I think the real reason is so that the pockets dont get snagged or deformed while a product is being transported / stored / displayed prior to being sold.

fake pockets look nice. If you need functional ones, just pop the stitching. Usually, the stitching keeping the pocket closed is very weak compared to normal seams.

I think the "reason" is that if pockets are available, the pant wearer will put stuff in the pockets. This adds "unsightly" bulk to the pants instead of following the natural body shape which looks "undesirable" and doesn't influence other people to want to buy that brand and type of pants.

This is the best reason could come up with and it's a fucking stupid and infuriating reason. It's time to become ungovernable. Learn how to mod the pockets back into pants. It can't be that hard to figure out but it's still royal bullshit that this is what it's come to considering how much clothes cost.

Does anyone buy women's pants, mod pockets back into them and resell them on ebay? Or do corporations send their lawyers after people that try to do that? The idea of illegal pant dealers is dystopian as fuck.

You can easily answer this question yourself by looking inside/turning the pants inside out.

It’s an actual pocket but I didn’t find this out until I was an adult - I thought that’s how they were made for a reason and if I cut the thread, it would make a hole in the pants. Nope, regular pockets just sewn shut for some reason.

I think I was in my 30’s before someone told me the truth. It was a man IIRC lol…but yeah my mom never knew I guess, friends at school, etc, or if they did they didn’t tell me because I guess they never noticed.