Once out of fashion, knee-high socks are making a surprising comeback, with Gen Z leading the way.
Gone are the days when low-cut or ankle-high socks ruled the roost at gyms, workplaces, and social media. Now, the trend is for taller socks, reminiscent of popular styles from the 80s and 90s.
Fashion trends are a battleground where generations clash. From Gen Z’s elimination of the side part to the slow death of skinny jeans, the dividing lines are clearly drawn.
“If you wear low socks, it means you are over 30,” said Chidebe Ndibe, a 26-year-old software developer and advocate of high socks. Wall Street Journal.
There is a constant tension between forging a unique identity and history repeating itself. Gen Z, eager to forge its own path, is guilty of mocking the styles that previous generations considered “hip,” even if those same styles were in fashion back then.
Once outdated, ankle socks are making a surprising comeback, with Generation Z leading the way. Actress and singer Kylie Cantrall is pictured on July 2 sporting the taller type of socks now favored by fashion-savvy young Americans.
Gone are the days when low-cut socks dominated gyms, workplaces, and social media. Now, the trend is for taller socks, reminiscent of popular styles from the 80s and 90s.
Young sock enthusiasts take the “higher is better” approach and cite a variety of influences.
From the late Princess Diana’s iconic biker shorts and knee-high socks combo to contemporary celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner rocking knee-high socks with leggings after workouts, and even fashion editorials featuring folded socks with loafers, these young people find inspiration in both classic and current styles.
“I feel like it makes the outfit look more complete,” another member of the sock team, Kendall Maynard, 18, told the Wall Street Journal.
Ndibe echoes that sentiment: “With my legs, specifically, I feel like it almost helps them look longer,” she says.
From the late Princess Diana’s iconic biker shorts and knee-high socks to contemporary celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner sporting knee-high socks with leggings after workouts, and even fashion editorials featuring folded socks with loafers, these young people find inspiration in both classic and current styles.
“If you wear low socks, it means you’re over 30,” Chidebe Ndibe, a 26-year-old software developer and advocate of high socks, told the Wall Street Journal.
Fashion trends are a battleground where generations clash. From Gen Z’s elimination of the side part to the slow death of skinny jeans, the dividing lines are clearly marked.
However, the other side of the aisle remains steadfast in their belief that calf-high socks make them look disproportionate.
“I’m 5’2″ on a good day and I have short legs, so if I were to wear high socks, there would be no differentiation between my thighs and ankles,” Krista Figueroa, 32, a radiology technologist, told the Wall Street Journal. “It doesn’t look pretty.”
Figueroa also said he associates calf-high socks with his dad, who pairs the damned mid-calves with New Balance sneakers to create the ultimate old-school dad look.
But the preference of young people for higher socks is reflected in the sales figures.
Hanes sock sales data shows a 5.9% increase for above-ankle socks from 2021, while low-cut sock sales have fallen 3.8%.
A similar trend is seen at Aritzia, where mid-calf socks outsell ankle socks by a two-to-one margin, according to Heather McLean, the company’s executive vice president of product.
Young people’s preference for taller socks is reflected in sales figures, as Hanes sock sales data shows a 5.9% increase for socks that reach above the ankle since 2021, while sales of low-cut socks have fallen by 3.8%.
Bombas is also reporting a shift toward wearing taller socks. Show-through socks now account for 42% of its business in April, up from 33% last year. In fact, there is a corresponding decline in sales of no-show socks, which fell 9% this April compared to last year, according to Randy Goldberg, co-founder and chief brand officer at Bombas.
In a TikTok that has racked up 3.7 million views, Phoebe Parsons, a 34-year-old Pilates instructor from Brisbane, Australia, said there was a direct correlation between age and sock height.
“As millennials, we’re stuck in the skinny leg mentality and think our legs look better when you can see the ankle, but Gen Z doesn’t care,” Parsons said. While she tried to see the younger generation’s perspective, she said she had a “visceral” reaction to the high socks and that it just felt wrong.
