OOTD: A Musical Note Midi Dress (And Why Are We So Obsessed With Pockets?)

Do excuse the pained expression in many of these photos; it had been an intense shoot, squeezing in six different looks to the space of a few hours and battling rain in the process, and I think you can tell from these shots. But let us ignore the slightly grumpy looking face and hair that's frizzier than an electrocuted poodle and focus on the fact this is currently one of my fave dresses - and it has pockets! Sometimes it's the little things that make me oh-so-happy, and pockets are definitely one of those things. Miraculously I managed to find a wedding dress that had pockets (much to my mother's annoyance!) and it made everything so much easier: I had my phone and lipgloss on me at all times, so I managed to not only take my own shots from the day but I was always photo ready too. Bonus. But why do these little magical compartments bring us so much pleasure and why don't we get to enjoy them in every single outfit?


For years women's clothes have either featured 'fake' pockets (the biggest annoyance of them all - luring you into a false sense of joy, only for you to discover the pocket is about one centimeter deep,) or no pockets whatsoever, the assumption being that we're always going to be carrying a bag and therefore negating the need for a handy in-outfit compartment. But they seem to be making a comeback in a big way, and I couldn't be more happy about it.

After doing a little research around the issue I was fascinated to learn that pockets were introduced in Elizabethan times and used to store anything from jewellery to cakes (girl gotta eat,) before being taken away as a method of control; without pockets women couldn't travel alone, so they started creating their own elaborate purses to counteract the problem. (Hello the birth of handbags!) They've come and gone over time, but post-war they went out of fashion in an effort to make women's silhouettes appear 'more feminine', to reduce the cost of garments (pockets = more material) and to fuel the fashion industry that made a fortune flogging us clutches and handbags.

However, in recent years designers on the catwalk have started to introduce pockets back into their look as a nod to the previous military era and to negate the need for carrying an extra purse or bag; plus the fact that we've come out the other end of austerity, we can afford a couple of extra quid for the benefit of pockets. The result of this is that the high street has fallen back in love with a pocket and more and more brands are starting to introduce them into their everyday lines - and girls collectively cry 'AND IT HAS POCKETS!' from changing rooms across the nation.


This little gem of a dress is from Joanie, which is fast becoming one of my favourite and go-to brands - and the one that always gets a reaction when I'm out and about. I instantly loved the midi length, the long '70's' sleeves and the cute musical note pattern, but when it turned up and I found it had pockets it was love. Pockets were sent directly from heaven and I never bore of them; there's something about standing there with your hands in the side of your dress that makes you feel like a boss, plus knowing my phone and lipgloss is always on my person is a pleasure nothing else can compare with. (I'm a simple soul.)

Although it's cut on the slim side and I had to size up (plus after this I spent an afternoon sewing up the neckline as I felt I was showing a bit *too* much boob!) it's really comfortable and is a great 'chuck on and feel fabulous without any effort' outfit. You can so easily dress it down with a pair of flats and opaques like I've done here, or you can pop on a pair of heels and whip out a fancy bag for an instant 'desk to dancefloor' solution.

Yep, there are those green tassel earrings again and my fave fur stole and biker jacket to give me some warmth, but this fabulous faux-leather studded clutch from Mango is divine and well worth a longer linger. Box clutch bags are so elegant and classic, but the oversized studded detail on this give it a modern twist and ensure it goes with pretty much everything - punking up even the most feminine of looks. It's big enough to fit all of my essentials in, plus it has a little gold chain which you can attach and use it as a cross-body bag when you're bored of carrying it too.

Dear Fashion Industry: please give us pockets in every outfit so we can enjoy cute clutches more often.
Love, Women Everywhere.