People are just discovering what the tiny pockets in their jeans are really for

Many of us will have long just accepted that our jeans have tiny pockets with no discernable meaning, but these seemingly useless additions actually represent a fascinating history that dates right back to the 19th century

Whatever your taste may be in fashion, it's likely you'll have a trusty pair of jeans somewhere in your wardrobe - a perfect go-to for casual occasions or for dressing up with a going-out top when you're feeling glam. Although designs may differ, the majority of women's jeans have titchy-tiny, and seemingly impractical pockets, which are far too small to fit even the slimmest of phones.

Although these minuscule pockets may seem merely decorative today, back in the late 1800s, people would have been thrilled by what they would have viewed as a very practical design development, that perfectly accommodated the must-have fashion item of the time - the pocket watch.

Taking to Reddit to ponder the original use of the pocket, one user asked: "In most jeans, there's an extra pocket in the right pocket - what is it for, and what do you use it for?"

The tiny pockets can be traced right back to the 19th century, back when they were stitched into Levi's 'waist overall jeans', the original name for the classic blue denim trousers. They were made just big enough to store a pocket watch inside and must have seemed very practical indeed at the time.

Patented by Strauss and J.W Davis in May 1873 as an "Improvement in Fastening Pocket Openings", the design was first distributed in 1890 with the Lot 501 jeans, which is what the Levis 501 jeans were based on. Tacey Panek, Levi Strauss & Co's historian, told Insider "The oldest pair of waist overalls in the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives (from 1879) includes the watch pocket. Our 19th-century overalls had a single back pocket on the right side of the pant beneath the leather patch."

Given that the pockets were initially designed to hold pocket watches, you won't find them on smart or suit trousers as they are designed to be worn with a jacket, which the watch fits into. Nowadays, however, with modern jeans wearers more likely to use a smartwatch than a pocket watch, it may seem a bit pointless still having it there.

This pocket did come in pretty useful during the Second World War, however. Panek added: "One interesting fact about the watch pocket is that during WWII the two corner rivets were removed as a way to conserve metal for the war effort. The rivets returned to the watch pocket after the war. It was riveted in the top two corners and included our recognizable arch design, called the Arcuate, stitched with a single needle sewing machine.

"The watch pocket was an original element of our blue jeans, like the rivets on our pockets, button fly, arched back pocket stitching and leather patch. To preserve the integrity of the early design, Levi Strauss & Co. maintains the watch pocket."

Commenting on the revelation, one user said: "I have always wondered about the small pocket in my jeans. I don't put anything in it - I can't even get my fingertips in it." Another user added: "I thought it was meant for lighters" A third user said: "I put my AirPods in that pocket. It's a perfect fit." One more user added: "I keep my Chapstick in there - I've never lost it. It just gets washed about 309 times."