And It Has Pockets! The Battle for Women’s Clothing Equity
Monday, February 2, 2026
10:00AM - 11:00AM
Location: Watertown StayPineapple Hotel
4242 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
We will have our annual meeting, where we’ll vote on nominees for 2 board positions and bylaws changes, plus this fascinating speaker. Feel free to arrive at 9:30 am for visiting and networking.
Join Costume designer Diane Johnston to dig into the pockets of the past, tracing the history of the humble pocket to determine if the battle for equality may still be decided by a few inches of extremely influential fabric. Free Registration Required: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
How many times have you heard someone wearing women’s clothing exclaim, “and it has pockets!” Comparisons have shown that modern garments designed for women have about half the storage space of clothing designed for men.
From their invention, pockets in women’s fashion have represented independence – so much so that in the 18th century, laws were enacted to strip women of their personal liberty by making the contents of their pockets the property of their husband. The right to have pockets went hand-in-hand with the right to vote. And people today are still speaking out about the inequality between men’s and women’s clothing based on this simple storage system.
Diane Johnston (she/her) is a theatrical costume designer who has spent the past 33 years creating costumes for productions large and small throughout the region. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Costume Design and is a member of the International alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Johnston has always been fascinated with fashion history and the historic trends that find their way into our modern closets. She is currently the Theater Teacher at Snohomish High School. Johnston lives in Stanwood.
Parking and Transportation: The Watertown StayPineapple Hotel, 4242 Roosevelt Way NE, is in the University District close to public transportation including light rail which is just a few blocks away.
There is a parking garage beneath the hotel that is easy to enter from the left lane of Roosevelt Ave (one-way street going south). To open the parking garage gate, use the call button to tell the hotel operator you are there for the AAUW meeting. There is a $5 fee for parking, pay at the desk after you arrive. Carpooling is suggested. This is also the weekend of the University Fair. There should be no problem getting to the venue in the morning. You might want to spend some time after our meeting checking out the fair.