Why You Need Sock Garters
I don’t like a lot of fussiness when it comes to my clothes. I especially don’t like a lot of fussiness when it comes to what’s under my clothes. I expect everything to generally stay put on its own. However, there is one area of dandy-level fussiness that I will sing the praises of: sock garters.
Have you ever had a pair of socks end up bunched up in your shoes as you walk, or just settle down around the top of your shoe, leaving your ankles tragically uncovered? Do you like wearing knee socks below a long skirt but struggle with keeping those socks pulled up? Some legs, it would seem, are just not designed for socks. That’s not surprising, considering most socks are made in a simple tube shape by a machine, and most humans do not have tube-shaped calves. Since we can’t all be sock knitters, or have sock-knitting significant others or friends, we need some way to keep those tube-shaped socks pulled up our non-tube-shaped legs.
Enter the sock garter. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of sock garters (and that is tragically likely in the modern world), allow me to explain. Sock garters are a lot like the sort of garters you wear with stockings, except they are designed for socks. That is, you have a band of elastic that sits just above or below your knee, holding your socks in place via either the snugness of the elastic or a pair of clips.
As I personally have stupidly large calves, my favorites are an extra-long, clippy pair from Sock Dreams. I prefer the kind with clips for fighting gravity. However, there is a wide variety of sock garters available once you start looking for them.
Particularly in the winter, there’s nothing better than a pair of warm wool socks that stay put from your toes to your knees, keeping your ankles toasty no matter what angle your knees are bent at. As the cold winds are kicking up in the northern hemisphere, consider investing in some sock garters to up your classy undergarment game.
Originally published at www.dressingthespectrum.com on October 20, 2015.