Women's Jeans With Pockets Big Enough For A Smartphone Now Shipping From Boston Company

Men might not know it, but women do: No matter how great women's jeans look, they come with a major downside — tiny pockets if you're lucky; no pockets if you're not. Now, a company in Boston's Seaport is selling their jeans, which aim to fix that very problem.

Radian Jeans started as a Kickstarter last year and raised close to $250,000 in 60 days through pre-orders.

Husband and wife team Ahmed Malik and Wardah Inam founded Radian. Malik says most women's jeans have pockets that are just two to three inches — if they have them at all. And, he says, that if they do have usefully-sized pockets, the jeans can look bulky.

"We saw this vacuum in terms of good, stable jeans that would have basically specifically designed pockets to carry everyday essentials and look nice as well."

Malik and his wife asked the public what they wanted and the answer was pretty resounding.

"Re-invent' or 're-make' jeans for 2019 and not 1890," Malik says.

That didn't just include making women's jeans with practical pockets. He says people wanted jeans that could stretch and that would have moisture-wicking and heat-locking properties. They took that feedback and then incorporated it into the designs for Radian Jeans.

"Women's jeans, or clothes in general, are not necessarily focused too much on functionality ... it's usually, the focus is mostly on making them look nice," Malik says, "and that a lot of times means trade-off between basic functionality."

Research shows that's a trade-off that men's pants generally do not make, Malik says.

The difference in the size and quality of women's and men's pants pockets has given way to numerous articles and think pieces on how truly terrible women's pockets are. An op-ed in the Los Angeles Times this month called pockets "the ultimate feminist issue."

"Just add pockets," Malik explains. "It should be straightforward."

But Malik, who has a background in textiles and marketing, says most big brands tend to not add functional pockets to women's pants because they are focused on getting the latest styles out as quickly as possible, leaving functionality as a secondary concern.

Malik says Radian is currently fulfilling their pre-ordered items and then will be turning to the orders coming in through the company's website. He says Radian is also now considering bringing their jeans into retail stores.

In the meantime, men refuse to be left behind in the pocket wars. After struggling for generations with their place and influence in the world, men are finally getting a true life necessity: boxer shorts with pockets.

Update: This post has been updated to identify both of the co-founders.