Slouch sock

A slouch sock is a type of sock popular in the 1980s featuring a heavy non-elastic upper that may be pushed down into heavy folds around the ankles or pulled up to the knee. Slouch socks also tend to have a foot that is made of very thin fabric, to encourage layering of the socks. A popular 80s fashion trend involved wearing multiple pairs of slouch socks to create a very thick, heavy slouching affect around the wearer's ankles.

Slouch socks come in two primary varieties. "Flat-knit" slouch socks have no elastic and have a "two by two" knitting pattern. A popular example of this style of sock is the Wigwam 622 Slouch Sock, which for many years was one of the best selling varieties of slouch socks in America. The "flat-knit" term comes from the fact that the ribbing of the socks has a relatively squared off appearance. "Rib-knit" slouch socks are so-named because of their rounded ribbing. This is the style of slouch socks typically worn by waitresses at popular restaurants such as Hooters and Wing House.

Slouch socks were a popular fashion item from roughly 1985 to 1995. Many women and girls wore black leggings with white slouch socks, athletic sneakers and oversized T-shirts as exercise wear. Also many girls, teens, college girls, and women wore the slouch socks over leggings or sometimes sweatpants usually with Keds and oversized tee shirts, sweat shirts, or sweaters. Or they wore the slouch socks with black or white lace trimmed bike shorts with babydoll dresses, or white Wigwam slouch socks worn over black opaque tights with Keds or worn with jeans or pants rolled or folded up to show the socks. Also popular during the 80s was for women to wear slouch socks with pantyhose and a mini-skirt when going out to dance clubs.

Slouch socks seem to be gaining in popularity again, partly as a result of the popularity of Manga and Cosplay culture. Japanese style "loose socks", an exaggerated form of slouch sock with heavily ribbed uppers ranging from 24" to 48" in length, and "super loose socks" with uppers that can range from 48" to 72" in length are available from various web retailers. One look that's growing in popularity is to wear a pair of loose socks with leggings and a pair of calf length boots, with the socks slouched down over the top of the boots. The winter sock selections in 2012 show a distinct trend towards longer, thicker and slouchier socks, with both men's and women's styles featuring loose-fitting knit fabrics and heavily ribbed uppers.

For men slouch socks was a part of body building fashion often worn with mutli colored and patterned sweatpants tucked in. Layering the socks was not uncomon for men either, both with different colors or several white pairs over each other as an example. To a less degree in boxing were tube socks was more common. The socks was not uncommon on basketball courts either, normally layered white slouch socks and sometimes slouch socks over tube socks. Basketball high tops and buffalo shoes were normally worn together with the slouch socks and basketball shorts with over sized T-shirts and/ or basketball tops as well. Both types describe above was used by men as well. Men was often less tidy about the slouching than woman and the slouching was often more random. Often the outher sock more or less covered the inner one so the effect was more of one pair of thick pair of socks than two or three pairs clearly visible.

The slouch socks was also very popular in aerobics for both men and woman. Hipsters in New York has now been seen wearing slouch socks over their pants and together with the increasing use of sweatshirt it's a very telling sign that eighties fashion is on its way back, if with less daring colors.