***This is the first post in response to Dear Dance Savvy. Thank you for your questions. I’ll be getting to them as soon as possible!***
Dear Dance Savvy,
What’s the deal with stripey socks?
-Mismatched in Chicago, IL
Ah, yes. The stripey socks. Stripey socks are another thing I love about swing dancers. Primarily touted by leaders as a form of expression, decorative socks flirtatiously add to the excitement of each Charleston kick, Lolly, or drop split. The slight flare of pant hems allows for a sneak peak into a leader’s sense of style.
Although wearing socks in general goes back to before ancient Roman times, it is difficult for historians to place the beginning of striped sock wearing in the world of Swing. While researching sock wearing I came upon this tidbit of knowledge from Atlas Socks’ website:
“In 16th century the high society wore multicoloured, shining and striped socks. This was a mean to express oneself individually….Starting from 1930 the sock was not any more a protective clothing, but a fashion product.”
From Wiki:
“The next revolution in sock production was the introduction of nylon in 1939. Until then socks were commonly made from silk, cotton and wool. Nylon was the start of blending two or more yarns in the production of socks, a process that still continues.”
You can see vintage dancers wearing striped socks in old movie clips. The industrial revolution, opening of department stores, and mass production of products allowed more people to choose pre-made options for clothes, allowing them to style their outfits with socks. Socks allowed leaders to subtly personalize their attire, equivalent to a follower choosing what flower to wear in her hair.
Today I thought we’d play a game today called: Whose socks are those?
Can you identify the stripey socks wearers in this post? There won’t be a prize, but as we all know, knowledge is the best prize. Plus you’ll get bragging rights.
Thanks for the question, Mismatched!
Always,
Dance Savvy
Incidentally — Trying to find actual pictures of the elusive stripey socks was more difficult than I imagined it would be. I mean, at any given dance, at least 40% of guys are probably wearing stripey socks. Where are the photos? Perhaps they disappeared to the internet dryer?
Posted by Vintage 