When I get dressed each morning, I sometimes think about an old episode of “All in the Family” in which Mike and Archie have a heated debate over the proper order for putting on socks and shoes. Is it sock-sock, shoe-shoe? Or is it sock-shoe, sock-shoe?
It is the kind of argument only a sitcom could turn into comedy, but I have to admit that I have given it more thought than any reasonable person should. And while that debate may be silly, socks are serious business.
According to Beneath the Knees, the global sock market is worth $14.3 billion and is expected to grow nearly 3% annually through 2027. One in every five clothing items purchased is a pair of socks. Think about that. We are buying socks like they are potato chips. You never intend to buy just one pair.
The COVID-19 pandemic managed to sock it to the sock industry. Average revenue per person fell to $1.55, the lowest level in nearly a decade. Apparently, when people were stuck at home, they decided the socks they already owned were good enough.
Here are a few more sock surprises. About 64% of adults wear socks around the house, and men are more likely to do so than women. Even more interesting, one of the fastest-growing trends is wearing socks to bed. Between 2017 and 2021, that category grew by 21% — four times faster than the overall sock market.
Socks have changed, too. They used to disappear into the outfit, matching your pants and quietly doing their job. Today, socks are expected to make a statement. Bright colors, crazy patterns, cartoon characters and even company logos peek out beneath expensive suits. Somewhere along the way, socks went from supporting actors to attention seekers.
I have a touch of color blindness, so I often ask my wife what color the socks I just pulled from the drawer actually are. She finally solved the problem by convincing me to buy only black socks. “Black goes with everything,” she says.
She is probably right, but growing up in the 1970s, black socks with shorts were practically a fashion felony. Every kid had to wear white tube socks pulled almost to the knees, preferably with colorful stripes around the top. And heaven help the poor soul whose socks started sliding down. Saggy socks were social suicide.
My dad ignored every fashion rule. On the rare occasions he wore shorts, he paired them with black dress socks that stretched halfway to his knees, creating a striking contrast with his blindingly white legs. It was a look no fashion magazine ever celebrated.
Years later, my teenage daughter, Sara, started borrowing my black dress socks. I still do not understand that trend. Then again, I buy most of my socks at a hardware store, so perhaps I am not the person to ask about fashion. One thing I do know: Archie had it right. Sock-sock. Shoe-shoe.
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707