that my entire hand can fit in and they're marginally more flattering than work pants. They've held up well to chemical splatter, but I haven't had any run-ins with mechanical damage yet to speak to its strength there.

Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Speaking of this...

Our safety rules require hearing protection when using most loud tools. We only bought disposable earplugs because nobody likes the shared ones. So, every night I ended up taking my earplugs, putting them in my pocket when I'm not using them, and taking them home.

And this happened:



And that's just a few of them. So be warned: bigger and more pockets are a blessing and a curse!

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Carabiners. It's actually a method I developed working overseas to deal with an endemic pickpocket problem, but I use it all the time now. There are a wide variety of wallets that come with or can be fitted with a key ring, and I just clip a carabiner through it and onto my belt loop. Wallet stills falls out of my pocket all the time, but it doesn't go anywhere. Works the same way separately or together for keys. In fact I do the same with my phone on the other side, using a phone case that has a lanyard. Makes the phone a bit (or a lot, depending on the case) bulkier, but it works--I've actually felt people pickpocket me in a crowd and give up when I still had hold of the lanyard. Never goes anywhere no matter how wimpy the pockets are. (Now about women's pants that don't even have belt loops...)

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

http://www.xojane.com/clothes/how-to-add-a-pocket

For those that are inclined to use sewing technology to improve their personal storage.

STEM Prep:
Sewing
Technology
Enhanced
Mission
Preparation

;)

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

When I was mentoring FTC we ended up having a discussion with the driver of the robot as to whether she should be wearing a purse while driving. I was concerned that it looks unprofessional and could effect their draft position. She did it anyways and they did get drafted as the second pick of the first alliance in their division. They also ended up using one of the pictures of her while driving in the event programs during the next year.

I did notice the head referee of the division we were in at worlds also wore a purse while refereeing. I still think it looks unprofessional but maybe it is just me.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Must be a slow weekend in CD land if a thread on women's pant pockets get 4 pages over a weekend. :]

My personal favorite is LA Police Gear BDU style pants. They make some that don't make you look like boy Rambo. Admittedly a quick check doesn't find a lot of women sizes, but there are a few.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

There is nothing wrong with wearing cargo pants/shorts at any age (college or otherwise). Honestly, who cares?

Public safety (Fire/Police/EMS) pants are a great choice. They're built for utility and durability, and many companies offer them in a good assortment of women's sizes. Most of them have a wide range of pockets too, especially those designed for EMTs and paramedics.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Is it unprofessional for a man to have a pocket bulging with his wallet or phone in it while driving a robot or refereeing? If not, why is it unprofessional for a woman to wear a small bag holding similar items while performing the same tasks?

The only reason I could possibly imagine saying that wearing a purse is unprofessional is if such an item affects a person's performance in their role. I don't think that would be the case with either of the situations you highlighted - a properly secured bag could easily handle the rigors of walking back and forth around the field without getting in the way.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

My only concern with a purse would be the same as any number of dangles a person might wear, and that would be dangers from moving machinery. Not really an issue for a driver or a referee, much more so for pit crew.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

You might want to take a step back and try and figure out why you find a purse specifically unprofessional. There's obviously some gendered connotations to this, and perhaps to some extent your internal view of what constitutes "professional" includes "non-feminine". That's probably not great.

Even if you think anybody holding any kind of bag anywhere looks unprofessional - which gender's default clothing has pockets that are so small, going without a bag isn't always an option? This is an internal bias that is going to cause you to view more women as unprofessional than men.

We all have internal biases over things that, in a vacuum, logically make sense, but when applied to society as a whole tend to distort our views toward particular groups. This doesn't make you a bad person or whatever, it's just something to be aware of and to try and counteract.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

The only downside to those is the $50 price tag. Official BSA anything has a pretty significant price hike because you're paying for a lot more than the pants. I asked some of my female Venturing friends, and they said that they've found good, practical pants that look like the Venturing pants at REI and JC Penny.
Your mileage may vary.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Not that anybody really cares that much, but BSA uniform are only meant to be purchased by BSA members. They are price competitive for zip off pants. Fit on the men's side is hit or miss. Fits some better than others. They are optimized towards light weight and quick drying. Not the best for the rigors of working around machinery. Campmor also makes a version of these.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I only have two pairs at the moment because I have to take the waist portion of the small pants and the legs portion of mediums, use some sewing witchcraft I learned from a friend, and cobble them together. I hate having to wear official pants.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

The war on women's pockets has driven me crazy my whole life. I'll admit I have a minority view on fashion, but I wish our society would prioritize comfort and function over whatever is "in" this year. What's "in" frequently is (at least in women's clothes) flimsy and difficult to maintain.

I've get most of my pants from http://makeyourownjeans.com, who will make them to measure, allow you to select the fabric style and weight from a pretty broad range, and put actual usable pockets in even if you're female. They're the most functional and comfortable jeans I've ever had, they mostly have held up well, and I don't have to carry a purse anymore unless I want to. Admittedly, they have a 6 week or more lead time, they're relatively expensive ($60ish + shipping), and they're being made in India, so there are some trade-offs.

For competition, I add on a bat-belt and/or fishing vest, depending on what my role for the day is. I find with the fishing vest I need to make sure my total pocket mass is fairly light or I have problems with the vest digging into the back of my neck, but it's great for my scouting load-out. For inspecting, the bat-belt is cooler (temperature-wise) and doesn't get in the way when I need to stick my head in a strange robot to get a look at some oddly placed components. Both of these solutions are easy to remove at the end of the day when I need to get into the car, and mean I don't end up walking into a restaurant with all my gear.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I got to second this, and give some love to 5.11 Tactical. I wear 5.11 TacLite Pro Pants for just about everything, including work, robotics and FTAAing. They are comfortable, cool, durable and look very khaki like so they are great for business casual use. I have 5 pairs that are my "Work" pants that are going strong after 2 years of Cable Tech use. Pocket wise they have 8 pockets and a strap for hanging carabiners, all of them are useful and don't get in the way if they are full. Also once nice feature is reinforced knees that can take neoprene knee-pad inserts, for me its a godsend when building and tearing apart the field and working on bots.

The women styles are at http://www.511tactical.com/womens/womens-pants.html

I know it the prices might seem high, but they last a LONG time, and you can usually find deals by checking out some of there re-sellers.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

The easy solution to this is to put something in the back pocket. The LRI vests are the same way, but putting some stuff in the back is perfect. It doesn't really take much, either - an iPad or a bottle of water will easily keep your neck feeling good!

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I'm a little surprised that $50 for a pair of pants is considered high.
Owing to the fact that I have to shop for 34" inseam because of my height and some other strange measurements for the legs that make some cheaper pants fit poorly.

My jeans and dress pants cost $60+ each.
Guess I am over achieving for the guys!

Now my business suits - those are at least $1,000 each.
If I had to wear them everyday it would pay to fly to Asia for custom suits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIjQhobMv5Y

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

+1 for 5.11. I don't own any of their pants but I have several bags, jackets, etc. from them and they are all great. I also have several family members that are firefighters and they all love their stuff.

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For the record, I found the field reset people and referees wearing backpacks to look unprofessional too. It wasn't just purses but that seemed to be inline with the whole lack of pockets discussion. When I did field reset, we were specifically told to not have anything extraneous with us. I am signed up to referee at an upcoming off season event and my plan is to eliminate any possible distraction on my person that I can.

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Everyone who cares at all about fashion/looking good.

There's nothing wrong with cargo pants/shorts if you're at a FRC event or you're in the military/police/EMS, etc... But anyone older than college age will definitely get judged for wearing cargo pants as a regular part of their wardrobe when you're just out and about.

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http://mashable.com/2014/11/17/mark-.../#FYwbmx8cWuqW

Irony! How many of you have seen Dean in dress pants?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...nton-kamen.jpg

>>>Deam Kamen in the Oval Office with then President Bill Clinton wearing jeans.<<<

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That's exactly what I did with my wallet and keys in college - I completely forgot about it when I was thinking about this last night. I still use a carabiner for my keys now, and occasionally with the wallet when I absolutely don't want to drag a purse around. I used one of the Vera Bradley ID cases as a wallet (easy when all you need to fit is a credit card, school ID, drivers license, and some cash) and clipped it to the locking carabiner I had my keys on, and it was great. Still not appropriate for business situations (IMO), but it works for everything else as long as my belt and pockets aren't otherwise occupied.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

My #1 criteria when purchasing shorts is that they have usable pockets. I'm lucky in that men's shorts usually have them, unless they're specific athletic shorts. Most women in STEM that I know have found ways around the pocket problem- wearing men's clothing, belts, backpacks, etc.

Cargo shorts are so useful at competitions though, as carrying around tools and scouting lists and such is so much easier and more convenient in my pockets than my backpack, and I'd hope nobody at competitions is making scouting decisions based off my fashion sense anyway :P

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I don't see how that's relevant to what I wrote. I didn't say you can't wear jeans every day. Dean looks substantially less goofy wearing all denim than he would if he wore cargo pants every day.

It makes perfect sense why someone like the people you listed would only have one real day to day outfit in their wardrobe...however I don't think you'll find many of those people whose outfit includes cargo pants.

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I used to carry a backpack at competitions. My backpack has since fallen apart and since I have no other need for one, I didn't replace it.

We have a tool bag that travels with the robot that I use if I need something. If I need to have something special or an extra set of something or another, I'll just throw them in my purse. I sort of enjoy the idea that I'm probably the only coach in FRC (or one of very, very few) doing it while carrying a Kate Spade purse. :p

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Some team needs to convert their give-away fund for some of these:

Custom Leathercraft 1104 Multi-Purpose Poly Tool Holder

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That looks pretty cool!!!

I have a Woolrich vest that I've had for almost 30 years that I primarily use for kiteflying. Same problem you are on the flying field and need to have extra string, tails, cutting things, tape, water, etc. It's worked well for me. It's cotton and has a vented back with mesh so it's cool to wear all day.

I've worn it at some VEX events and somewhere around here is a picture of RoboMom with our vests, they are indeed a fashion statement.

Pro tip, check them for length, I got the Woolrich one because the extra length covers well below my belt in the back when I'm down on my knees. :rolleyes:

Most days for VEX stuff I carry a small canvas bag (it's a re-purposed insulated lunch bag. There is an inside pocket for the phone.

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Not to say that I agree with other people on this, but people often consider Dean eccentric.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...717-story.html

So, at least to me, suggesting that cargo pants all the time is more eccentric is kind of ironic. What's the difference? More pockets? Would carpenter pants made of denim be any better they also have more pockets.

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I tried to convince my kids that we need team logo fanny packs but sadly they rejected the idea :( I guess I will just have to get one online and rock it solo at competitions

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I recently determined that fanny packs are the way to go. To me, it's the best compromise: it won't swing around like a purse and get in the way, and I get to wear my preferred pants. I'm thinking of getting something with a goofy print.

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If not fanny packs, purses, or vests, you can always try tool belts. One of my graduated students had used one from The Original Pink Box - it was definitely built to be durable!
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Pink.../dp/B002DMLJNK

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I'm surprised how many people think wearing shorts is okay. Many facilities require long pants. OSHA leaves it to management to weigh the hazards, but I believe liability coverage often comes down on the side of long pants. See this PDF from a joint insurance fund in New Jersey.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Personally, I only ever wear Norts or athletic leggings to competitions because I always find myself running all around and for me, jeans or other pants are too hot and not nearly as comfortable to move around in. Also, most of my "real pants" are still pretty thin and provide very little additional protection considering I still end up with cuts and bruises while wearing them.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Pockets tend to wear out fairly quick holding tools. Most trades use utility belts, they hold more and are easier to organize. At the end of the day you take off your belt and everything is there for the next day. Less chance of losing tools. Kinda along the line of the fanny pack but more utilitarian.

A quick search turn up this one for women:
http://women.duluthtrading.com/store...cessor=content

A belt pouch might be good also.
http://women.duluthtrading.com/store...cessor=content

Carhartt makes work pants for women.
http://www.carhartt.com/content/prod...tFinder-121715

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One wonders what makes one tool belt better suited for women than another.

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I suspect the belts are smaller. A few years ago I went shopping for a new framing belt and couldn't get the the one I really liked because I was too skinny. :o

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I have a pocket obsession and need to have lots of them to keep my things organized. Since women's pants lack the pockets that I need, I have found wearing a light jacket or sweatshirt is the way to go.
I also like to wear a cinch bag and carry a carry a clipboard to gain more space.

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I can't think of any practical reason... but fashion is seldom practical. Fashion probably dictates that a "woman's" tool belt be certain colors (pink, purple) and adjust to a smaller waist size than a man's, ignoring the fact that color and size preferences really are an individual thing.

Frankly, it annoys me when products are marketed "for women" or "for men" without an identified biological reason for such separation.

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

I was about to say (with tongue firmly in cheek) that it comes in pink. Then I followed the link and found that was the case. :0. Anyway it actually looks pretty functional for a FRC environment. Not what I would pick for a construction or electricians tool belt.

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Technically that's purple...

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There is a difference? :]

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That's me with cargo shorts and ankle socks. My wife's embarrassed whenever I go out - she says no one wears ankle socks anymore. I don't care...(much)

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It's also half the denier strength (600 to 1200) of its black non-gendered but more Ultimate military-buckle counterpart at the same price (though note that both are cross-posted and have different pockets). I think I'd opt for the latter Ultimate Tool Pouches for the price.

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Knowing the head ref in question:

Golf skirts (her preferred attire when reffing) and FRC Head Ref polos have one thing in common: no pockets. Kind of a problem if you need to have the cards handy (and can't borrow some gaff tape to stick them to the tablet). And while you're at it, you may as well stick the volunteer badge, phone, and a couple of other critical things in there. The bulky stuff gets stashed elsewhere.

I would say that having to go to a "stash point" every 5-10 minutes to retrieve something important is a lot less professional than carrying items with you in whatever is reasonably handy and small.

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I will admit, this is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. I'm a professional seamstress and I HATE to carry a purse. I agree that perhaps tools should be carried in a belt or other utility bag, but I NEED my pockets to carry my phone, money and drivers license.

Problem for me is my weight, size, and shape. I'm lucky to be able to sew or alter any pants that I get, but the lack of well fitting pants (with pockets) is beyond annoying. I have spent countless hours altering pants and adding pockets.

I don't understand the industry's reluctance to add proper pockets to woman's clothing. It does not make the pants look any different. If there sewn properly, and you have the right size (it's only a number lady's, men you have this issue too) the pockets should not bulge.

I do think this is a discrimination issue. And while we're at it... why do we only get one length in the legs? Are all women's legs the same length? Men can choose their waist and length with easy to figure out numbers, but women get to guess and try on until they find something that kinda fits, or they get frustrated and just pick whatever.

I am happy that so many people are talking about this. Maybe we can show what a problem this is and someone will take notice and do something. #pockets4women2

Re: Pockets on Women's Pants
 

Following this lead, I did find that women's golf pants should all have pockets (not sure about the size, but they're there!). Similarly, most tennis skirts will have pockets as well. Could be a decent alternative for comfy pants that also have utility needed at events/around the shop!

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-196...FdiIYgodV4UL6Q

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Holy crap, 7 pages... This is the best summer CD thread ever.

EDIT: And 0 positive rep from it... you all suck!