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Unless you grew up in a household where your father was a tailor then chances are you’ve pondered this question at some point in life: why are suit pockets sewn shut? I find this to be an interesting question primarily because so many people within the menswear industry don’t even seem to know the answer to it.
I’ve been told over the years by retail agents that it was simply because some guys prefer to keep them stitched up, implying that it was just a matter of preference. That’s wrong. It’s all about keeping the integrity of the fit intact, something I learned the first time I had a suit tailormade in NYC and actually got to learn all about the suit manufacturing process.
Business Insider Video put together this clip explaining why suit pockets come sewn up and while this isn’t exactly a question that’ll pop up at your local trivia night it’s certainly a factoid that every man should know. As you learned in the video, suit pockets come sewn shut because it’s all about preserving the tailored fit of the suit.
The more a piece of clothing is worn the more it’ll stretch out and change shape. The stitching on the suit pocket is another layer of strength designed to keep that suit looking like it came straight from the shop.