Yet another pants question

June 9, 2017 8:23 AM

This is a ridiculous "problem" to have, but I'm looking for pants with pockets big enough to fit my iPhone 6 plus.

It's summer concert season, and we're actually going to shows this year; yay! I have a really big phone that takes excellent pictures and that I'd rather not leave in the car in case our group gets separated, and I really don't want to deal with carrying a bag/bag searches, and some venues don't allow bags.

The obvious solution here is cargo pants/shorts/carpris, so that the phone is on the side and I'm not sitting on it. However, women's cargos come with really small pockets; I spent awhile last week traipsing through Kohls, Old Navy, Target, etc, sticking my phone in every pocket and not feeling secure about my phone's chances of staying in there. Surely someone out there has solved this issue, right? Googling produces lots of articles about how designers realize this is a thing...

Further complication: I'm short (5'3") and plus sized (18 to 22, depending on the brand, XXL in Old Navy's straight sizes). I have access to your major U.S. retailers and a well used Prime account. Does anyone have recommendations?

Thank you!

(I do happily shop on both sides of the aisle and would love to wear men's cargos with their heaping big pockets, but I gained weight last year and I'm super blessed in the hips and butt right now and men's pants just aren't fitting super great. That will do if I can't find something more comfortable.)

posted by joycehealy to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (18 answers total)

Some of Old Navy's plus size stretch blue jeans have enormous pockets -- not the ones they sell in store. They have a mesh lining for slimming purposes that doubles as the pocket, and it's nice and stretchy and easily fits my enormous phone (not an iPhone 6 Plus but similarly sized). I'm pretty sure it's these. If you're a XXL in their straight sizes, you can probably wear a size 16 in plus (ON jeans run big). The pocket is basically the width of the thigh to the crotch, it's great.
posted by possibilityleft at 8:40 AM on June 9, 2017

How do you feel about overalls? They're not for everyone but holy shit I love mine so much. My birthday present to myself last year was a pair of legit overalls and every time I wear them I marvel at how much pocket space I have. It's glorious. They're so practical.
posted by phunniemee at 8:47 AM on June 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

I don't know about the shorts, but a good friend of mine solved this very problem with a holster case for her phone. I think it is an Otterbox. Yes, it is not fashion forward, but she clips it on whatever pants or shorts she is wearing, smiles and away she goes.
posted by AugustWest at 8:48 AM on June 9, 2017

Oh also, as far as sizing if you decide to go with those Carhartts, I got the XL-talls. They are...ROOMY. Their size chart definitely accommodates a loose cut.
posted by phunniemee at 8:50 AM on June 9, 2017

You might want to consider outdoor retailers for hiking/travel clothing. It will be slightly more expensive, BUT, you can get a cute, super breathable skort with decent sized pockets!

Hiking pants tend to have really good side pockets for stowing odds and ends, I would seriously consider outdoor retailers; some of them (REI) will definitely have +sized clothing in store.

I can't speak to sizing as it's very brand-> body specific, but hiking stuff tends to run true to size to slightly small.
posted by larthegreat at 8:54 AM on June 9, 2017

Try taking a look at what Zappos has to offer. The website offers good views of the clothes from all angles. I find them to be a little bit pricier, but the bonus is the free shipping and returns. Last year I ordered a pair of Jag shorts (from their clearance site 6pm .com) that have huge pockets in the back, perfect for my phone.
posted by vignettist at 9:00 AM on June 9, 2017

My solution is a light weight jacket with zip pockets.
posted by sulaine at 9:11 AM on June 9, 2017

I wear various Gloria Vanderbilt pants from Kohl's and almost all of them have waist pockets that fit my iPhone 7 plus. Some styles let it stick out but will still hold it and are mostly the thinner capris. If you are sticking it straight up and down, it may not fit, but mine goes in horizontally. Try a pair on in the fitting room and test the phone in there.

I also have a loop on my phone, which is a ribbon that attaches to the case and makes it easier to hold.
posted by soelo at 9:12 AM on June 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

I have seen something called a "festival belt" which is basically a very small fanny pack/hip bag. Etsy is LOADED with them. They seem to be intended for exactly your purpose (i.e. carrying a phone and wallet when one's outfit does not permit. I would imagine the size and the fullness and whether your shirt/jacket covers them will determine whether they are subject to bag searches and bans.
posted by mskyle at 9:58 AM on June 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you don't mind men's shorts, I would encourage you to try the Wrangler Cargo shorts with the Tech Pocket under the cargo pocket. Target has the best ones this season - tech pockets on both right and left hip. Walmart also sells Wrangler, but I am not sure if they have a different style this year (in the past they were different than Target).

I am a man, and I wear this style/brand 99% of the time that I am in shorts.
posted by bonofasitch at 10:04 AM on June 9, 2017

Take the cargo pants that you like to a tailor and ask them to remove the inside back of the pocket and extend it. The outside of the pant will look the same, but the inner pocket will extend inside against your leg. As long as the pocket opening is WIDE enough, you can fix the deep enough issue. It might cost a few bucks, but then you'll have cargos that you will enjoy wearing. You can really do this with any pant that you like- even add a contrast color pocket to non-cargo pants.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 10:04 AM on June 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Best answer: If you ever wear leggings under a tunic or bike shorts under a skirt, you can get leggings, capri leggings or bike shorts that have giant stretchy pockets on the side of each leg (I have some from baleaf via amazon that were about $20, but I'm sure lots of companies sell them). I can fit my regular-sized iphone, a pack of gum and my keys in one pocket with room to spare, so I suspect the iphone plus will fit fine.
posted by snaw at 11:36 AM on June 9, 2017

I have a Samsung Note 4 that is massive and doesn't fit in a lot of my pockets. I have a couple pairs of dress slacks that have the slash/inside pockets, where I've added extra fabric to the bottom of the pocket for my big ol phone. I also broke down and bought a small crossbody Baggallini bag that just holds my phone. Not ideal but my phone's not dangling halfway out of my back pocket.
posted by PJMoore at 11:51 AM on June 9, 2017

My Mom had the same issue. Her solution was to get a proper tennis skirt. The pockets are big enough to store a few tennis balls, obviously. So yeah -- tennis skirt or tennis shorts? They may widen your range of options.
posted by Capt. Renault at 1:38 PM on June 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Neck Wallet. Designed for wearing under a top while traveling, I use one bandolier style for my too big phone.
posted by Homer42 at 10:30 PM on June 9, 2017

I have these pants from Lane Bryant. The leg pocket is super roomy.
posted by Pineapplicious at 9:57 AM on June 10, 2017

Best answer: Duluth Trading Company has women's pants with pockets, so many glorious pockets that I can fit my iPhone plus into. I'm a different size from you and don't know how they'll fit someone of your proportions.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:05 PM on June 10, 2017

Response by poster: There are all great suggestions, and I really appreciate them! I've marked as best answers the one that was most immediately useful to me, and solved another issue in the process (jogging with my phone, don't want to do an arm sleeve) (I do a LOT of leggings with long tops/dresses, snaw, and now I can leave the damn house in a dress without a bag when I want to, holy crap, you're currently my hero), and the one that looks most promising to me when I need to wear real pants (Duluth will be seeing some business from me soon), but these are all awesome utilitarian answers. (I like the festival belt idea, but fanny packs are specifically contravened at AT&T stadium and I've been told their security doesn't play around, sigh).

A note to future pursuers of this question: the recommended Wrangler shorts at Target were great - nice material, lighter weight than many cargos, around $20, available up to a 46" waist - and the crouch was near my knees (in addition to being short, I have a 26" inseam, which I should have mentioned). Should you be taller than me, however, they were great pants and I recommend going and trying them on.

Thanks y'all! :)
posted by joycehealy at 2:54 PM on June 11, 2017 [1 favorite]