Suit Pockets Explained: Flap, Jetted, Patch and Ticket

Pockets do more to set the tone of a jacket than most people realize. The same navy suit looks sharper with jetted pockets, more businesslike with flaps and noticeably more relaxed with patches. Pockets also decide how well a jacket keeps its shape, because whatever you carry in them pulls on the fabric. Here are the pocket types you will find on a suit, how formal each one is, what ticket and hacking pockets are for, what not to carry and the details a good tailor gets right.

What are the different types of suit pockets?

A suit jacket usually has three outside pockets: a breast pocket on the left chest and two hip pockets. The hip pockets come in three main styles, flap, jetted and patch, plus two common variations, the ticket pocket and the slanted hacking pocket. Inside, most jackets have a breast pocket on each side and often a smaller pen or card pocket. The trousers add their own set.

What is a flap pocket on a suit?

A flap pocket is the standard hip pocket on a business suit. Underneath, it is usually built like a jetted pocket, a slit edged with narrow strips of fabric, with a flap sewn into the top edge to cover it. The flap protects the opening and hides the slight gape that every pocket develops with use. Because the opening beneath is finished, the flap can be tucked inside so the pocket looks jetted, a trick some men use to make a suit look a little dressier.

On a good suit, the flaps are cut so the pattern of the fabric runs across them without a break: stripes and checks line up with the jacket body behind. Both flaps should sit at the same height and lie flat, with crisp, even corners.

What is a jetted pocket?

A jetted pocket, also called a besom pocket, is a horizontal slit finished with two narrow strips of fabric, one above and one below, and no flap. It shows the least of any pocket, so it reads as the most formal. It is the standard on a dinner jacket, where flaps would interrupt the clean front, and it gives a city suit a sleek, minimal look. The trade-off is that a jetted pocket hides nothing: put anything bulky inside and the slit pulls open. Our black tie guide covers the rest of a dinner jacket.

What is a patch pocket?

A patch pocket is a shaped piece of fabric sewn onto the outside of the jacket. It is the most casual pocket, borrowed from country and sporting clothes, and it suits sport coats and blazers and summer suits in linen or cotton. Neapolitan jackets often have patch pockets, sometimes with a rounded bottom that follows the curve of the hip. Patch pockets can have flaps or not. They hold more than jetted pockets, but they show every load, so they still look best nearly empty.

Patch pockets are a natural fit for warm-weather fabrics. If you are planning a summer suit, our guide to linen suits covers the fabric side of the choice.

What is a ticket pocket for?

A ticket pocket is a small flap pocket set just above the right hip pocket. It is usually said to have begun in the railway age as a place to keep a train ticket. Today it is a mostly English detail, common on suits cut in the English style and on overcoats, and handy for small things such as a ticket, a few coins or a key card. Visually, it adds a second, smaller line on one side of the jacket, which gives it an English character. On a short jacket it can crowd the front, so ask the tailor whether it suits your proportions.

What are slanted hacking pockets?

Hacking pockets are flap pockets set at a slant instead of straight across. The name comes from the hacking jacket, a riding jacket, and the usual explanation is that the angle made the pockets easier to reach on horseback. The slant gives a jacket a sporting, country feel, so hacking pockets suit tweed jackets, flannel suits and country suits more than a sober city worsted. Some tailors also cut a gentler slant on town suits as a house style.

Which suit pockets are the most formal?

Formality follows a simple rule: the less of the pocket you can see, the more formal it looks. A jetted pocket is just a slit; a flap adds a visible piece of fabric; a slant adds a sporting angle; a patch puts the whole pocket on show.

The breast pocket and inside pockets

The breast pocket on the left chest is a welt pocket: a slit with a single upright strip of fabric along its lower edge. It is made for a pocket square and nothing else. Pens, sunglasses and phones pull it out of shape and show through the chest. Neapolitan tailors often curve the welt upward into a boat shape called a barchetta. To fill it well, see how to fold a pocket square.

Inside, most suit jackets have a breast pocket on each side, built into the lining and facings, and often a smaller pen or card pocket below one of them. This is where a slim wallet or cardholder belongs, because the weight sits close to the body behind the chest, where the jacket's structure can carry it. In bespoke you can ask for an inside pocket sized for your phone or passport.

What pockets do suit trousers have?

• Side seam pockets open along the side seam and are almost invisible, the cleanest choice for flat-front trousers.
• Slanted front pockets are cut at an angle from the waistband and are easy to reach; they are common on pleated trousers.
• Horizontal or curved front pockets, sometimes called frogmouth pockets, open just below the waistband and give a vintage look.
• Back pockets are usually jetted, with a button or a flap on one or both sides.
• A small coin or watch pocket sometimes sits at the front, just below the waistband.

What should you not carry in suit pockets?

Suit pockets are made for light things. Every heavy or bulky object pulls the fabric down, stretches the opening and, over months, leaves a permanent sag or a shiny patch. The outside hip pockets suffer most, because they hang from the front of the jacket with nothing behind them to take the weight. Phones, keys and full wallets are the usual culprits.

Tailoring details to check on suit pockets

• Pattern matching. On stripes and checks, the pattern should run across flaps and patches without a jump.
• Level flaps. Both hip flaps should sit at the same height and depth and lie flat without curling at the corners.
• Even jets. The strips on a jetted pocket should be narrow, equal in width and straight, with clean, square ends and no fraying.
• Firm corners. Pocket ends take strain, so look for neat, secure stitching at the corners of patch and jetted pockets.
• Balanced placement. Hip pockets usually sit a little below the fastening button, level with each other. Pockets set too high or too low make a jacket look off balance.
• Sturdy pocket bags. Inside, the pocket bags should be a tough, close-woven cotton that will not wear through quickly.

Pocket work is one of the quieter signs of a well-made jacket. Our checklist of 10 signs of a high-quality suit covers the others.

Which pockets should you choose for a custom suit?

Pockets are cut into the fabric, so they are hard to change later. A tailor can sometimes remove or add flaps, but turning one style into another is rarely possible without leaving marks. Decide before the fabric is cut. For how pockets fit into regional styles, see English vs Italian vs American tailoring, and for every other part of the jacket, read the parts of a suit jacket.

The short version: flaps for business, jetted for formal, patches for summer and slants for the country, and keep every pocket nearly empty. When you are ready to choose each detail with a cutter, our rankings list the best tailors in every city we cover.

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