A Brief History On The Sock
But first a personal note on why the sock may just be my favorite article of clothing. Not only does it have a long, rich, history(a theme here at the Devil's In) but its also the only article that's worn on the daily that you can go crazy with. Unless you cross over into novelty(no quicker way to ruin a good thing in my book) you really can't go wrong. Stick to colors and abstract patterns(or floral prints) that catch your eye and pretty much any pair of socks will work with any outfit... and look good doing it.
I've said it before, and I'll likely say it again, my approach to style is a lot like my personality... calm, collected, even a little reserved perhaps, but dig beneath the surface a bit and, well... you just might hear about how socks are the epitome of this concept.
And so, without further ado, keep digging for a quick run down on the history of that or so might article, the sock.
Sock (noun)
A knitted or woven covering for the foot usually worn under shoes.
From the Old English word socc, meaning "light slipper," which derived from the latin "soccus," a light shoe worn by Roman actors. Soccus itself coming from the Ancient Greek "sykchos," or "shoe sock." The Greeks really did invent everything. Just ask my Dad.
The Stone Age
Earliest depiction of foot coverings date back to cave painting from the era. Though these coverings were likely intended for external protection and therefore more shoe in my opinion.
800 BC
Greek(see?) poet Hesiod mentions "piloi," in his poem "Works and Days," which were a foot covering constructed from matted animal hair and worn under sandles. The first sock? Perhaps.
The Ancient Romans were also known to wrapped their feet and ankles in animal skins. More foot wrap than sock imo.
2nd Century
The Romans give birth to the first article that truly resembles what we today think of as a "sock." A knitted pieced of fabric stitched together, known as "udones."
The oldest woolen socks to be discovered can also be traced back to the 2nd century. Unearthed at Vindolanda in Northumbria, a medieval Anglian kingdom in what is now Northern England and south-east Scotland, were a child-sized pair of socks made from woven cloth that protected against the harsh British weather.
"I have sent you ... pairs of socks from Sattua, two pairs of sandals and two pairs of underpants," reads a message on a Roman tablet dating to this period and also found at Vindolanda, the site of an ancient Roman fort.
A bronze razor handle is also discovered at Vindolanda. Shaped like a human leg and foot, it depicts a woolen herringbone sock.
Not to be left out the Egyptians also started knitting socks during the 2nd century. The oldest surviving pair were excavated from Oxyrhynchus on the Nile and date back as far as 250 AD. They were made with a technique known as nålebinding, or "knotless netting", and feature split toes so they could be worn with sandals.
5th century
The last few centuries are not kind to the sock, and due do costs, manufacturing, ect., by now the closest thing to a sock being worn readily throughout Europe is the "puttee" worn only by holy-men as a symbol of purity. The Puttee was a strip of cloth wrapped around the lower leg.
Middle Ages
Don't call it a come back, but socks are really about to come into their own. As the centuries progress socks make a big return and evolve into bright colored fabric worn on the feet and lower leg for practicality as well as style.
But... as pants get shorter, socks get longer, and therefore more expensive, becoming a status symbol of the wealthy by 11th century.
16th century
The word "clocks" is first used to describe ornamental decoration on the ankle of a sock.
English clergyman William Lee invents the Stocking Frame in 1589. The stocking Frame is a type of knitting machine capable of producing socks at a rate of six times faster than they are currently being produce by hand. Socks for the people!
Queen Elizabeth, whose England had laws in place dictating who could wear what kind of socks, isn't a fan of the machine finding the stockings it produced uncomfortable. She also claimed to not like the idea of a machine potentially taking jobs away from those who had been hand-knitting stockings. Robots really will take all the jobs!
17 Century
They've gone Plaid. The heritage of the Argyle pattern also harks back to 17th were Scottish Tartans would wear tartan pattered(aka plaid) socks, called "tartan hose," not only to keep the wearer warm but also to speak about an individuals ancestry. A new tartan sock could be created to mix threads marking the marriage of one family with another, or the conquering of territory, etc.
King Louis XIV of France hears of Lee's invention and is impressed enough to invests, bringing both Lee and his machine to France were quick, efficient manufacturing means socks are produced at far greater number, at a far lower cost, resulting in their popularity spreading throughout France and Europe. The modern sock is here to stay.
18th - 21rst Century
Tech continues to improve, new materials are used(the introduction of nylon in the 1930s is a big deal), and trends come and go, but the sock as we know it has arrived, and the rest... is history.
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