‘Like Lingerie for Men’: How Statement Socks Became So Trendy

Last year, all five of the surviving U.S. presidents gathered in Dallas. They were there to dedicate the presidential library of George W. Bush; the show ended up being stolen, however, by the honoree’s father. And, more specifically, by the honoree’s father’s socks—which poked out from beneath the wheelchair-bound ex-president’s pant cuffs, revealing themselves to be a particularly sassy shade of cotton-candy pink.

This wouldn’t be the first time that the elder President Bush would experiment with adventuresome hosiery; George H.W. has also been photographed sporting designs of lavender and orange and varying combinations of red, white, and blue. In that, he has been in good company. The statement sock—whether distinguished by a bright hue or a bold pattern or both at the same time—has become the go-to fashion accessory for guys from Wall Street, where “Friday socks” is a thing, to Silicon Valley, where every day is Friday. (Startup guys, according to one Bay Area buyer, favor not just colorful socks but also socks decorated with “words like ‘bacon’ and ‘beer’” and also “anything with ninjas.”)

All of which helps to explain new sales numbers released today by the retail analytics firm NPD, revealing a 2-percent growth in sock sales between August 2013 and August 2014. That’s a rate that has, in a weak economy, outpaced the general growth of the $206.7 billion global apparel market. And NPD speculates that it has been men, in particular, who have driven the increase. As Marshal Cohen, NPD’s chief industry analyst, explains it: “Over the past year, socks have become yet another outlet for expressing the extra splash of pattern and color they seek.”

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The appeal of the statement sock—an answer, perhaps, to the statement jewelry that has long added versatility to women’s wardrobes—has contributed to a somewhat counterintuitive phenomenon: Last year, for the first time in more than a decade, the sales of men’s apparel outpaced those for women. Driving the growth, according to the Wall Street Journal? “Double-digit gains in outerwear, pants, and socks.”

In part, to be sure, that increase has been due to sales of athletic socks. In part it’s been due to an increase in the average price of socks, which rose 24 percent between 2011 and 2013 (from $1.76 to $2.18 a pair, according to the NPD Group’s Consumer Tracking Service). The other cause, though, has been less about socks as cushion and more about socks as fashion: the appeal of a flash of ankle peeking out from beneath the pant leg of an otherwise hum-drum suit. As the writer Josh Bearman explains it: “Socks are like lingerie for men. Only you know it’s there under your pants, but then when you walk, you give a little peek of what you’ve got on underneath.”

Call it Victor’s secret. Or, um, man-gerie. Or, um, brosiery. Regardless, it’s giving the tie and the pocket square a run for their money when it comes to adding pizzazz to guys’ outfits. But the rise of the statement sock also makes you wonder: Why this? Why now? Why did it take so long for socks to become sassy?

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One theory: Europe. Experimentation with gussied-up ankles, NPD’s Marshal Cohen told the Journal last year, started there, and then—like so many Windsor knots and slim-cut pants and spread-collar ginghams, migrated West to the States.

Another, complementary, theory: Nike. “Socks used to be a commodity part of the basketball business, but we developed a new innovative sock,” the Nike executive Jayme Martin recently told a group of the company’s investors, referring to the Elite socks that Nike released in 2008 and issued in various colors and prints. At an average cost of $14 to $18 a pair, the Elites form a crucial component of Nike’s annual $100 million in sock sales. And that’s not just because they are, as barriers between shoe and skin, practical. “Kids aren’t just wearing them on the courts,” Martin explained. “They are social currency.”

That idea—that recognition that socks can be both commodity and currency—encouraged the company to see them, and sell them, as fashion accessories. As Cohen told the Journal: “What Nike Elite did was bring attention to the better-socks business. It’s no longer just grabbing white socks out of the drawer. Now it’s got to be this sock. The consumer-born trend sparked the whole idea of dressing the foot up.”

Which wasn’t, of course, a wholly new idea. Almost since their invention, socks have doubled as decoration. The earliest versions were made of animal skins, gathered and tied around the wearers’ ankles; later versions—like those worn by the ancient Greeks and Romans—were made of matted animal fur. And socks have long been a kind of status symbol. By 1000 AD, socks—which are, given their shape, labor-intensive to produce—had become symbols of wealth among European nobility. They often included elaborate decorations.

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Brosiery continues that tradition. “Socks are a way that I can stand out at work,” Roland Gonzales, who works in finance in New York, explains. “Everyone wears the same sort of conservative uniform,” he says. “This is a way to personalize my work wardrobe.” Rob Kardashian’s line of socks, which he sells at Neiman Marcus, feature messages like “Kiss Me” and “YOLO” on their soles. Sales for these all-too-literal of statement socks tripled in the first six months of business, a success Kardashian attributes to the fact that “everyone is wearing colorful socks.”

An added bonus: Statement socks are an easy and often inexpensive indulgence. Though high-end designs are certainly available (you can buy $185 socks at Barney’s, should your path in life lead to that), you can also buy the socks at stores like Forever 21 and Target, the latter of which says it “has seen a steady interest” in statement socks since introducing them in 2012.

Socks also have also, unsurprisingly, made their way to online retail, where services like Nice Laundry (“the Warby Parker of men’s socks”) sell packs of six pairs with names like “Chief,” “Hot Shot,” and “Prepster II” for $49 to $59, shipping included. “We make it very easy for you to refresh your entire sock drawer,” Ricky Choi, Nice Laundry’s co-founder, told the New York Daily News.

Choi should know: His own sock drawer, he says, has more than 150 pairs.

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More than Boxers and Briefs: The Latest Breakthrough in Men’s Fashion

When it comes to men who wear lingerie, usually one of two images comes to mind. The first is the Rocky Horror-esque transvestite—a man who gets his sexual kicks wearing women’s undergarments. The other is the flashy drag queen, whose hyperfeminine appearance is usually just for show. But few people consider the fact that straight, cisgender men can—and do!—enjoy wearing frilly, feminine underthings for reasons other than satisfying some secret sexual fetish.

Whether it’s due to the quality of the fabric or simply a desire for variety in their underwear drawer, the fact is that many men enjoy wearing lingerie.

“There’s no variety in the men’s lingerie sold in department stores. It’s boxers and briefs, and if you’re really daring, maybe a thong!” said Australian lingerie designer Brent Krause. “There’s no denying department stores sell good quality, functional underwear, and that’s fine for ninety percent of men. But not me.”

So Krause created Homme Mystere, a line of bras, panties, camisoles, and the like made for men of all types. Pieces range between $20 and $54, and are available for purchase from the Homme Mystere website as well as other select retailers, including six in the United States.

Homme Mystere is unique, not only in its target demographic, but also in its inclusivity. The line is marketed carefully to appeal to regular guys who may simply want to shake up their wardrobe, and in doing so, leaves room for those in fetish and trans* communities.

“I purposely tried to avoid any link to a fetish or any specific kind of label,” said Krause. “If I had done that, it would have meant immediately labeling our customers by default, and I have no idea how my customers view themselves.”

And it’s a good thing—Krause’s client base turns out to be fairly diverse. In a survey done by entertainment network Fusion, several Homme Mystere wearers revealed just what they like about the collection—and why women’s lingerie just isn’t the same.

According to the survey, lingerie appeals to men because of the luxurious quality of the material.

“I was extremely pleased, even excited, and I could see my nipples pressing against the sheer fabric,” said a customer of his first experience wearing a Homme Mystere bra.

Due to their masculine proportions, male lingerie enthusiasts can’t simply stop by Victoria’s Secret to get their frilly fix. Yet, they might not feel comfortable turning to more fetish-oriented retailers just to stock their underwear drawer—which is one of the reasons why Homme Mystere is a game-changer.

“The first [bra] I bought was actually for cross-dressing, in which I wasn’t as interested,” said one customer. “I’ve much preferred the ones from Homme Mystere, which are less concerned with faking the shape of a woman.”

For these men, Homme Mystere represents a shift in the market. As one survey-taker put it, Homme Mystere pieces “have the appeal of feminine lingerie but with a male fit.”

But could it possibly be more than that? Could the rise of non-fetishized male lingerie represent a cultural shift in terms of acceptability? Some survey-takers seemed to think so.

“Frederick’s of Hollywood and Victoria’s Secret are now mainstream, but didn’t start that way,” observed another fan of the men’s intimates collection. “This could be a breakthrough.”

Whether or not the large-scale normalization of male lingerie is on the horizon, it’s something many men have been waiting for. “I’m so glad there is lingerie for us men,” said one reviewer. “I have waited for this for 20 years, I’m 50 years old, and at last it is here and I’m so glad.”

And it’s not just men that are enjoying this enlightenment. Most of Homme Mystere’s customers—a whopping 90% of those surveyed, in fact—report being in relationships with women. Moreover, their female companions are enjoying seeing the line’s offerings as well.

“I have purchased Homme Mystere’s lingerie over the past 2 years. My wife loves when I wear it,” one customer confessed. “In fact, she says she is jealous because my lingerie looks better than hers!”

It makes sense that the designs are so aesthetically pleasing. Krause spent six months perfecting the line’s initial offerings, which went on sale in 2009. Five years later and the designer is getting even more daring. Today, the site sells several unique pieces, such as barely-there “c-strings,” peekaboo bras, and crotchless panties, in addition to their more traditional offerings. But all of the pieces give men the chance to wear designs they might not normally get the chance to.

“Choosing a department store brand of underwear each morning is a no-brainer. Choosing a style of Homme Mystere each morning is a little more fun,” Krause said. “Busy day with meetings, let’s go with PinStripe. Feeling a bit toey? Frill thong.”

The upcoming collection will likely push the envelope even further.

“I’m putting a little more effort into the bras and my seamstress thinks I’m a little crazy with a couple of my ideas,” said Krause. “But until you try something different, how do you know if it’ll work? Might as well have a go.”

That’s a good philosophy for any fashion designer, but it’s especially good advice for men who may be shy to try the innovative line.

It doesn’t matter if you’re gay, straight, cisgender, or trans. Anyone can enjoy the soft touch of silk. Because, as Krause put it, “Life’s too short for plain underwear!”

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