The history of the Sock

We wear them today without paying much attention to them, yet socks have undergone many revolutions before becoming this essential accessory in our daily lives. In this article, we trace with you the history of the Sock with a capital C.

1° The discovery of the first socks

Let's talk about the birth of the sock. We don't really know who invented it, but Egyptologist Albert Gayet went to meet the first sock wearers... And they were the Egyptians! Indeed, during excavations in the city of Antinoe, the Egyptologist discovered a mummy with socks on his feet. His tomb dated back to the ^5th century AD. Socks have in fact been worn for over 1,520 years! And it's no coincidence that the first socks were worn in Egypt because Antinoe was the fashion capital at the time. Paris and Milan had better watch out!

In their early days, socks were not knitted as we see today: they were made of both animal fur and leather, then wrapped around the feet to keep them warm and protect them from dirt. At that time, we were far from putting art on our feet!

Example of a sock worn by the Egyptians, exhibited at the Musée des tissus in Lyon (their unusual shape allowed the Egyptians to wear them with sandals)

2° The Middle Ages and pantyhose

If today the sock is a universal accessory, in the Middle Ages, it was a real tool of social distinction reserved for the wealthy classes. Each piece was knitted by hand, without a machine, making the sock a luxury accessory whose manufacturing secret was well kept.

However, socks were not really like ours. At that time, they looked more like tights. Stockings and panties were one and the same, and it was not until the ^18th century that socks became a separate item of clothing. Nobles, men and women, wore tights (better known as breeches) in all circumstances.

Oil on canvas depicting the evolution of breeches (models painted in 1533, 1566 and 1621 respectively)

3° The industrialization of the sock

1589 is a pivotal year in the history of the sock: it is the date on which the Reverend William Lee invented the first sock knitting machine. Unfortunately, Queen Elizabeth I ^could not find socks that fit her feet and refused their industrialization. Lee's machine fell into oblivion, for a time.

William Lee's Stocking Knitting Machine

It was finally in France that the sock managed to prove itself. In 1656, Jean Hindret discovered Lee's work and decided to import it to France. He opened the first sock factory (located in the Château de Madrid in Neuilly-sur-Seine) and, from then on, the artisan "sock maker" developed. Thanks to the machine, new materials were used such as silk, linen and hemp. The touch was more pleasant and the socks were more and more sophisticated!

4° The revolutionary sock

In the ^18th century, socks became an accessory of social struggle. Indeed, during the French Revolution, the "sans-culottes" refused to wear these culotte socks, symbols of the enemy to be defeated, the aristocracy. They then replaced them with pants with accessories, including socks, as a sign of distinction. So aristocrats would be "sans-chaussettes"? The mid-calf and knitted socks such as we sell at Label resembled them in every way. Socks are therefore part of the symbols of the Republic.

Sans-culotte in arms, gouache by Jean-Baptiste Lesueur, 1793-1794, Carnavalet Museum

Subsequently, the sock followed the classic evolution of an industrial product. It became industrialized, became less and less expensive to produce and became a mass-market product. This was followed by massive layoffs in this sector, linked to the development of machines and tools. The accessibility of socks increased, as did the diversification of models, color palettes and materials used. The sock gradually became a taste and fashion accessory in its own right.

Broussaud Textile, textile factory partner of Label Chaussette

5° The return of the sock as an accessory of distinction

Today, socks are once again becoming a key accessory to stand out. It is no longer a distinction of class but of style. We are seeing the emergence of many original and fancy sock brands .

As you will have understood, the sock has a long history behind it. In each era, it has known how to reinvent itself, and it has not finished surprising us!

Do you like socks? Find all our fancy socks made in France and our sock boxes .

Emma & Juliette from the Label Chaussette team

Sources:

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sock
https://www.soketi.fr/blog/histoire-chaussette/ (and yes, our colleagues have thought of it too!)
https://www.blacksocks.com/fr/histoiredeschaussettes
https://www.thenines.fr/content/3-histoire-chaussettes

Image sources:

https://moutonnoir.net/2016/06/13/par-amour/
https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/801077852438407652/
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hauts-de-chausses