Men's trousers with extra secure side pockets
 

My husband has one pair of pants he likes for travel that has an extra button on each of the side pockets so he can button the pocket shut. He also has another pair that we bought from Travelsmith that has an interior zipper in the side pocket. We've got our whole routine down pat with the money belt and such, but he still like to wear these extra secure pocket trousers. We are looking for new pants. Do you know if there is any place other than the travel store websites to get these? Their prices seem quite high for not the best quality in the world.

Hi J,

I close my side pockets with safety pins.

((I))

Nice cheap alternative I hadn't thought of.

I just learned about this "Super Jacket" from an e-mail from Gemut.com. I think you hubster could fit anything and everything he wants in one of these puppies:

http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/40_237d.shtml

Julie - How about the casual trousers you can get with an extra zip pocket lower down?

Just a thought ...

Steve

Try www.rohan.co.uk

Some Tilley pants have a deep pocket inside the regular pocket, though the ones my husband has don't have a zipper. (These are several years old and they probably have other styles now.) I thought they were a little expensive for casual pants at the time but turns out they wear like iron, wash in a bathroom sink and dry beautifully - look practically new considering how much they've been worn.

A few years ago Docker came out with some casual pants called "Mobile pants". There are different side pocket configurations, some with one zipped inner side pocket and some with two, but all have a pocket in the leg seam closed by an invisible zipper which is hardly noticeable. My husband much prefers these to his Travel Smith pants, they're better quality than most and a lot cheaper. Most were in black or beige cotton but there were a few made in poly in brown and navy. Also had some mid-thigh shorts with the zipped pocket in the seams and inner side pockets without zippers.

We picked up the last of these in off-price stores like Ross, Maxx, etc., which makes me believe that they were being discontinued. A one time Penney's carried a wide selection but they didn't have them where we are last time I checked. But I just Googled, got the Dockers site and it appears they're still out there somewhere. http://www.dockers.com/mobilesitelet...PantFrame.html And Penney came up on Google as well as Macy's. Think these are probably the best for the money (and we paid as little as $19.99 for some at outlets).

You're right about Travel Smith quality. Before we ever bought from them, we chanced on an outlet in Oakland. Though we have bought a few things from them on two visits when we were in SF, I don't think I'd ever order sight unseen.

Thanks so much!!! I knew I could find help here. Now I'll just have to try to track down some of those Dockers. The UK option really doesn't work for me because I live in the states. I also found some on the Norm Thomson site; they're called National Geographic pants. However, they are still quite expensive.

You could have a tailor sew bands of Velcro in to the pockets. Or do it yourself.

If you can't sew yourself, you can take regular pants to an alterations person and have the extra interior pockets added. I saw someone mention this in a post, they'd done this with each pair of pants for a trip.

This is increasingly a good idea in my mind. I was in Rome late last month. I had my bag across my chest and nothing but a map in a buttoned pocket in my cargo like pants. I was on the subway and felt someone messing with the button on my pant leg and sure enough the scruffy dude next to me had undone it. Not knowing what to do and not having any room to walk away (standing room only) I gave him a nice sturdy elbow to the gut as I pushed my way through the crowd on the train, and a second one just for good measure. Probably not all that safe but it looked like I was just jostling through the masses. Very bold though as he had no where to go being opposite the doors.

Since women get badly cheated on pockets, I have altered the pockets on several pair of slacks that I travel with. I'm too lazy to take the pockets out of pants and start from scratch unless they're those simple ones set into the side seams, but if you don't mind that your pockets don't look perfectly tailored on the inside, you can do a quick and dirty alternation if you sew a little. I generally lengthen my right pocket (since I'm right-handed) by cutting off the bottom about an inch below where it is sewn into the side seam. Then I construct a much longer new pocket bottom which usually has an overlay forming an inner pocket (big enough to hold my passport) and closed by Velcro or snaps - occasionally a zipper if I'm feeling very energetic. I sew that onto the bottom of the cut-off pocket, seam to the outside. You've got raw edges toward the inside of the pants front and your body but nothing raw inside the pocket itself, only a seamline. (Not sure if you can comprehend this but I suppose I could try to explain it better if anyone wants to give it a try.) Did the same to a pair of my husbands slacks before we discovered the Docker Mobile pants. I've also made zipper pockets to go inside patch pockets, but that's harder to explain. Like I said, it's a bit down and dirty but works - and if I paid a tailor to do this so the pocket has no seam where the extension is sewn on, it would probably cost twice as much as the pants. (Or more considering that I do a lot of shopping at Ross, etc., so I can afford to travel. :-) ) I would rather cut my throat than take the pants apart and do a perfect job myself, but since I'm not all that picky about things visible only to my underwear once I'm dressed, it works and gives me a little security storage.

Polly--
I sew myself so I'd be willing to give this a try. The only part I don't quite understand is the overlay part. Are you saying this actually creates 2 separate compartments in this new longer and lower pocket? This is the part I'm trying to visualize.

I sure wish those dockers came in black!

According to what I saw on the little animated deal on the website (link previously), the Dockers come in black and khaki. Those are the only two colors my husband and I have ever found. The poly ones we found were in [an ugly] brown and navy, but I don't think they make those anymore. The shorts he got were in khaki, dark cream, and a navy/slate shade. Didn't check to see if they make the shorts now or not.

Julies, a picture is worth a thousand words. Wonder if I can explain this in less. But think it will take 2 parts.

Pocket extension, part 1

Cut the bottom of the pants pocket off about an inch below where it is sewn into the side seam of the pants. Cut a new bottom I’ll call the “pocket extension” like the original bottom but longer and with seam allowances - including at the top where it will be sewn to the remainder of the cut-off pocket. Most pockets will be made with a folded piece of fabric, the fold toward the center front of the pants, the sewn seam (usually curved) around the bottom and side. Then cut another piece the same shape as half the pocket but with a seam allowance at the top for a hem and at the pocket fold line. I'll call this the "patch" - what you're doing is making a patch pocket inside the regular pocket. (If I'm doing snaps or a button, I make a smaller top hem, almost a shirttail. If Velcro, I make the hem as wide as the Velcro tape.) Hem the patch at the top and sew on the Velcro or make a button hole if not using a snap. If Velcro, lay this piece over the side of the pocket that will lie next to your body and mark the position for the other part of the Velcro. Sew that on. (Beware of too much Velcro. First time I did it, I made the Velcro as long as the pocket opening. Whenever I tried to get anything out, I almost pulled my pants inside out and off my body.)

Press under the patch seam allowance where it will lie along the pocket fold. Lay the patch on the pocket inside back, bottom and open side edges together, the turned under part on the foldline of the pocket extension. Stitch the patch just inside the foldline. Baste the remainder of the patch to the pocket. You should now have a little pocket inside your new pocket extension.

Open up the inch of original pocket next to the side seam. That inch will be part of your seam allowance. Open up the original pocket as flat as you can. Top (original) and bottom (new extension) pocket sections insides together, sew the new pocket extension to the top. This will put the seam allowance of the joint outside the pocket. (Make sure the patch is on the inside of the pocket extension and the part that will be closest to your body when you put on the pants.)

I couldn't get the web site "clicks" to open to check on styled and colors--will try again.

Pocket extension part 2

This will be a little tricky when you get to the side seam because you won't have too much fabric on the original pocket to make it lie too flat. You can cut that part of the original pocket longer if it doesn't start to curve in too soon, but that will make your inside patch pocket smaller or the entire pocket longer. You don't want the finished pocket longer than your arm will reach naturally. (Don't ask me how I know that, just trust me. :-) ) Or sometimes I open up the pants side seam a little where the pocket is sewn in to give me a little more sewing space, then sew the pocket back into the side seam when I'm done.

The seam allowance can be cut and zig-zagged, pressed open and stitched to the upper and lower pockets - whatever you want to do to keep it from raveling away, bunching up, whatever. Once you've done that, you sew the bottom and side of the pocket together. Easiest is usually to sew it with a raw bottom seam and finish that. If I have the space and energy, sometimes I do it as a French seam. If you’ve taken out any of the pants side seam, sew the pocket back in where it belongs.

I know exactly what I'm doing, but when I read this, I have no idea what the hell I'm talking about. If you are having the same reaction and want to send me your e-mail address, I'll do a drawing and e-mail it to you.

Finally pulled up the colors, but now when I click on "buy now" I get only names of stores that carry the pants. Does anyone know how to buy on line?

Underhill--

I did a little more research on those trousers. Apparently they are no longer made. The newer style is a cargo pant which, of course, is not what I am looking for.

Polly--

Thanks. I need to carefully study those instructions of yours again to see if I can actually visualize what you're describing. Thanks so much for taking the time.

And, as I am still doing an internet search for pants to buy (in addition to thinking about adding my own pockets), here is a good link from backpack Europe for more info on places to buy travel clothing.
http://www.backpackeurope.com/packing/buyclothes.html