Slouch socks, slouchy socks, loose socks or fall down socks are a type of

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

featuring a heavy non-

elastic Elastic is a word often used to describe or identify certain types of elastomer, elastic used in garments or stretchable fabrics. Elastic may also refer to: Alternative name * Rubber band, ring-shaped band of rubber used to hold objects togethe ...

upper that may be pushed down into heavy folds around the

ankle The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular ...

s or pulled up to the

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the human leg, leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest join ...

. In Japan, the loose sock style has been popular with high-school girls. In the US, slouch socks have trended in and out of fashion since the 1980s.

Description

Slouch socks are a type of

featuring a heavy non-

upper that may be pushed down into heavy folds around the

s or pulled up to the

. Slouch socks tend to have a foot that is made of very thin fabric to encourage the

layering Layering has evolved as a common means of vegetative propagation of numerous species in natural environments. Layering is also utilized by horticulturists to propagate desirable plants. Natural layering typically occurs when a branch touches ...

of the socks. Slouch socks come in two primary varieties. " Flat-knit" slouch socks have no elastic and have a "two-by-two" knitting pattern. The "flat-knit" term comes from the fact that the ribbing of the socks has a squared-off appearance. " Rib-knit" slouch socks are so-named because of their rounded ribbing.

History

Japan

are a style of baggy

worn by

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

high school girls, as part of culture. This style of socks has also become popular among American teens and college students who are fans of Japanese

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

and

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...

. These socks come in a variety of styles, defined by the knitting pattern of the upper portion of the sock. The two most popular styles are the traditional 2×2 rib knit (pictured) and tube-style loose socks, which are thigh-high length tube socks worn pushed down around the ankles. A skin-safe body adhesive popularly known as "sock glue" can be used to affix the uppermost part of the sock to the calf so that the entire sock will not bunch downward and spoil the look. Loose socks were adopted as a fashion which flattered plump calves and also expressed rebellious deviation from Japan's strict

dress code A dress code is a set of rules, often written, with regard to what clothing groups of people must wear. Dress codes are created out of social perceptions and norms, and vary based on purpose, circumstances, and occasions. Different societies an ...

for

school uniforms A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution.They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries. An example of a uniform would be requiring button-down shirt ...

. They have been used as an inspiration for photography by Akira Gomi. They are also used in

Japanese street fashion Japanese street fashion refers to a number of styles of contemporary modern clothing in Japan. Created from a mix of both local and foreign fashion brands, Japanese street fashions tend to have their own distinctive style, with some considered ...

s such as and .

United States

In the US, slouch socks have trended in and out of fashion since the 1980s. From around 1984 to 1997, slouch socks were a popular fashion item for kids, youngsters and adults of all sexes. The two most popular brands were

Wigwam A wigwam, wickiup, wetu (Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam (Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wickiup' ...

and E.G. Smith. Many women and girls wore black, lime green, blue, or other colored

leggings Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg warmers or tights ...

with white slouch socks, athletic

sneakers Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...

and oversized

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are genera ...

s or

sweatshirt A sweatshirt is a long-sleeved pullover shirt fashioned out of thick, usually cotton cloth material. Sweatshirts are almost exclusively casual attire and hence not as dressy as some sweaters. Sweatshirts may or may not have a hood. A sweatshirt w ...

s as casual wear or exercise wear. Other colors like pastel yellow, blue or pink and black, red, purple and neon green were also seen. Many girls, teens, college girls, and women wore the slouch socks usually over leggings, cotton pants, or

sweatpants Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes, although they are now worn in many different situations. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa they are known as tr ...

, usually with

Keds Keds is an American brand of canvas shoes with rubber soles. Founded in 1916, the company is owned by Wolverine World Wide. The original shoe design, the Champion, was the first mass-marketed canvas-top "sneaker". History Early history In 1 ...

and oversized tee shirts, sweatshirts and sweaters sometimes with a turtleneck under the sweatshirt (popularly), or sweaters. Or they wore the slouch socks with

babydoll A babydoll is a short, sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown or negligee, intended as nightwear for women. It sometimes has formed cups called a bralette for cleavage with an attached, loose-fitting skirt falling in length usually between the ...

skater dress The rah-rah (or ra-ra) skirt is a short flounced layered skirt that originated in cheerleading and became a popular fashion trend among teenage girls in the early 1980s. As such it marked, as the ''Oxford Dictionary'' noted, the first successful ...

es or dress shorts with white Wigwam slouch socks worn over black opaque

tights Tights are a kind of cloth garment, most often sheathing the body from the waist to the toe tips with a tight fit, hence the name. They come in absolute opaque, opaque, sheer and fishnet styles — or a combination, such as the original concep ...

with Keds. Also, the socks were worn with jeans or pants rolled or cuffed to show the socks or worn over skinny legged jeans.

Boat shoe Boat shoes (also known as deck shoes) are typically canvas or leather with non-marking rubber soles designed for use on a boat. A siping pattern is cut into the soles to provide grip on a wet deck; the leather construction, along with the applic ...

s, ankle flat boots and cross training sport sneakers were also worn with slouch socks. Many women, college age, teens, and tweens wore slouch socks as part of aerobic exercise wear or over sports leggings in colder weather for running, cross country and other sports.

Cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

s wore slouch socks along with Keds as part of their uniform from the early to mid 1980s until the late '90s when slouch socks began to be replaced by

crew A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the tasks involved ...

or ankle socks. Students who had a school uniform also wore the slouch socks with their skirts, shorts and pants and boat shoes or loafers. Usually in white or school color. Boys, teens, college age and men wore slouch socks with boat shoes, white

Sperry Sperry may refer to: Places In the United States: *Sperry, Iowa, community in Des Moines County *Sperry, Missouri *Sperry, Oklahoma, town in Tulsa County * Sperry Chalet, historic backcountry chalet, Glacier National Park, Montana *Sperry Glacier, ...

canvas sneakers and cross training and other athletic sneakers with jeans or pants rolled or cuffed to show the socks and with casual or dress shorts, sweatpants or over sports leggings in colder weather for running, cross country, and other sports.

References

{{reflist Socks 1980s fashion