Ticket Pocket?

After shabbat services, during the kiddush last Friday night, I was approached by one of my younger congregants who has historically demonstrated more than the average fashion sense for the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I was wearing a blue and black tweed sport coat with a very subtle tan windowpane, double vented, that I had made up for me when I lived in LA.

She pointed at the second pocket on the lower right hand side of my coat and said, What's the second pocket for? I said, It's called a "ticket pocket" and demonstrated that it was functional and not merely decorative. She asked why it was there and I said that since tweeds were a country styling, and not traditionally worn in the city, one had to have a pocket for one's train ticket. Hence the long(er) and narrow(er) pocket for same.

Was I right, or just being horribly pretentious?

The origin of the ticket pocket was for railway tickets, but not originally for country wear. So you were half right. It was later adapted into country wear, however.

You can have a ticket pocket on a "city" suit. Generally, it is an informal element, and you wouldn't have it on a dressy suit or a morning coat. In fact, besom pockets without flaps are the most formal. Certain country clothing, such as the Norfolk jacket, have large pockets to accomodate shells and other necessities in the field.

The origin of the ticket pocket was for railway tickets, but not originally for country wear. So you were half right. It was later adapted into country wear, however.

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What's your source on this?

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(j @ 08 Dec. 2004, 12:09) The origin of the ticket pocket was for railway tickets, but not originally for country wear. So you were half right. It was later adapted into country wear, however.
What's your source on this?
It was in one of the books I have read, probably An Illustrated History of Men's Fashion. I can't remember which book, but I distinctly remember reading that the pockets appeared first on city suits worn by men riding the railway. I'll dig the book out and see if I can find it, when I get a chance.

My tailor told me that ticket pockets originated in Victorian times, and provided a place from which the ticket could be produced for inspection with minimal fuss and derangement of the clothing.   Previously many gentlemen carried their tickets in their waistcoat pockets. The railway system extended to almost every small village, so ticket pockets would rapidly have spread to every style of clothing.

Ticket pockets are also popular on bespoke blazers, and may also be seen on some RTW.  I have ticket pockets on my blue blazer, on my boating blazer, on my sports jacket and on several suits.  I also have one on my covert coat.