Who invented socks

Socks, of course! Sure, we like to show off our shirts and our fancy pants. Even our shoes get plenty of notice. But our socks typically go unseen. Most of the time, however, your feet love the cozy feeling inside a pair of socks. In the winter months, socks help to keep your feet nice and toasty. Socks also help prevent your shoes from causing blisters. No one knows for sure. But evidence shows that ancient civilizations made socks from many materials.

The ancient Greeks, for example, used matted animal fur. The ancient Romans preferred to wrap leather or thick fabric around their feet. The ancient Egyptians knitted their socks. By the year 1, CE, socks had become a symbol of wealth. Only the rich members of the noble classes could afford handcrafted silk or cotton stockings. Others had to make do with rough wool socks. Things changed for the better when English reverend William Lee invented the knitting loom in No longer did socks have to be made by hand.

Socks took another leap forward in the late 19th Century. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution , socks were soon being mass-produced for prices that most everyone could afford. In the 20th century, new materials came along. Many of them became popular for making socks.

Today, you can find socks in a variety of synthetic materials, such as nylon, polyester, and spandex.

Of course, you can still find plenty of cotton and wool socks, too. No, really! Do you like how they keep your feet warm? How about all the colorful patterns they come in? This was when progress of all kinds took a major leap.

The production of socks was now happening with ease thanks to circular looms. Many hand-knit workers were replaced by machinery that could churn out socks at a much faster rate than the workers could. It also brought wider access to socks of all kinds. At this time in the history of socks, trousers once again got longer and socks got shorter--and what had formerly been known as a stocking was now being called a sock.

But the evolution of this garment did not stop there. In , the invention of nylon introduced a whole new element to many clothing items. A nylon-cotton blend was what the new socks of the day were made out of.

These material blends pushed the manufacturing of these products further into the future. The addition of elastane, or elastic, ended up changing the future of socks once again to where they could be comfortably worn without the need of garters. It also meant that with the right blend of materials, different-sized feet could fit standard-sized socks straight from the factory, as with this pair that fits sizes 8 - Socks of today are not all that different from those of a hundred years ago or so.

Well, aside from comfort and style. Socks come in so many different styles and colors that you can easily find the right match for any outfit or occasion. Some styles have even come back as trendy throwbacks from decades ago. An example of this is that the Argyles popular in the s that are again fashionable.

Here is a short review of the many different styles of socks available today. These are thin and also called a sockette or loafer sock.

It is a short sock that fits snugly on your foot but reaches up only to just below the edge of the shoes. The idea is to create a clean look but without you having to wear your loafers barefoot. Also known as low-rise socks, these socks will cover your feet but will reach up just to your ankles.

The hemline should hit the middle of the ankle bone and these socks are designed to be worn with Oxfords and sometimes sneakers. These socks are somewhat longer than ankle-length socks. They will cover your feet and reach up to just below your calf. Quarter-length socks are a good, comfortable choice to wear with business suits and for any type of formal event or activity.

These are thick and ribbed at the cuff. I wonder if you can help in identifying a pair of antique socks I purchased at an estate sale. I can send photos is needed. I would appreciate any help you can offer. Thank you Lynn Stevens. Excellent article but I was hoping to discover that socks I could knit and donate to small local museum as typical of socks early s in farming community were a viable item to make.

Guess not! Thanks for sharing this information about the history of socks. This is really helpful and interesting. I have learned a lot from this article. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. Email address. Shopping cart close. In pictures: Sock fashion at the beginning of the 20th century The next revolution in sock-making came with the invention of nylon in Facebook Email. September 11, at AM. The Oncoming Storm says:. March 29, at PM. Lynn Stevens says:. May 16, at PM. Later, the stockings on the pants were changed more frequently, since they became dirty much more quickly.

Eventually, stockings became fully independent articles of clothing. The English reverend William Lee born in in Nottingham invented the knitting loom in , making knit fabrics far easier to produce. Queen Elizabeth I received a pair of black stockings from Lee, but declined to grant a patent for his invention, horrified by the socks' crude form and afraid it would take away jobs from her people.

Before long the Huguenots spread the knitting loom throughout Europe. After the Industrial Revolution the socks, mostly still made of wool, became easier and cheaper to produce, spreading their appeal across European society. Most socks both past and present are made of wool.

We have a much wider variety of materials now than we did in the past — from cashmere and merino wool to Pima and mercerized cotton. Neither hot nor cold. Elegant anthracite. Reverend William Lee's original invention developed further.

In the beginning of the 19th century, the first circular knitting frames were developed, which allowed a mostly mechanized process. As a consequence, many home workers lost their jobs and many manufacturers sacked sock makers. Eventually, as cheaper materials were used and factory production advanced, socks became mass-market goods. Clever contemporaries no longer need to worry themselves with sock-buying, since they automatically receive consistently high-quality socks. Socks become an internet driven service saving the consumer valuable time and money.

Socks of Today. The interaction between socks with a communication button, the Sock Sorter and an iPhone app makes sorting socks child's play. Smarter Socks — probably the smartest socks in the world. Chaussettes d'aujourd'hui. Bring some order to your wardrobe, make space for something new and order fresh socks — but make sure they are the right ones.

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