FASHION
A FETISH? LINGERIE FOR MEN? A STATEMENT? WHAT THE HELL HAS HAPPENED TO THE HUMBLE SOCK?
When Rob Kardashian rolled out his line of “statement” socks in the spring of 2012, there were more than a few sniggers from the sidelines. There wasn’t much faith in the party-boy-turned-fashionista and socks seemed an odd business venture. But in just six months, sales of Kardashian’s Arthur George brand tripled.
Yes, men are turning to the trusty ol’ sock to jazz up their otherwise bland basics. Gone are the days of the boring black and blue, replaced in favour of bright, block colours, dynamic prints and, finally, some personality.
“Everyone is wearing colourful socks,” Kardashian told nydailynews.com. “They’re definitely going to keep blowing up.”
European men, it’s no surprise, caught on years ago and, according to Shay Namdarian of Barnaby Socks, “statement” socks have been around since the dawn of man. Well, close enough anyway.
“The Barbarians started wearing coloured socks as early as the 8th Century, so they were quicker off the mark than Rob Kardashian! Since then, many brands and designers have developed their own style and take on the conventional sock.”
The humble sock is now considered so sexy that it’s being described as “lingerie for men”. The Europeans and Americans are buying into the trend but do Aussie men think there are legs in the statement sock trend?
“The trend has been prominent in European countries, however, it’s taken a little longer to catch on in Australia,” Namdarian told DNA. “We’ve seen men use Casual Friday as a day to experiment with their outfits and statement socks are an easy way to do this.”
Dollar value is one way to measure a trend’s strength, and with some men willing to spend upwards of $185 at high-end retailers that’s (sorry) socking it to ’em!
THE BARNABY TEAM ANSWER OUR SOCK QUESTIONS.
Would you say you have a foot fetish? No, we definitely don’t have foot fetishes. We do like socks though. Socks: why should we care about them? Most people often forget about socks. Socks are a huge part of our lives – we wear them everyday! They are often also the second most looked at item of clothing after your shoes. Why should someone buy a high-end sock rather than a run-of-the-mill cheap pair from the local store? With socks, like anything else, you are paying for quality and style. The high-end sock is made from quality material and has cool designs. Not to mention the comfort that comes from wearing a quality pair of socks. There is no better feeling than putting on a comfortable pair of socks in the morning. What tips do you have on how to perfectly match your statement sock to your outfit? The great thing about a statement sock is that it doesn’t need to match your outfit. Actually, you shouldn’t match your statement sock with a pattern already in your outfit. Match it with your personality on the day instead. Is it true that men should steer well clear of white or black socks? Yes! Leave your white socks in the gym! There is nothing worse than seeing a grown man wear a pair of white socks with a suit to work. How do we stop our socks from stretching? At Barnaby we have a button on each of our designs to allow you to button a pair up when putting them in a drawer and therefore avoiding the stretching the often happens at the cuff of the sock. We strongly believe in caring for your socks. You should hang your socks to dry (never tumble dry) and most importantly keep them away from sharp objects (cut your nails!).
www.barnabyshop.com
www.agsocks.com