The word "sock"
is derived from the Latin soccus, the Old English socc and the Middle
English word socke. The "soccus" was a shoe worn by Roman comic actors. It
was a "calceoli" or sock-like and fitted loosely so they could be taken off
quickly. Roman’s sometimes wore soccus with sandals and then removed their
sandals indoors; the soccus remained on their feet.
8th Century Barbarians wore brightly
colored socks.
During the
Crusades and Gothic periods (1000-1300) linen
hose made from two-leg profile pieces replaced tube hose sewn together.
Tapes tied to the waistband held these up. Under the hose was worn a
shapeless pair of linen legs which were stitched through the crotch, hemmed
at the top and gathered by a drawstring around the waist.
Over time, the
outer hose were joined and called closed hose or a pair of legs.
From about
1340 onwards men started to wear shorter
garments called gippons or pourpoints. Long garments survived at court and
ecclesiastical and academic circles. Short garments exposed the leg and
required hose that was better supported and tighter.
By the
12th century the word meant a low shoe or
slipper and later a knitted foot covering sometimes extending to the knee.
By 1583 the word "stocking" was used to
describe a covering for the feet and legs. "Hose" came from the Old English
and Old High German word hosa, meaning leg covering.
Reverend William Lee of
Nottinghamshire, England invented a sock-knitting machine in
l589, and started to make hosiery out of
cotton, wool and silk. The machine made bright colored socks easier to
produce, cheaper, and encouraged their popularity.
The
developments of better knitting techniques were enveloped as well as the
introduction of the full bottom hose and codpiece. The leg sections of
these limb coverings were made to fit more smoothly by means of a series
of small darts, hidden by embroidery, around the ankles of the hose. As
doublets and suercotehardies came into general use the hose or chausses
were first worn over the breeches but eventually these became only brief
trunks and were then discarded in favor of the full bottom hose. Either
these styles of leg coverings were attached to the doublets or jupes by
cord laces with metal tap tips.
The embroidered
ankle decoration known as "Clocks" were hot fashion stuff on thigh or knee
high hose in the 17th Century!
In the
eighteenth century both men and women wore
stockings usually white made of silk or wool.
It was the
Victorians in the late 19th century who
insisted than men should wear dark socks especially after the death of
Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband in 1861. A long period of mourning followed
which, in addition to the industrial revolution, made black the most
prominent color in men’s wardrobes.
In the
1930s a new circular knitting machine meant
garments could be made in one piece, and no longer needed to be sewn
together.
Julian Hill was
one of the scientists at the Du Pont Company in Delaware, in a group led by
Wallace Carothers. Hill was looking for a silk substitute, and one day he
discovered that by pulling a heated rod from a mixture of coal tar, water
and alcohol he could create a filament that was strong, sheer, and silk-like
in appearance. Further research led to the first synthetic fiber, which soon
came to be known as Polymer 6.6. Two years later, in
1937, Du Pont patented the discovery, the same year Wallace Carothers,
fatally depressed, committed suicide. As a tribute to his work, Du Pont
decided that he - rather than Hill should be hailed as the inventor of
Polymer 6.6.
Synthetic fibers
were presented to the public at the World's Fair in New York in
1939. Taking the NY from the city's initials,
the fiber became known as "nylon".
Nylon was a
revelation. The first nylon stockings appeared in New York stores on May 15,
1940. Over 72,000 pairs were sold in the first
day alone, and the Japanese silk market collapsed almost overnight.
Department stores throughout America saw a similar stampede. In the first
year, 64 million pairs of stockings were sold and manufacturers could not
keep up with demand.
Sock decoration
became popular again after WWI, when shoes replaced ankle boots.
In the late 1990's many synthetic materials and cool-max ,
and dry-max have revolutionized socks, to have a great pair of socks may not
require any cotton in the future, Smart socks with chips built in and
thermostats and temperature control are around the corner. Socks in
space?!!!!
