A number of everyday objects have subtle or secret meanings. For example, did you know the tiny holes found in locks are so that water can drain through, and not mess up the locking mechanism? Did you know that the holes in the end of pot handles were designed as a place to rest your spoon? Funny, right? Anyways, the secret meaning we’re going to talk about today are those little pockets in the crotch section of ladies underwear.

You may not have even realized your underwear has this little pocket, but chances are that it does! While your first thought may be that it’s to hide or store something in, this isn’t the case. First of all, that little pocket area is called the “gusset,” and it’s found in all female and male underwear. The gusset was designed to provide more comfort and durability to underwear, and for women, it also serves a hygienic purpose.

However, the real reason for this pocket is primarily for “lazy” reasons. Essentially, not sewing the one seam on this pocket saves time during the manufacturing process. Even if not sewing this seam saves 10 seconds of production time per pair of underwear, this obviously adds up and ultimately saves manufacturers money.

Cheaper underwear almost always has this one seam left open, thus forming the pocket. However, more expensive underwear will likely have both ends sewn closed, which is why you’ll rarely notice a pocket. Anyways, this is just one of those random yet somewhat interesting pieces of information we wanted to share with you!