Alison Izzo discovers it might be time to pull up her socks, both sartorially and literally.
I had cold realisation whilst doing the groceries this week. I looked down, and realised I had inadvertently outed myself. Or specifically, my age.
Standing at a safe 1.5 metres from my fellow shoppers, waiting to pay for my almond milk and canned tuna (it’s considered hot girl food, haven’t you heard?), I noticed I was the only person wearing ankle socks. You know, just the regular ones… that peek a teeny bit above the top of your sneakers. My fellow Woolworths shoppers all appeared to be under the age of 25, and wearing variations of crew socks – and looking far cooler as a consequence.
Logo-adorned, ribbed, pulled up over leggings, or worn with bike shorts – the defining factor was the additional height of the sock – hovering somewhere between the top of the ankle and mid-calf, depending on your commitment to the look. Heck, even the blokes were on board.
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So when did the sock revolution hit? And am I too old to join in?
Admittedly, I live in Bondi Beach where the locals are very on top of their activewear trends – but I spoke to some fashion experts who all confirmed that the humble gym sock has been undergoing something of a makeover in the 18 months, and apparently those additional few centimetres maketh all the difference when it comes to giving my work-from-home uniform an au courant flavour.
When it comes to the sock trend’s origins, the answer seems to point to a wider and more holistic move towards how we feel as opposed to how we look, but also to one of our favourite royals during a very specific time period.
Libby Page, the senior market editor at Net-a-Porter explains, saying “The rise in the ‘feel-good fitness’ trend is a big factor in its increasing popularity, as we’re seeing a greater focus globally, on the importance of physical and mental health… The high sock is a classic athleisure look, which references Princess Diana’s style from the ‘90s, as well a Country Club ensemble, both of which are trending at the moment.”
Aria Wigneswaran, general manager at Depop Australia has similarly seen the return to this more innocent decade as key to the crew sock’s popularity – but suggests that there is perhaps a practical reason why we’re turning to all things ‘90s-inspired too.
“There is no question, 2020-21 was a transformative year with many of us having to stay home more than ever. The ‘90s sportswear trend taps into this behaviour change, prioritising comfort over couture. From crew socks to oversized sweatshirts, this sportier style is continuing to rise.”
And the numbers support her, “In the last three months (Jul – Sept), Depop has seen a +19% increase in searches for ’90s sportswear. We’ve also seen cult brands from this era including Nike and New Balance climb into the top 30 product searches, in the past month.”
Closer to home, Nicole Adolphe, head of style at The Iconic has seen a similar increase in demand for the signature ‘90s sock, saying ”We’ve seen an uplift of over 100% for crew sock sales year-on-year.”
Adolphe points to the influence of Princess Diana too, pin-pointing perhaps the exact moment. “We first saw the crew sock edge its way back into our wardrobes in 2019 as part of the everlasting ‘90s trend, with Hailey Bieber paying homage to Princess Diana in the classic bike shorts, oversized sweater, high socks and sneakers for Vogue. [Paris]”
Photographed for the August 2019 issue of Vogue Paris, Beiber brought a number of Diana’s most iconic gym looks to life, recreating ensembles from popular Instagram account @ladydirevengelooks.
It should be noted that Beiber firmly sits in the Gen Z camp at 24 years of age, and is one of the more powerful fashion influencers, with the model boasting an Instagram following of 37.4 million followers. Adolphe reasons that “the trend has taken off in the last 12 months, with Gen Z fitness influencers leading the movement, pairing high socks with bike pants, track pants and over tights.”
There are plenty of examples on my little daily walks of the crew sock being worn in the wild (the Bondi to Bronte walk is positively awash in them) but I still feel too self-conscious to adopt the look myself, as someone who is old enough to have worn the style the first time around.
Contributing editor for vogue.com.au Annie Brown is a friend, and a source of style inspiration, and I happen to know she’s more Millennial than Gen X. So when I spotted her wearing a pristine pair for a park excursion with her children, I felt somewhat vindicated.
On the question of being too old, she said “Of all the slightly dubious trends Gen Z has brought back (low-rise jeans! tiny sunglasses! velour tracksuits!) I think we’re pretty safe with socks. I might style them differently to my Gen Z friends and colleagues but fun socks are an easy, low-risk way to play with the nostalgic fashion trend.”
“I really like the slightly retro and nostalgic feel they bring to athleisure (and also quite boringly, I absolutely hate it when ankle socks disappear into your shoe so this stops that too!). It adds a little interest and texture to an otherwise very generic outfit, and the pull toward nostalgic fashion in trying times makes a lot of sense.”
Adolphe concurs, saying “There’s no age limit when it comes to incorporating a crew sock into your wardrobe… I’d suggest testing it out with the staple white Nike Crew Socks next time you wear your favourite sneakers and activewear co-ordinates.”
Confidence bolstered, I start adding some plain white pairs from General Pants to cart… but the question of exactly how to wear, without looking too ‘fancy dress’ remained.
Page suggests that we take “inspiration from the 90’s, you can style a longer sock with a pair of white sneakers, cycling shorts and a crew neck. Alternatively, style them with a pleated tennis skirt.”
The advice from Adolphe is less prescriptive, declaring that “Crew socks can pair with just about anything, it’s part of their appeal. A simple, fresh white high sock can take your outfit to the next level.”
When pressed, she offers this, “Pair your crew socks over tights, or with activewear, to really give your workout gear a fashion focus.”
On specific styles, Brown shares “I bought a pair from the label Hommegirl, which remixes classic menswear pieces and I like how they’re a little crisp and businesslike, but sporty too. Though it must be noted I am not sporty in the slightest!”
This approach sounds highly appealing, because when standing in line at Woolies, honestly, neither am I.
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