It’s easy to pull on a pair of jeans or a T-shirt without giving them a second thought. However, designers have tucked away little tricks in our clothes, the kinds of stuff you wouldn’t notice unless someone pointed it out. Here are seven hidden features in everyday clothing. Which of these is the strangest to you?
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Jeans’ tiny fifth pocket
All jeans have a small, stiff square pocket inside the front-right pocket, which isn’t actually for coins. In 1879, Levi’s included it for pocket watches & the reinforced stitching kept those watches from breaking loose. But it still stuck around, long after people ditched the watch chain.
Rivets on jeans guard stress points
Jeans have another secret in the form of copper rivets, which are those little metal dots at the corners of the pockets. Originally, they were patented as reinforcements for miners’ & workers’ pants in the 1870s. They stopped the pockets ripping after wearers hauled tools & gear. These days, though, the rivets are more of a fashion statement than anything useful.
Sneaker eyelet holes secretly ventilate
You might’ve been curious about why canvas sneakers have random metal eyelets on the side. They’re not for laces at all & those extra holes are there so your foot doesn’t stew in its own sweat. Essentially, these holes let heat and moisture escape. You can think of it as a tiny air-conditioning system…hiding in plain sight.
Dress shirt loops once hung from lockers
Some button-down shirts have a weird little loop of fabric on the back. What’s it for? Well, not mere decoration, as college guys in the 1960s used it to hang their shirts on gym lockers. The loops stopped them from mangling collars & the style survived despite the fact that the lockers disappeared.
Hoodies often hide earbud channels
Take a close look at the drawstrings on your hoodie. Instead of just a cord, you may see that the string’s hollow, which is so that wires can run through it, while stitched eyelets inside the hood let you feed earbuds up & out. Sportswear brands started playing with it years ago. This was mainly for runners who hated cords bouncing everywhere, and it’s continued to this day.
Gussets under armpits keep sleeves freer
Thankfully, some T-shirts don’t ride up when you throw your arms overhead, and that’s because of hidden gussets. These are small triangular pieces sewn under the arm that spread out tension. Originally, military undershirts used them, but they’re now part of workout outfits, too, and you might only notice them when you turn the shirt inside out.
Blazer sleeve buttons were once functional
The rows of buttons stitched on blazer cuffs are almost entirely decorative today. But in the past, they were actually meant to unbutton so people could roll their sleeves up. Army surgeons wanted jackets they could push back in a hurry. However, it’s only expensive tailored blazers that still have working cuffs, while most off-the-rack ones fake it with sewn-shut buttonholes.
The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article:
- Why Do Jeans Have That Tiny Pocket?
- Levi Strauss patents copper-riveted jeans
- Experimental Study of Heat Dissipation in Indoor Sports Shoes
- What are surgeon cuffs? [and when to wear them]
- The Reason Why Button-Down Shirts Have Loops On the Back
- Wired clothing and earphones US7519192B1 Patent
- Other Richmond Depot Soldier’s Clothing Drawers and Shirts
- Demystifying the jacket sleeve
