Pockets on Women's Pants

[vhcook]

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.