There's a lesson to be learned from this...

... but I'm not sure what it is.

I may have mentioned my "wallet experiment" to some of you in the past. It's the direct result of a number of my "pocket rants", which I know a few of you have been subjected to.

By now, I'm sure you're all aware of how much I truly despise the substandard pockets most garment manufacturers place in women's clothing. You've possibly heard me rabbit on about the pockets in women's shorts being shallower and less secure than those in the male counterparts'. Perhaps you've witnessed one of my tirades about the disparity between the number of pockets in women's jackets compared to men's (such a woefully small number compared to the plethora of pockets found in a good man's jacket! So pitifully proportioned in terms of what you can fit in them!). Maybe you've simply heard me curse my own pants, on occasion, for poor pocket design (something that happens less often now that I refuse to buy pants with poorly designed pockets).

Anyway, one of the arguments I used to bring out concerning why women should be given pockets at least as good as those bestowed upon men is the fact that women carry so much stuff around with them wherever they go.

When your average man leaves the house, he takes with him his wallet, phone and keys. This is completely regardless of his marital or parental status. When your average woman leaves the house (particularly if she happens to be a mother), she takes enough emergency supplies with her to rebuild society should nuclear war happen to strike while she's out. Trust me, if there's even the slightest hint that you may be involved in a natural disaster, find the nearest 30+ woman with a handbag and stay close.

Not too close, though, because that would be creepy.

Anyway, about a year or so ago I decided to see if it actually was possible to survive leaving the house armed with nothing more than a wallet. Surely these menfolk don't actually get by like that? Most of the guys I've seen have a nasty habit of mooching off their girlfriends and wives - like they need the things most women carry around with them, but are trying to a) pretend they don't, and b) get someone else to carry it for them.

You know what? I'll be damned if the only thing I used to have in my handbag that I actually miss is a pen. With a bit of cash, a driver's license and a credit card in my wallet, all I really need beyond that are my keys and phone. Well, and a packet of tissues, because I was raised by my mother.

That's it, though: wallet, keys and phone (and tissues). All of which can fit comfortably in a decent pair of pockets. Heck, if I really cared, I could slip a pen in one of my pockets, too.

And it's strangely liberating. I no longer have to think about what I'm going to do with my bag: where I'm going to put it, how I'm going to keep an eye on it, whether I'll remember to get it when I leave... As long as I know where my pants are, everything's fine.

So, what's the moral of the story, here? "The simple things in life are often the best"? "Men aren't completely stupid"? "We don't need all that crap"?

I'm just going to stick with: "Women's clothing should have better pockets".

You know, it's amazing how versatile that can be, as a moral. I should start applying it to other stories. Stay tuned.