Sock It to Me
The Surprising Fashion Power of the Forgotten Accessory
Never did I think my first foray into fashion writing would be about socks. Socks! When I was a kid, socks as a gift were a disappointment of epic proportions. Now, suddenly, they're a sartorial revelation. It’s bizarre, right? A month ago, I wasn’t even thinking about socks. They were irrelevant, unnecessary, forgotten.
For most of my adult life, I’ve felt like socks didn’t have a place in my outfits. But here’s the truth: my style didn’t match my taste. It’s like I had some grand vision for how I wanted to dress, but my creativity hit a wall when it came time to put it all together. Part of that block? Being bullied for my quirky style as a kid. (More on that in a forthcoming piece—yes, there will be drama.)
But back to socks. This all started when someone in my mom group casually mentioned that having bare ankles was aging her. Another chimed in, saying her teen teased her whenever she wore socks. It was like a slap in the face—an insult and a wake-up call all in one. I'd been neglecting my lower half, and apparently, that made me old. I’m not ready to be old. I’m not young, but I sure as hell refuse to be irrelevant.
So, naturally, I started to wonder: Why did I ditch socks in the first place? Fast-forward to me binge-watching the new Hulu Documentary Series Vogue: The 90s, and it hit me. I’ve subconsciously absorbed fashion trends my whole life, letting cultural giants dictate my wardrobe. It was like that moment in The Devil Wears Prada where Miranda Priestly schools Anne Hathaway on cerulean sweaters. You think it has nothing to do with you, but spoiler: it has everything to do with you.
That’s when I realized: the bare ankle trend has been haunting me since before I even knew it was a thing. Naturally, I turned to ChatGPT— because I write with AI now, deal with it— and started digging into the history. Here's the skinny:
Turns out, the bare ankle has been a quiet little rebel for centuries. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, showing even a hint of ankle was borderline scandalous. These were times when women were covered from head to toe, and the idea of baring anything, let alone an ankle, was risqué. Flash forward to the 1920s, when hemlines started creeping up, and boom—ankles were out for everyone to see. From then on, ankles were less about rebellion and more about casual, everyday elegance.
By the 2000s, cropped pants and bare ankles were back, thanks to street style and minimalist fashion movements. Showing a little skin at the ankle became this cool, subtle way to add sex appeal or elegance to an outfit without trying too hard. So yeah, once upon a time, baring your ankles was bold. Now, it’s just part of the fashion conversation—yet it feels like I’ve missed an opportunity to have a little fun with it.
Of course, after this epiphany, I turned to my favorite fashion substack, The Love List, and got sock advice galore. I posed the question: socks, yes or no? Twenty-seven replies later, I had ideas for how to style socks with everything from sneakers to heels. Here’s the link to the chat.
Naturally, I shared all of this with my mom group, and that sparked even more debate. Someone dropped the terrifying bombshell of an article titled "Your Socks Are Showing Your Age." Fantastic. There was also a My Old Ass photo (shoutout to director Megan Park) featuring a variety of sock choices. I got schooled in the best way.
Honestly? I’m excited. Socks are the new frontier in my wardrobe, and I can’t wait for mine to arrive.