MARKETING POCKETLESS SHIRTS

By Prof. Mahesh P. Bhave

Prof. Mahesh P. Bhave

  

I bought my first shirt without a pocket on the left front panelby accident. While browsing through the piles of shirts at a well-known retailer, I liked the lightly striped white shirt – the texture of the fabric, the shape of the collar. Only when I opened the package and wore it did I realize it had no pocket. I thought this was a manufacturing defect, and that I should return or exchange it.

When I revisited the store, however, I found that this was no mistake. In the language of software, this was no bug, but a feature, by design. What are they thinking, I thought?In visits to other stores, I confirmed that this was indeed a trend. In retailer after retailer, across brands, European designers were producing shirts without pockets. For a while, I noticed this was confined to European designers, not Americans.
 

Soon the Americans started manufacturing shirts without pockets, for instance, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. And I started examining shirts carefully. On many occasions, when the dapper store salespersons try to encourage me to buy shirts, I point out to the absence of the pocket, and ask them: Why? They say, “European style.” No explanation beyond it. I’ve queried salespersons at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Pink, and more.

About this particular shirt, though I like it, I find myself avoiding using it because I cannot carry a pen with it. Coins may go in trouser pockets, but not pens. And every time this occasion presents itself, I mildly blame myself for not examining the shirt before buying it. Of course, I swear more at the designers, manufacturers, and retailers who have foisted this crazy idea on all, or at least half, of humankind. I believe I was duped in a minor way. Why should I check that a shirt has a pocket? Do shirts not have buttons? 

Experience tells me that my decisions as a consumer do not reflect the majority, and I am careful not to extrapolate from me to the universe. In social science research design-speak, the external validity of my personal conclusions is suspect. On the pocket issue, however, I believe I am on firmer wicket.

Are they trying to save on cloth? I wonder. Are they trying to eliminate the hassle of aligning the pin stripes of the pocket with the rest of the shirt during manufacturing by eliminating the pocket altogether? Maybe they are doing us consumers a favor so that no leaky ballpointpen has the opportunity to stain the pocket. Why is it that the more expensive the shirt, the greater the likelihood of a missing pocket?

Indian shirt-makersare astonishing; they frequently have pockets with covering flaps and buttons on both shirt panels, and for full sleeve shirts, they have pockets on the sleeves as well, with contrast colored piping, especially if the shirt is the tight fitting kind for teenagers, ultra slim fit. Such shirts are popular among the youthful gangs at the Focus Mall in Calicut, and all malls I suppose across India. Even India-made T-shirts have pockets in front, case in point, Colour Plus, and this no European or American does.

Indian shirt-makers know no frugality when it comes to pockets, though they will squeeze every inch of cloth from the waist, sleeves, and around the arm in the name of style and economy. Bend down, and your shirt will come out from the back; lift you arm, and it will come out from the side, or tear – no concern for comfort, never mind the hot and humid weather. 

In Bangalore, I saw a good quality cotton kurta, and bought it. I prefer white ones with no embellishments around the neck and no collar, strictly plain, asnightwear.Now with kurtas, I have had ones with only right side pocket, ones with right and left side pockets, and ones with variable cloth quality. This one had right and left pockets, and a front pocket, and a good thread count. I was delighted. Comfort, no issue – if the salesperson recommends size 38, buy 44. 

Bottom line: I think customer interest took fourth place, and no market research was done, when someone ultra-smart at some dressmaker – maybe with an MBA, in the interest of smoothing out the supply chain, and lower costs – decided to eliminate pockets on dress shirts. I don’t understand the rationale.

My silent curses go their way frequently. I hope these pocket-less shirt-makers take a beating in the market with customers like me deliberately choosing against them, no matter how grand and uppitythe brand.

Mahesh P. Bhave is a Visiting Professor of Strategy in Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.