Pickpocket-proof clothes

Though I’m not much for “pickpocket-proof clothes,” I have road-tested and come to appreciate a few items. I’ve been wearing Clever Travel Companion’s tank top with zippered pocket all summer, and I’ve come to love it.

Mind you, my summers are not like your summers. I intentionally put myself in uncomfortably tight crowds—exactly those you would try to avoid. Can you imagine saying something like “Let’s wait for the next bus, this one isn’t very crowded.”?

Also, I’m attracted to shifty-looking characters. If they behave suspiciously, I sidle up. If I think they might be pickpockets, I’m right there among them.

Yet, I still need to carry cash for the day. And credit cards, and identification. And most worrisome, a pricey iPhone.

I can carry all that in a small purse worn high under my arm, and sometimes I do. But lately, I’ve enjoyed using a variety of secure pockets, instead. I’ve already written about how much I like Stashitware pickpocket-proof underwear, and Clever Travel Companion’s zip-pocket underwear. Now I’ve got a new favorite in my arsenal of pickpocket-proof clothes.

Pickpocket-proof clothes

Simply called “tank top with secret pocket,” this handy little number from Clever Travel Companion can be worn alone or under another shirt. I found that it’s perfect for my phone. The zipper isn’t hidden or secret, and the shape and bulk of the phone are somewhat obvious, but hey—we’re talking about thwarting pickpockets, not magicians (even if they’re sometimes as miraculous).

No pickpocket is going to get near that zipper. Even if one did (one of those miraculous ones?) he wouldn’t get the zipper open unless I were passed out. Not even my own husband Bob Arno, pretty much the most talented pickpocket alive on stage or street, could extract anything from that pocket without my knowledge and permission. So yes, the pocket is pickpocket-proof.

I mentioned that the shape and bulk of the phone is pretty obvious if you wear the tank exposed. That means that, to anyone interested, you are advertising that you have a phone. A mugger will know it. And a pickpocket will realize that you’re a person of some means, which implies that your wallet may be worth stealing. Just saying.

While the tank top isn’t exactly an eye-catcher, it certainly looks good enough. (Besides, when thiefhunting, I don’t want to stand out; I want to blend in, be invisible.) I like its long, snug cut. It’s versatile: I wear it with jeans and skirts, alone or under another shirt. It’s cool and comfortable, and sturdy enough to hold the weight of a smartphone. If I sound over-enthusiastic, it’s just because I really like the product. I’m not tied to company in any way. I do like to help people avoid theft, and good pickpocket-proof clothes do that.

I recently wore the tank on a thiefhunting expedition across Italy. In the photo at left, Bob Arno and I had just found a pickpocket couple on Rome’s famous Bus 64 (aka “the heaven-to-hell express,” because of all the thieves aboard, and because it goes from the main train station to the Vatican). The pickpockets had tried desperately to steal the wallet from a Japanese tourist. Upon failing, they took Bob’s (prop) wallet as consolation. As they got off the bus, Bob and I surrounded them (yes, two fervent thiefhunters can surround two thieves) and got them to talk. They were from Macedonia, and quite willing to chat. You can see me in my black tank, reflected in the mirrored window as we spoke with the thieves.