let's take stock of socks!

besides underwear, another piece of garment that is strangely intimate to the body are socks and interestingly, not many people like talking about socks. yet on google, a search on male underwear gives you 22.5 million results but type in socks and you'll garner 43.5 million results. this only means that we are writing a lot on socks and not talking about it enough in our daily conversations.

socks are an interesting piece of clothing; we pay so little attention to them and yet they’re central to our overall comfort in several ways: socks protect our feet from abrasion, wick away our perspiration, and keep our dew beaters snug in our shoes. they’re also a small detail that can either pull your outfit together or serve as an unwelcome distraction.

first, the rules:

1) your socks should match one another and not have holes or visible stains

now some of you are thinking this is incredibly obvious; however, for most of us, failing to heed this rule is going to lead to an embarrassing situation when we unexpectedly have to remove our shoes; instead of striking up a conversation with a potential business partner, we’ll be worried about concealing our protruding big toe.

2) your socks should match your trousers

a man cannot go wrong following this advice, as it serves to create a streamlined look with no unnecessary color contrast until the eyes meet the shoes. many men also like this rule as its rigidness leaves no room for interpretation and confusion.

however once a man has a sense of his own personal style, he should feel free to break this rule. doing so enables him to introduce into his wardrobe a wide range of patterned and perhaps even lively colored socks that conservative dressers would avoid.

3) wear knee length vs. ankle length socks

this rule is based off the belief that a gentleman should not expose his bare leg unintentionally. a bit archaic but it still holds sway nonetheless as the flash of fair hairy skin when wearing a dark suit can be distracting. 

in practice, this rule is hard to abide by as most sock manufacturers do not make socks that rise anywhere close to the knee. the extra material increases the cost of the sock by 25% or more, and most manufacturers are competing on price. 

4) your socks should match the dress level of the rest of your ensemble

if you’re wearing black-tie, then choose a quality, lightweight, knee-high sock with a sheen appearance. if you’re wearing a sport jacket and grey flannel trousers, heavy wool argyle socks work perfectly. jeans, a nice t-shirt, and leather casual footwear call for a dark sock that simply pulls the shoes and denim together. trip to the gym? here’s where you wear those white tube socks.

next, the selection of material: 

wool – the earliest yarns used in sock production were spun from wool. today wool socks are hard to find in most box stores and their price makes them a luxury for those accustomed to paying a dollar a pair. often blended with synthetic fibers to increase desirable properties such as strength and abrasion resistance, wool socks are great for hikers as they absorb moisture from the skin and release it outside the sock. in addition, wool has unmatched insulating properties and keeps feet warm in cold weather and cool in hot temperatures.

cotton – the most common sock material, cotton fiber is inexpensive and durable. when blended with lycra or other man-made fibers it can hold its shape and conform to the foot providing an excellent fit. cotton socks can be washed roughly with any type of detergent, and although its absorption and insulation properties aren’t on par with wool, its ease in maintenance and overall acceptable performance make it the choice for most.

cashmere and silk – a luxury blend suited for dress socks, a blend such as this looks at home when paired with quality dress shoes and a fine worsted wool suit. lighter than wool, they provide similar benefits with less bulk.

other fibers that are commonly blended with the above include nylon, acrylic, olefins, spandex, linen, bamboo, cashmere and mohair. the purpose of these blends is to achieve desired properties in feel, performance, durability and elasticity.

finally, the types:

athletic performance socks – athletic socks are worn to enhance a man’s physical performance. from the simple sport cotton tube sock to low-cut running socks with strong sweat wicking properties to specialty designed skiing socks meant to wick moisture and trap in heat, these socks at the least increase comfort and can in an extreme case help a snow sport enthusiast avoid frostbite.

dress socks – meant to be worn with a man’s suit or casual clothing, they come in a wide range of materials and for the most part stick to darker colors such as black, charcoal grey, medium grey, bottle green, brown, and burgundy. lighter shades such as tan work well with lighter clothing. as for patterns, the most traditional one is the classic argyle. more modern 'attention grabbing' colors and shades have been becoming more popular and are available from online men’s specialty stores.

protective socks – as bulk is not a concern here, protective socks utilize heavier weaves and higher concentrations of insulating fibers. although this may compromise on fit, performance when it comes to extremity protection is maximized. socks of this type range from wet suit footwear meant to keep the feet warm despite being wet to polartec powerstretch fleece socks meant to worn in extreme cold conditions for a solid week straight when hunting.

finally, socks aren’t the first item in our wardrobe we give thought to. however, they are an important part of a man’s clothing. understand your needs, work within your budget and be prepared for whatever life throws at your feet.

fash'on... BAM!

ties that bind

foot binding is the custom of binding the feet of young girls painfully tight to prevent further growth. the practice possibly originated among upperclass court dancers in the early song dynasty but spread and eventually became common among all but the lowest of classes. even today in china, there are families with 'lotus foot ancestry'. 

Chinese foot-binding

the process was started before the arch of the foot had a chance to develop fully, usually between the ages of two and five. binding usually started during the winter months since the feet were more likely to be numb and therefore the pain would not be as extreme.

bound feet in Old China

first, each foot would be soaked in a warm mixture of herbs and animal blood; this was intended to soften the foot and aid the binding. then, the toenails were cut back as far as possible to prevent in-growth and subsequent infections, since the toes were to be pressed tightly into the sole of the foot. cotton bandages, 3 m long and 5 cm wide (10 ft by 2 in), were prepared by soaking them in the blood and herb mixture. to enable the size of the feet to be reduced, the toes on each foot were curled under, then pressed with great force downwards and squeezed into the sole of the foot until the toes broke.

X-ray of bound feet

the broken toes were held tightly against the sole of the foot while the foot was then drawn down straight with the leg and the arch forcibly broken. the bandages were repeatedly wound in a figure-eight movement, starting at the inside of the foot at the instep, then carried over the toes, under the foot, and around the heel, the freshly broken toes being pressed tightly into the sole of the foot. at each pass around the foot, the binding cloth was tightened, pulling the ball of the foot and the heel together, causing the broken foot to fold at the arch, and pressing the toes underneath.

Caring for bound feet

the girl's broken feet required a great deal of care and attention and they would be unbound regularly. each time the feet were unbound, they were washed, the toes carefully checked for injury, and the nails carefully and meticulously trimmed. when unbound, the broken feet were also kneaded to soften them and make the joints and broken bones more flexible, and were soaked in a concoction that caused any necrotic flesh to fall off. immediately after this pedicure, the girl's broken toes were folded back under and the feet were rebound. the bindings were pulled ever tighter each time. this unbinding and rebinding ritual was repeated as often as possible (for the rich at least once daily, for poor peasants two or three times a week), with fresh bindings. 

the most common problem with bound feet was infection. despite the amount of care taken in regularly trimming the toenails, they would often in-grow, becoming infected and causing injuries to the toes. sometimes for this reason the girl's toenails would be peeled back and removed altogether. the tightness of the binding meant that the circulation in the feet was faulty and the circulation to the toes was almost cut off, so any injuries to the toes were unlikely to heal and were likely to gradually worsen and lead to infected toes and rotting flesh.

effects of feet-binding

if the infection in the feet and toes entered the bones, it could cause them to soften, which could result in toes dropping off; although, this was seen as a benefit because the feet could then be bound even more tightly. girls whose toes were more fleshy would sometimes have shards of glass or pieces of broken tiles inserted within the binding next to her feet and between her toes to cause injury and introduce infection deliberately. disease inevitably followed infection, meaning that death from septic shock could result from foot-binding, but a surviving girl was more at risk for medical problems as she grew older.

bound feet

at the beginning of the binding, many of the foot bones would remain broken, often for years. however, as the girl grew older, the bones would begin to heal. even after the foot bones had healed, they were prone to re-breaking repeatedly, especially when the girl was in her teenage years and her feet were still soft. Older women were more likely to break hips and other bones in falls, since they could not balance securely on their feet, and were less able to rise to their feet from a sitting position.

however, bound feet were once considered intensely erotic in chinese culture and a woman with perfect lotus feet was likely to make a more prestigious marriage. qing dynasty sex manuals listed forty-eight different ways of playing with women's bound feet. some men preferred never to see a woman's bound feet, so they were always concealed within tiny 'lotus shoes' and wrappings. 

for men, the primary erotic effect was a function of the lotus gait, the tiny steps and swaying walk of a woman whose feet had been bound. the fact that the bound foot was concealed from men's eyes was sexually appealing. on the other hand, an uncovered foot would also give off a foul odor, as various saprobic micro-organisms would colonize the unwashable folds. bound feet rendered women dependent on their families, particularly their men, and became an alluring symbol of chastity and male ownership, since a woman was largely restricted to her home and could not venture far without an escort or the help of watchful servants.

brings a whole new meaning to the notion of 'ties that bind', doesn't it?

fash'on... BAM!