Over The Knee Socks

It's funny how fashions seem to just keep coming back around, it's like a never ending cycle. You can look at what fashion conscious people are wearing today and compare to the fashion trends of the 1970's and you'll see many surprising similarities.  Mini skirts, bell bottom trousers and platform shoes are all back in style, as are, I'm pleased to announce, over the knee socks.

Over the knee socks have been around a lot longer than the 1970's of course. It is believed that they were first created in the 1700's - hundreds of years ago. During the sixties, the popularity of the boy scouts bought these socks to public attention, as it was a part of their official uniform. It wasn't long before all sorts of people were wearing these socks, and they became quite the fashion item during the disco era. It all started in Europe, particularly France, where fashionable women especially could be found sporting these long socks. France, being the trendsetting nation that it is, passed this love of socks onto the rest of Europe, and before we knew it, the whole world seemed to be wearing them.

One of the great things about over the knee socks (or thigh high socks, as some like to call them), was their versatility. They came in so many different styles and materials that you could pick and choose a pair of socks to go with just about anything you were wearing. For the adventurous, you could get them with candy coloured stripes all the way up to the top, or tie dyed (which was very popular in the 70's). You could also get them with logos on them, or even your favourite cartoon characters or superheroes stitched into them. For the less outgoing, the homebodies, you could also get plain styles that would blend in with whatever you were wearing without making too much of a bold statement. Plaid and paisley were also popular styles that could be found for these socks.

Just as there were many different styles, patterns and colours that you could choose from, there were also a broad range of materials that these socks were made out of. You could get cotton, wool, nylon or spandex, along with many different combinations of these materials. You could also get them ribbed, like the corduroy pants that were so popular during that same era, or frilly and laced, for those more intimate occasions.

Why Over The Knee Socks?

There a few benefits to wearing over the knee socks, the biggest of which is warmth. During those cold winter nights, there is nothing more comfortable than slipping on a pair of thick woolly socks that not only keep your feet warm, but also take care of the majority of your legs as well. But the biggest benefit to ladies is that they seem to drive men wild. Over the knee socks enhance and draw attention to the shape of your legs, and this is why many women will choose to wear them with mini skirts and high heels, you'll be beating the men off with a stick if you make this fashion statement.

There are also a few downsides to these socks. For example, they can be a little bit of a headache to get on. Also, if they are too tight, they tend to leave unsightly pressure marks on your legs. You have to be careful when putting on and taking off these socks, because once you stretch the elastic, they will keep falling down on you, and you end up with a balloon of material bundled around your ankles. Finally, unless you get a pair with fairly thin material, they will be uncomfortable to wear during the hotter months of Summer. They can make your legs itch and sweat, which is not a comfortable experience.

Over the knee socks are definitely coming back into fashion again, I see more and more women wearing them every day. They are also very popular in schools as part of their school uniform. This particularly seems to be the case for private schools for some reason. Of course, over the knee socks aren't limited to women's fashion. Next time you watch a soccer game, take a look at what the blokes are wearing while they kick their ball around the field, that's right, over the knee socks. Start looking around, you'll be surprised at how versatile these socks are, and how many styles there are to choose from. Everyone should have at least one pair in the wardrobes.