• Simple Style Socks
SOCKS
“A chance to display a flash of something interesting between shoe and hem”
No one wants cold feet. Few things are as miserable as exposed and chilly toes when the temperature drops. Thank goodness then, for socks. They are what you reach for when you want an instant hit of wrap-around warmth and comfort. Keep your extremities toasty and the rest of the body will follow. Tights have their place in the winter wardrobe but they just don’t have the snug appeal of socks.
These days socks are mostly worn beneath trousers, but this was not always the case. During the Middle Ages, men wore socks that covered most of their leg and were held up by fancy garters. Malvolio’s cross-gartered yellow stockings in Twelfth Night are an extreme and foolish example of this. They were also a status symbol – knitting a sock is no easy thing and, until the invention of the knitting machine in 1589 ( by an English clergyman, William Lee), they were made by hand and bought solely by the rich. The arrival of machine knitting meant socks were produced six times faster and subsequently gained in popularity. So popular, in fact, that sock police, stationed at the gates of London, checked legs on entry for the wrong sort of hosiery, rather like night club doormen in the 1980s.
The introduction of nylon and elastane in the 19th century meant that socks, which we take so much for granted now, finally became available to all. No longer made just from wool, they were produced in a variety of stronger and more elastic materials, and had the added benefit of being able to stay up on their own.
The modern-day wearing of socks beneath trousers can present an opportunity to display a flash of something interesting between shoe and hem: there are many patterned and novelty socks to choose from. Knee-high socks worn with a skirt is another option, although it has a schoolgirl look about it, so should be worn with care.
For the ultimate in comfort, however, little can beat a pair of cashmere socks. Central heating and electric blankets mean that bed socks are no longer strictly necessary but pulling on a pair of soft cashmere socks has the same effect. It’s sofa wear at its most luxurious and what every foot really wants.