Pocket vs. Placket — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 8, 2024
Pocket is a small pouch sewn into clothing for carrying items, while a placket refers to the panel on shirts and blouses that houses buttons or fasteners.
Difference Between Pocket and Placket
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A pocket is essentially a functional part of clothing designed to hold items such as keys, phones, or wallets. These can be sewn on the inside or outside of garments and vary in shape and size depending on their purpose. On the other hand, a placket is a specific part of a garment that strengthens openings and can contain buttons, snaps, or zippers, primarily found on the fronts of shirts, cuffs, and other garment openings.
Pockets can be found in various forms like patch, slit, or kangaroo, each designed for convenience and accessibility. Whereas plackets are designed for both functionality and aesthetic appeal, often featuring additional fabric layers or reinforcement to prevent the garment from tearing and to make buttoning easier.
In terms of visibility, pockets may be visible or hidden within the seams of a garment, contributing to both the style and utility of the clothing. Plackets, however, are always visible and are often a focal point in the design of a shirt or blouse, potentially decorated or styled distinctly.
While pockets add practical value to clothing, allowing for storage, plackets contribute to the ease of use, helping in the dressing process by facilitating the opening and closing of a garment. This functional aspect of plackets is crucial in tailored and formal wear.
Comparison Chart
Definition
A pouch sewn into or onto a garment.
A panel on garments for buttons or fasteners.
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Functionality
Used for carrying personal items.
Facilitates opening and closure of garments.
Types
Patch, slit, kangaroo, etc.
Front, cuff, skirt, etc.
Visibility
Can be visible or hidden.
Always visible and part of garment design.
Common Locations
Pants, jackets, dresses.
Shirts, blouses, dress fronts.
Compare with Definitions
A compartment in clothing for storing small items.
He checked his pocket for his keys.
Placket
A design element in tailored garments.
The crisp placket added a sharp look to his formal shirt.
Can be external or internal based on design.
The hidden pockets in her dress were practical yet stylish.
Placket
A panel on clothing containing fasteners.
The placket of his shirt featured unique wooden buttons.
Often found in casual and functional attire.
His cargo shorts had pockets to spare for all his gadgets.
Placket
Typically found on the front of shirts or blouses.
She adjusted the placket of her blouse to straighten the buttons.
A small bag sewn into or on clothing.
The jacket had four pockets perfect for travel.
Placket
Can feature decorative stitching or accessories.
The stylish placket was the centerpiece of his custom-made shirt.
An opening in a garment that forms a pouch.
She slipped her phone into her pocket.
Placket
Reinforces areas subject to pulling or wear.
The placket on her blouse was reinforced for durability.
A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items.
Placket
A placket (also spelled placquet) is an opening in the upper part of trousers or skirts, or at the neck or sleeve of a garment. Plackets are almost always used to allow clothing to be put on or removed easily but are sometimes used purely as a design element.
A small baglike attachment forming part of a garment and used to carry small articles, as a flat pouch sewn inside a pair of pants or a piece of material sewn on its sides and bottom to the outside of a shirt.
Placket
An opening or slit in a garment, as at the collar or sleeve of a shirt, that makes the garment easy to put on.
A small sack or bag.
Placket
A pocket, especially in a skirt.
A receptacle, cavity, or opening.
Placket
A slit or other opening in an item of clothing, to allow access to pockets or fastenings
Financial means; money supply
The cost of the trip must come out of your own pocket.
Placket
(obsolete) A petticoat, especially an underpetticoat.
A small cavity in the earth, especially one containing ore.
Placket
A woman.
A small body or accumulation of ore.
Placket
(obsolete) A woman's pocket.
A pouch in an animal body, such as the cheek pouch of a rodent or the abdominal pouch of a marsupial.
Placket
(historical) A leather jacket strengthened with strips of steel.
(Games) One of the pouchlike receptacles at the corners and sides of a billiard or pool table.
Placket
A petticoat, esp. an under petticoat; hence, a cant term for a woman.
(Sports) The webbing attached to the head of a lacrosse stick, in which the ball is caught and held.
Placket
The opening or slit left in a petticoat or skirt for convenience in putting it on; - called also placket hole.
(Baseball) The deepest part of a baseball glove, just below the web, where the ball is normally caught.
Placket
A woman's pocket.
(Sports) A racing position in which a contestant has no room to pass a group of contestants immediately to that contestant's front or side.
Placket
A piece of cloth sewn under an opening
A small, isolated, or protected area or group
Pockets of dissatisfied voters.
(Football) The area a few yards behind the line of scrimmage that blockers attempt to keep clear so that the quarterback can pass the ball.
An air pocket.
A bin for storing ore, grain, or other materials.
Suitable for or capable of being carried in one's pocket
A pocket handkerchief.
A pocket edition of a dictionary.
Small; miniature
A pocket backyard.
A pocket museum.
Designating the two cards that are dealt to a player face down in Texas hold'em
Was holding pocket eights.
To place in a pocket
Pocketed her key.
To take possession of for oneself, especially dishonestly
Pocketed the receipts from the charity dance.
To accept or tolerate (an insult, for example).
To conceal or suppress
I pocketed my pride and asked for a raise.
To prevent (a bill) from becoming law by failing to sign until the adjournment of the legislature.
(Sports) To hem in (a competitor) in a race.
(Games) To hit (a ball) into a pocket of a pool or billiard table.
A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items.
Such a receptacle seen as housing someone's money; hence, financial resources.
I paid for it out of my own pocket.
An indention and cavity with a net sack or similar structure (into which the balls are to be struck) at each corner and one centered on each side of a pool or snooker table.
An enclosed volume of one substance surrounded by another.
The drilling expedition discovered a pocket of natural gas.
(Australia) An area of land surrounded by a loop of a river.
(Australian rules football) The area of the field to the side of the goal posts (four pockets in total on the field, one to each side of the goals at each end of the ground). The pocket is only a roughly defined area, extending from the behind post, at an angle, to perhaps about 30 meters out.
(American football) The area behind the line of scrimmage subject to certain rules regarding intentional grounding, illegal contact, etc., formally extending to the end zone but more usually understood as the central area around the quarterback directly protected by the offensive line.
(military) An area where military units are completely surrounded by enemy units.
(rugby) The position held by a second defensive middle, where an advanced middle must retreat after making a touch on the attacking middle.
(surfing) The unbroken part of a wave that offers the surfer the most power.
A large bag or sack formerly used for packing various articles, such as ginger, hops, or cowries; the pocket of wool held about 168 pounds.
(architecture) A hole or space covered by a movable piece of board, as in a floor, boxing, partitions, etc.
(mining) A cavity in a rock containing a nugget of gold, or other mineral; a small body of ore contained in such a cavity.
(nautical) A strip of canvas sewn upon a sail so that a batten or a light spar can placed in the interspace.
The pouch of an animal.
(bowling) The ideal point where the pins are hit by the bowling ball.
A socket for receiving the base of a post, stake, etc.
A bight on a lee shore.
(dentistry) A small space between a tooth and the adjoining gum, formed by an abnormal separation of the two.
A small, isolated group or area.
(transitive) To put (something) into a pocket.
To cause a ball to go into one of the pockets of the table; to complete a shot.
To take and keep (something, especially money, that is not one's own).
Record executives pocketed most of the young singer's earnings.
The thief was caught on camera pocketing the diamond.
To put up with; to bear without complaint.
Of a size suitable for putting into a pocket.
A pocket dictionary
Smaller or more compact than usual.
Pocket battleship, pocket beach
Referring to the two initial hole cards.
A pocket pair of kings
Any hollow place suggestive of a pocket in form or use;
A bag or pouch; especially; a small bag inserted in a garment for carrying small articles, particularly money; hence, figuratively, money; wealth.
One of several bags attached to a billiard table, into which the balls are driven.
A large bag or sack used in packing various articles, as ginger, hops, cowries, etc.
A hole or space covered by a movable piece of board, as in a floor, boxing, partitions, or the like.
A cavity in a rock containing a nugget of gold, or other mineral; a small body of ore contained in such a cavity.
A strip of canvas, sewn upon a sail so that a batten or a light spar can placed in the interspace.
Same as Pouch.
Any hollow place suggestive of a pocket in form or use;
An isolated group or area which has properties in contrast to the surrounding area; as, a pocket of poverty in an affluent region; pockets of resistance in a conquered territory; a pocket of unemployment in a booming ecomony.
The area from which a quarterback throws a pass, behind the line of scrimmage, delineated by the defensive players of his own team who protect him from attacking opponents; as, he had ample time in the pocket to choose an open receiver.
The part of a baseball glove covering the palm of the wearer's hand.
The space between the head pin and one of the pins in the second row, considered as the optimal point at which to aim the bowling ball in order to get a strike.
To put, or conceal, in the pocket; as, to pocket the change.
He would pocket the expense of the license.
To take clandestinely or fraudulently.
He pocketed pay in the names of men who had long been dead.
A small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
An enclosed space;
The trapped miners found a pocket of air
A supply of money;
They dipped into the taxpayers' pockets
(bowling) the space between the headpin and the pins next bnehind it on the right or left;
The ball hit the pocket and gave him a perfect strike
A hollow concave shape made by removing something
A local region of low pressure or descending air that causes a plane to lose height suddenly
A small isolated group of people;
They were concentrated in pockets inside the city
The battle was won except for cleaning up pockets of resistance
(anatomy) saclike structure in any of various animals (as a marsupial or gopher or pelican)
An opening at the corner or on the side of a billiard table into which billiard balls are struck
Put in one's pocket;
He pocketed the change
Take unlawfully
Common Curiosities
What is the purpose of a pocket in clothing?
The primary purpose of a pocket is to provide storage space for personal items.
What is a pocket?
A pocket is a small pouch within a garment used for carrying personal items.
Are plackets found on all types of clothing?
Plackets are most commonly found on shirts, blouses, and some dresses, but not on all clothing types.
Do pockets affect the fit of clothing?
Yes, the placement and size of pockets can influence the fit and drape of a garment.
What types of pockets are there?
Common types include patch, slit, and kangaroo pockets.
Can plackets be customized?
Yes, plackets can be customized with different fasteners, decorations, or fabrics.
Do all shirts have plackets?
Most traditional shirts feature plackets, but some modern designs might exclude them for a seamless look.
What is a placket?
A placket is a piece of fabric reinforced to hold buttons or other fasteners, commonly seen on shirts.
Can pockets be decorative?
Yes, pockets can be both functional and decorative, enhancing the garment's design.
What are some common types of plackets?
Front button plackets and cuff plackets are among the most common types.
Are there gender differences in pocket designs?
Yes, men's clothing typically has larger and more pockets compared to women's clothing.
How does a placket benefit a garment?
A placket adds structural integrity and ease of wear, especially in dress shirts and blouses.
Is there a fashion trend that favors more pockets?
Yes, utilitarian and military-inspired fashion trends often emphasize numerous and large pockets.
How is a placket constructed?
A placket usually involves reinforced fabric and may include buttons or zippers.
Why might someone choose clothing without visible pockets?
For a cleaner, more streamlined look, some choose designs without visible pockets.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
