back pockets on trousers/ pant

[reb64]

Out jayhawking and treasure hunting today and found a pair of woolen trousers at a thrift that would be period correct if the back pockets were. I mean the the trousers were side seam front pockets, button front, all wool but had 2 back pockets. Any info when back pockets came into use? i cant find any info.

[Radar]

Can't site regulations, but, as far as I know, NO BACK POCKETS. Haven't even seen the repros with any. I would watch buying "period clothes" from thrift store/yard sales. Will most likely be wrong and you are ou the money and time.

[Rob Weaver]

I've seen photos of trousers with one back pocket, on the left side, that seemed to date from the 1880s. There's a photo of Apache scouts gambling in the Time/Life Old West series that I believe also dates from the late 1880s. I'm not sure I'd bless off on back pockets in the early 1860s, though.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

May be more of a reflection of the fashion trends getting into production, but...

The Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis 1873 patent aka (blue jeans patent) shows one back pocket. According to the Levi Strauss company, they added a second back pocket circa 1901. Also, they claim to have added belt loops in 1922, but still kept the suspender buttons.

As shared, at any rate, rear pockets are not CWish.

Curt

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

From a military standpoint, the first Army trousers to feature a rear pocket (wearer's right hip) was the 1884 trousers in wool service trousers and cotton duck fatigue trousers.

[CedarForkRifles]

Back pockets may not have been very common, but there are surviving trousers from the war that have rear pockets. Two are pictured in Echoes of Glory Union. The uniform of Lt George Young of the 143rd New York Infantry is on page 103. His trousers are photographed from the rear and clearly show a pocket. On page 119the trousers of Capt Edwin Dillingham of the 10th Vermont are shown from the left side and it sure looks like a rear pocket extending from just below the adjustment belt in the back to almost the side seam on the leg.

[Rob Weaver]

Do they seem to be original to the garment at the time of manufacture, or added by a user? I'm willing to accept those as solid examples that the practice did exist, if uncommonly.

[Regular3]

Back pockets may not have been very common, but there are surviving trousers from the war that have rear pockets. Two are pictured in Echoes of Glory Union. The uniform of Lt George Young of the 143rd New York Infantry is on page 103. His trousers are photographed from the rear and clearly show a pocket. On page 119the trousers of Capt Edwin Dillingham of the 10th Vermont are shown from the left side and it sure looks like a rear pocket extending from just below the adjustment belt in the back to almost the side seam on the leg.

Note that these are both examples of officer's trousers, which would have been private purchase items. Officers could purchase issue items from the Quartermaster but did not routinely receive clothing via issue, as enlisted men did. You'd need to see the Quartermaster's specifications for the construction of trousers to know for sure whether any included back pockets.