The ‘Rules’ section on PS is a repository for all those conventions that have built up over the years around classic menswear and which people quote too much, often without thinking what they mean, why they exist, or why in fact they should be followed.
We’ve addressed a fair number them over the years, including wearing white after Labor Day and wearing brown in town, buttoning your jacket and specifically which button to button (always the hardest one). The intention each time is to answer those questions: why did these rules or conventions come into existence, how relevant are they today, and therefore should you care?
Today it is the turn of pockets, specifically putting your hands in your pockets. Most of us will remember someone telling us this was uncouth, but surely even with tailoring, those days have gone? Well, yes and no.
First, why would this convention come to exist in the first place?
Well, tailoring is a beautiful, fine piece of structure. It is precisely cut to render clean, uninterrupted lines that are both elegant and flattering. Spoiling that by shoving your hands in the trouser pockets, pushing up and rumpling the jacket everywhere, is a bit of a shame.
This happens when you move your arms around as well of course. Also when you sit – the jacket isn’t necessarily going to look its best then. But those things are unavoidable. Using trouser pockets is not.
Really? I mean wouldn’t it be weird to just stand there all the time with your hands rigid at your side?
No, not necessarily. After all, the military have been told not to use their pockets for a long time. Just this year, the US Navy finally relaxed its rules on pocket use, saying they could “have hands in their pockets, when doing so does not compromise safety nor prohibit the proper rendering of honours and courtesies”. (Those who have served, do as ever please pitch in.)
I think the two reasons given by the Navy there are significant: having your hands in your pockets seems impractical, as a sailor would be less ready to perform its duties; and it would be discourteous, a question of propriety and respect.
The latter is the main factor when it comes to tailoring. A businessman who always stood slouched, their fists deep in their pockets, would look a little unprofessional. It’s part of the impression you give to those around you – just as much as whether your tie is askew or your shirt untucked.
So the first things to bear in mind when considering whether the hell to care about this convention is, who are you and where are you? Having a beer in the pub or making a client presentation? It may not really matter much in this day and age, when dress codes have gone out the window, but those are the key points.
Now the flip side of this is that you might use your pockets to deliberately subvert the formal impression of a suit. Perhaps you want to casualise it – so wear it with casual shirts, with casual boots, with the jacket open most of the time. Using the trouser pockets is part of the same attitude.
Jacket pockets as well. This became a bit of a fad when #menswear first became popular 15-odd years ago. Every stylish Italian seemed to have their hands plunged into their jacket pockets, and it looked so damn cool. The guys at The Armoury in Hong Kong started doing it, so did everybody else, and before you knew it, it was a thing.
You still see echoes of that today. I still have a faint echo of it ringing in my head when I do it. And it can look cool, it can be a significant part of the way we’re re-contextualising tailoring today. But it can also be pushed too far – usually when it looks forced, like so many things in menswear.
Things that make it look unnatural include doing it with jackets that are too short, or way too tight, so the vents are splaying all over the place. A slouchy jacket helps, as does doing it all the time, so it feels instinctive.
Something that rarely looks natural, to me, is having one hand in the jacket pocket and a thumb hooked over the top (below). It might spoil the ones of the jacket less, but it always looks awkward and fussy.
If you did want to give a smarter impression – with your jacket buttoned up and your tie sprung to attention – it is still possible to use your trouser pockets, just keep it to one.
That way one half of the jacket is still perfectly sharp and elegant, but you don’t feel you’re standing to attention either. If you look at a lot of old imagery of tailoring in the 30s and 40s, this is very common (above). Although it’s also not hard to find images of men – at least in more casual settings – with both hands in their pockets too.
Interestingly, this is despite jackets often being ventless. And to me, using your trouser pockets with a ventless jacket looks plain awful. Back of the jacket all over the place.
The occasion when this is most relevant today is with black tie, because it’s the time most men are likely to wear a ventless jacket, if they wear one at all. In that case, however, it’s a formal occasion and you should be paying more attention to propriety anyway.
The biggest disadvantage of a single vent, for me, has also always been the way it opens when you put your hands in your trouser pockets. Your bum is revealed like the curtains opening on a stage; not the effect most of us want.
So if was wearing a single-vent jacket – perhaps a tweed hacking one – I’d probably push the jacket back with my hand before using the trouser pocket, rather than raising it at the side (eg below).
Conventions build up because they give certain effects, produce a certain impression. Using your trouser pockets is no exception, and jacket pockets even more so.
But the final question always is – do you care? Who are you, where are you, and what impression do you want to give? You’re going to give one – there’s no choice there – but you can very much decide what it is.
So please, let’s avoid the the knee-jerk reaction of “it’s just damned awful”, “not in my day” and so on. Nothing is as simple or as boring as that.
King Charles often has one hand in his jacket or coat pocket (never trouser) and I think it looks great.
True. He is the King though, I’m not sure it’s as easy for people day to day perhaps?
. Best not over used but I think it can look quite elegant.
Apologies I missed your comment before I wrote mine.
“No hands in your pockets” was certainly a thing when I was in the Navy a decade+ ago, although enforcement was mixed. When we we wearing coveralls on the submarine, it was more common than not to have your hands in your pockets because they were so big and slouchy; on shore, in a service uniform, it was frowned upon.
Interestingly, some branches took it even further to have “nothing in your pockets”, typically in a service uniform without a jacket where your wallet, keys, can of dip, etc. would be clearly visible and make one look “unprofessional”. The ridiculousness of it all was cleverly spoofed in this military cartoon: https://terminallance.com/2010/01/12/terminal-lance-3-looking-professional/
Nice! Love the link Brent and thanks for the first-hand experience
And there is a practical reason for not putting hands in packets in the military,which is that your hands are often covered in oils,grease etc.
I don’t think the UK military will ever change -given the obvious pleasure it varied Sgt Majors’ receiv3 as they bellow at offenders.
Hand in the jacket pocket has always felt awkward to me, I only do it when I am just in a jacket, the hands get cold and I don’t have gloves around. Even if the jacket is not short, the pockets are never at the same height as in an overcoat (in an overcoat of course I use the pockets all the time).
Hands in trouser pockets, I am way more used to it.
I like that thing where a pair of gloves is stuffed into a jacket pocket – unless it doesn’t look like a day for gloves. You’d never blow your nose on a typical pocket square, but gloves do have a legitimate utilitarian purpose and don’t tend to be ornamental.
The other thing I’ve seen quite a bit recently is putting a square or bandana in a hip pocket – which can look nice but risks looking affected for my taste.
At the other end of the spectrum, some people opt for no trouser pockets at all, but that just looks odd to me.
Agree on all points Jim – see below on the scarf in the hip pocket
In the Drake’s lookbook, there is often a scarf hanging out of coat pocket. Do you like this or feel it looks a little contrived?
Good question. I think it can look nice if it looks natural – which normally means things like:
– Not doing a bunch of other unusual stuff at the same time
– Doing it all the time so you’re actually comfortable with it
– Doing it with a scarf and jacket where it actually looks practical (not a massive thick scarf stuffed into a fine worsted jacket)
Thanks. I think hands in pockets works quite well for photos as it lends more of a relaxed and natural look (you use this to good effect sometimes) rather than looking stiff, like a mannequin. The effect is more exaggerated in real life, and in anything other than coat pockets can (risk) look(ing) at the far end of slouchy.
Your first point is probably one of the most important for getting away with unusual things. It reminds me of the how to dress like with Gianluca Migliarotti where he said “But I think it’s important to keep things smooth generally, and then just have the punch with one piece. Otherwise you’re a joker.”
Love it. Absolutely
Hi Simon,
Firstly I love the reference to the curtains on the backside! Not an image easily dispelled now!
As for traditions: I was brought up to think you didn’t use your trouser pockets to avoid slouching. I personally think in formal and business company it can look a little disrespectful (eg walking into a CEOs) office. It’s a bit like always standing when a lady joins your table when dining – not negotiable in my opinion. Also when I was young I was told it’s safer to keep your hands free, a bit like your Navy example.
Interesting point that you may have noticed is that King Charles and his father quite often put one hand lightly resting in a jacket pocket with just the thumb on the outside , whilst standing straight. In doing so the pocket stays relatively flat, avoiding a slouchy look, whilst occupying a hand. In my opinion it looks quite smart and if it’s good enough for the King …….
Have a good weekend.
Thanks Stephen, and you’re welcome!
I agree that way of hooking your thumb on the pocket looks smart, but to me it always looks a little forced/fake. Perhaps because it doesn’t really look practical or comfortable (at least on most people)
I can almost guarantee that in my near 30 years of Lizzies Forces no man (or woman) ever stood with their hand(s) in their pockets. When asked, they were always ‘just’ putting something into their pocket or ‘just’ taking something out. Queens Regulations clearly state “Deny everything Baldrick’ under ‘dress offences’
Not sure if this will shed any light on the pockets rule in terms of no hands, but I recall my father telling me a story from his national service days that could bear some relevance. It was the fifties, and he was in the Parachute Regiment. During one night training exercise he came under the command of Colonel Frost of Arnhem fame. Before the manoeuvre Frost asked every soldier to jump up and down. He was checking for noise and wanted to ensure that each man could move silently so as to avoid detection. Objects in pockets, particularly change, were one of the main culprits. It would be interesting to hear from any readers with military experience if this is still the case, and I wonder if aside from the smartness and respect points already made about hands in pockets, perhaps the increased likelihood of leaving objects in them is also a factor.
I spent 20 years in the reserve force in the US (specifically the National Guard, each of the 50 states has their own), with a couple combat tours. The National Guard, in general, is more relaxed than the active duty military, but these days you’ll find Soldiers and Airmen in the motor pool with hands in their pockets on a chilly morning unless an NCO like the one in the comic comes around to give them a hard time. It’s still against the rules, but most leaders will overlook an impractical rule. Having items bulging out of your pockets while you’re actively working on a project is fine, but if you’re standing in formation or in line for chow, you’ll have a target on your back, especially for bulging cargo pockets.
If you’re overseas on a tour, all of that goes out the window. You’re stuffing your gloves and hat into your cargo pockets while you’re in line for chow and no one cares. You can actually tell who is a fighter and who never leaves the base because of how “used” or “in use” their uniform looks, and a Soldier who is adhering to the uniform standard knows he’s only able to do so because his job doesn’t require him to load up a bunch of gear and get dirty and dusty everyday. Unless you’re a real stick in the mud, you wouldn’t call out someone who just came from a patrol for not adhering to the uniform standard.
As to the jingling pockets, no one really carries cash in a combat zone anymore, so I don’t think it’s as much of an issue. Specialized units like paratroopers (like your father), SOF, and infantry guys on patrol are absolutely going to care about noise discipline, but so much of combat operations are vehicle based now. Are your jingling pockets louder than a diesel engine? Probably not.
Very interesting John. Everything you say makes perfect sense regarding noise discipline only applying to certain situation and I guess Colonel Frost’s approach came from his personal experience from WW2. I just love the image of a group of paratroopers being asked to jump up and down before going on patrol!
Interesting thoughts. Another thing worth bearing in mind is psychologically hands in pockets might make someone subconsciously appear less trustworthy or like they have something to hide. A handshake in part is to demonstrate one’s goodwill and lack of weapons in their hands – concealing one’s hands may in a sense negate this.
Interesting pont Alex. At first glance that seems anachronistic, but actually there is something a little more closed about hands being buried away I think
Perhaps it depends on how much one buys into evolutionary psychology. Nonetheless, humans are emotionally driven beings (whichever way you look at it) and intuition – however mysterious it may be – regularly governs our behaviour. Intuition to leave following a subtle, menacing look from an aggressive looking bloke in a bar may be easier to see and justify to oneself, but other, subtler signals – such as someone concealing their hands or not holding proper eye contact – may easily trigger a similar if weaker response which is just somehow a little off-putting.
Also, if you think about it, a common reflexive gesture people (especially children) do when they are trying to emphatically claim their honesty is to put their hands – palms-up – out in front of them to demonstrate to the audience their openness and absence of concealment. So it seems humans do have an emotional intuition towards the visibility of hands.
The world of tailoring can seem logical at times and other times so bizarre.
We use surgeon’s cuffs but they have no present day use .
We make pockets on jackets but are advised placing things in them may ruin the shape of the jacket.
Only one button is ever used on a jacket but two or more are sewn.
The collar is sits flat and is hardly ever turned up against the cold .
The front of jackets are left open leaving the chest exposed to cold weather .
Raincoats/ Macs are designed with no hood …(sigh!)
Whilst all these ‘facets/features’ had a practical use at one time it can seem crazy that we largely carry on with them in the modern age .
Tailored clothing can at times seem more relevant to the age of the horse and carriage as a means of transport then the modern commute or home-working professional.
P.S. I love learning these rules !
Thanks Robin.
Yes it’s interesting – so many of those things have no point now, yet it’s not to feel that there is an objective value to them aesthetically. Cuffs without buttons and fronts without pockets seem so empty and plain
Some things may seem illogical but often there is good reasoning.
Pockets can be used, that’s personal choice, but often they also hide a cut in the cloth
The second button on the front may not function, but it breaks up the bottom half of the jacket and stops it looking bottom heavy.
It’s all about balancing out optics. Not necessarily history.
HI Simon. No feeling quite like putting your hand in a jacket pocket and finding a long forgotten folded fiver at the bottom. Small wins etc
Bandanas hanging out of trouser pockets in some areas indicate street gang affiliation. In other settings a visible bandana may signify ones sexual orientation and preferences.
We’re not really talking about trouser pockets here though I guess
I prefer engaging with a person with one hand on their pocket vs either hand on a mobile device. That said, it is preferable to have a dialog with someone where you can see both hands. I am not a psychologist but I suppose it suggests an openness to listening and engagement. Our hands add to our expressiveness.
Of course sometimes, I just put both my hands in my pockets because I am just cold and don’t have my gloves handy.
I like those who use the pockets of very well tailored jackets as a sort of bag just putting there the newspaper, the gloves, envelopes and even the scarf. It is a sort of sprezzatura. The jacket is made to serve the man and not the contrary.
Dear Petronio, I couldn’t agree with you more. Of course, it depends on the jacket, but typically I will find anything to put in a pocket to break the uniformity of a jacket (e.g., sunglasses, pocket square (discreet), book, crumpled scarf if it will go, etc.) It is absolutely a form of sprezzatura, adds elan and can be wonderfully louche – It felt a little contrived when I first did it but as Simon says the more you do it the more natural it becomes.
To that point I would add that I put both my hands into the jacket pockets of my Drakes heavy cotton twill games blazer and pull the jacket into me on a cold day with the collar up – I particularly love breaking that jacket in – I haven’t washed it yet but I’m hoping it will distress wonderfully as it ages and crumpling it into oblivion is something I do to try and encourage it. Also, as you quite rightly say: the jacket serves me, not the other way round.
I remember in school we were all told not to put hands in our pockets. I started holding my hands behind my back and then at some point someone said I looked like (then prince) Charles III. I stopped doing it out of self-consciousness and went back to putting hands in pockets!
As an American, I have just two words to say about this – King Charles.
Thanks Michael, yes see above for some thoughts on that
To me, materials are the big factor here. I wouldn’t have any aversion to doing this with a cotton jacket. Wool I’d worry about stretching the material.
True. Tweeds are fine and often wool can be repaired or ironed back into shape more easily too, but the heavier and coarser the wool the easier it is
Hands in the pockets have memories for me. When I was young, I was walking with my father in downtown Chicago. We were going to see a movie. I had my hands in my pockets. Well, I tripped and fell onto the concrete sidewalk. I cut my forehead. We had to stop at the drug store for a bandage for my cut before we saw the movie. If I place my hands into my pockets, it is a very rare moment. I never walk with my hands in my pocket and I never walk while looking at my cellphone. Lesson learned. Thanks for bringing up those memories
Simon
Somewhat left of centre, during Britain’s troubled history with Ireland, at checkpoints British soldiers were told to shoot Irishmen if they had their hands in their pockets. When Irishmen meet royalty these days they will deliberately put their hands in their trouser pockets.
Regards
Ha! I never knew that. Thank you
Great article. I always get suit trousers made with no back pockets… superfluous and not really adding smartness imho.
I never realized that “Don’t use your pockets” was a rule, but I’ve rarely broken it. I never put anything in my jacket pockets for fear of damage plus it doesn’t look good to have a lump in your pocket. And I rarely use my trouser pockets either.
I’m a retired trial lawyer, and when I was a prosecutor I watched a defense attorney shove his hands in his jacket pockets every time he stood before the jury. I shuddered. He lost. It was a weak case for me, so I blame his using his jacket pockets for storage.
My overcoat pockets, on the other hand, I put all manner of things in them, including my hands, keys, phone, etc. Pretty much anything that will reasonably fit. Given the greater bulk of the garment, an overcoat pocket can handle it.
I like putting my hands in my jacket pockets but often worry it might damage them over time (even though the lining and structure should prevent that). Have you seen pockets bagging out because of such overuse?
Not on anything tougher or more casual, no, which is the only time I’d do it.
I’d say go easy or better avoid hands in pockets, particularly with a jacket and certainly a bespoke or a MTM one. You will destroy the shape of the jacket. Even with trousers, that fearful ping of a stitch going!
Scary! I’d never do that with a bespoke pair of trousers!
I know what you mean, though I’d also bear in mind bespoke things are made to be more easily repaired. It should be very much part of the long-term cost calculation – unlike say a very expensive piece of RTW, when you have no idea what the aftercare will be like
Excellent-good to know that!
Most people in the Navy had their hands in their pockets, usually if it’s cold out or causally hanging out where there aren’t any high ranking personnel such as the Smoke Deck or the Mess Deck. Only time people couldn’t would be standing watch on the Quarter Deck saluting officers and letting people onboard. The Master at Arms needed their hands out due to being ready to use their firearm and check ids at the entrance of the pier and on the Quarter Deck. Standing watch on a .50cal mount we usually all had our hands in our pockets. I believe it just depends on the location and the type of personnel that’s around.
That is really a great reference to Goldfinger! “single-vent jacket – perhaps a tweed hacking one – I’d probably push the jacket back with my hand”
Well done
Simon, this article got me thinking about pockets in general. There are so many different kinds, and they all have the potential to change the style and character of the jacket. I know when I’m having a new jacket made I’m always wondering what kind of pockets would make it different or be appropriate. Have you done an article about this?
Hey Rogey,
There is this piece in the Suit Style guide. Maybe it doesn’t have as much detail as you’d want though?
It’s comprehensive enough for me. Thanks, Simon.
I tend to place my left hand in my trouser pocket with the jacket or coat buttoned, pushing back the skirt/quarter and leaving my dominant hand available for interacting with people or things. For me it feels very comfortable and effortless. In terms of visuals I think it enhances the trouser rise and leg-line without really compromising the silhouette of the outfit, at least from the front.
“and it would be discourteous, a question of propriety and respect. ”
This isn’t the reason just quoted, though. The reason is that having one’s hands in one’s pockets would “prohibit the proper rendering of honours and courtesies”, not that having them in the pocket is in itself discourteous. Pocketed hands don’t salute as readily as unpocketed! But few of your readers, I suspect, need to be ready to snap to attention or salute at a moment’s notice.