Unlock Carhartt's Secret iPhone Pocket

Basking in the glow of my recent iPhone pocket instructable, I started working through my wardrobe, adding the keep-iPhone-vertical mod to my favourite jeans & pants.  Each one is slightly different and I have added a page to that instructable with the variations.

Imagine my surprise when examining my Carhartt dungarees, and finding that an iPhone pocket already existed but had been "crippled" by Carhartt into just a coin pocket.

I felt like the first guy who overclocked his CPU or the iPhoneIslam guys who have discovered how to turn a 3G iPad into a giant iPhone (which, by the way, will not fit in very many jeans pockets).

Anyway, this unlock is much easier than an overclock, you don't need to sew (or program), and it only takes a couple of minutes max.

Step 1: Find the Secret Stitches

On my dungarees, Carhartt has cleverly hidden the stitches by making them the exact colour as the rest of the pants.  However, if you look very closely, you can see them.  I managed to find some photos from Carhartt website and you can just make out the stitches as they cross other seams.

When you turn the dungarees inside-out, the coloured stitches are obvious against the white pocket fabric.  You can also see the potential size of the unlocked iPhone pocket.

Comments

[grannyjones]

Ladies are always cheated on pockets.
Sometimes they are too short for anything useful.

[benduy]

sorry, but being a NZer i couldnt help not asking, are you a kiwi? you name gives it away?

[tewharau]

I've been here for nearly 20 years now. Even if I don't sound like one, most people think I act like one :)

[benduy]

lol, so do you live in NZ?

[tewharau]

Yep, in earthquake central!

[benduy]

oh yea im in dunedin, still get the shakes thou

[mikehoward]

I just rocked this instructable, and i will have you know....it was my first every. The time to build vs. value ratio finally tipped the scale. and i have to say it tipped the scales. LOVE THIS ONE!

ps. My Carhartts had a slightly different stitch than the original poster. Also of note, the stitch i was cutting in this photo was the wrong stitch, it was the one below (to the right in this photo) that was the stitch i needed to cut to make the pocket iPhone ready!

[tewharau]

That's great! Glad you did it and liked it.

Cutting that upper stitch isn't the end of the world, it just means that your phone could go between the colour and the pocket material when you are sliding it out. You could stitch it back down if it's a pain.

[edronov]

Interesting idea! Thanks!

My blog

[Hisart]

That is actually a pocket watch pocket and is part of the original Levi's design from the mid - 1800's. Some of those watches were large and they needed a pocket that would keep the watch from popping out while they worked. Hard to believe all the technology that fits into that same space!

Very cool idea and nice pictures!

[MCzone]

pocketPod !

[tewharau]

Thanks for that. I reckon pocket watches were the height of technology and style for their time.

[criggie]

Two butt, two hip and a fob pocket in my pants please.

Gifts without that will be relegated to the back of the wardrobe, forever!

Actually I have hacked a fob pocket into some trousers - not as hard as you might think.