Photo by Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
More fashionable than functional, the latest trend in skirts
and pants is a flap pocket, here placed in the back
of cropped pants.

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The cargo pocket makes its way
to the front (and back) of fashion

By Dawn Sagario
Star-Bulletin

THE obsession with pockets on clothing has found another outlet. A spinoff from the cargo pants craze -- which put pockets in the usual places plus around the knees and sometimes near the ankles -- is a skirt which sports a large, rectangular, velcro pocket up front.

Cute? Yes.

Functional? Unlikely.

Pockets, once useful for stashing life's little necessities, like spare change, a driver's license, car keys and a lipstick, now seem to appear at random, plopped down willynilly at the whim of designers.

Case in point. The classic pedal pusher, worked over by an overzealous pocket lover, now has a flaplike, detachable "purse" that's zipped onto, of all places, the rear end.

Carrying "cargo" of any type in these new, built-in contraptions is probably not the best idea. The most you may get away with is some loose change or your car keys.

By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
The pockets are also showing up on the front of skirts.

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Put anything bigger in these pockets and what you'll have are unsightly, unidentifiable bulges that either make your "front" look lumpy or your backside look bumpy.

And the logic behind placement of these pockets is befuddling. The image of a female scrounging around for that lone penny by clawing through a pocket in the vicinity of her crotch is not appealing.

Not to mention that it would take a semi-contortionist to twist around and reach the pocket attached to her bottom. The detachable "purse" could also be a pick-pocket's dream.

In essence, it's pretty much fashion before function, and the skirt with flap, from Blue Asphalt, has been selling well. Contempo Casuals at Kahala Mall has already had its second shipment come in, with the initial stock arriving just two weeks ago.

The skirt, which sells for $30, can also be found at Wet Seal. The pedal pushers range from $19 to $34 and come in khaki, gray and blue.

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