~ Sock Dreams ~

We recently learned a new descriptive term  that we dig: ‘scrunchy socks’.  Sharp eyes may have noticed that the ‘Loose Socks’ collection has been renamed to ‘Scrunchy Socks.’  When talking with our Tabbisocks sales representatives, they explained that the much-loved Super Loose were changing their name.

It turns out that though ‘Super Loose’ is a direct translation of the Japanese word for this style of sock, a more accurate translation is ‘Scrunchy.’ And it definitely seems more accurate! One of the things we love about this style is that you can just scrunch them down.

Is there a difference between ‘scrunching’ and ‘slouching’? Not really, though how we often tend to use the words is that ‘scrunch’ is actively pushing your socks down and ‘slouch’ is when a sock more naturally crumples a little lower.  The effect is the same either way, soft folds above your ankles (or tops of your boots!).

The EG Smith Ribbed Bootsocks on the left need to be scrunched down, but the Bess Cashmere Slouch Rib Knee Socks on the right slouch on their own in the most delightful way!

In our Scrunchy Socks collection you’ll find two distinct schools of the scrunchy sock, ‘schoolgirl socks’ and ‘slouch socks.’ What’s the difference? Find out after the jump!

The schoolgirl sock look comes to us from Japan and, though it’s missing a lot of citations, Wikipedia’s entry on Loose Socks has the basic info.  Around the 1990s it became popular for Japanese girls to pair long and loose socks with their uniform skirts, using sock glue to keep them up.  Like a lot of fads, styles started to get extreme, with longer and longer socks, even up to two meters long (which is almost 80 inches!).  We’ve got that two meters beat with our 100 Inch Super Ruched socks.

The look seeped into media and the silhouette of big, slouchy socks with a skirt is iconic even today. Our Harajuku Style Pinterest board has this great picture of schoolgirl socks that was found at Tokyo Fashion, which has even more pictures of loose socks in action!

Image by Tokyo Fashion

Hmm, those socks look familiar! They could be the Harajuku Scrunchy Socks, or one of the longer versions, the Schoolgirl Long Socks or the Schoolgirl Extra Long socks!

But you don’t have to go as far as Japan to get good long socks and they don’t have to be white!  Our Dream Stockings line has two great long and scrunchy sock options for you, the 40 inch Long Cuffable Scrunchables:

From left to right: Charcoal, Lilac, White

And the 50 inch Super Ms!

From left to right: Dark Red, Grey, Dusty Plum

Sock Dreams has offered loose socks since almost the beginning and we’ve pretty much always carried slouch socks.  Just like the schoolgirl loose sock look, they showed up in the 1990s, plain ol’ bootsocks rising into the fashion sphere.  EG Smith was THE name for bootsocks, with a 99% cotton sock and almost no elastic, super slouchy and with the perfect scrunch, “Love Eric” printed on the foot.  If you remember the kind of socks Brenda wore on 90210, then you know exactly what kind of style I’m talking about.

Sadly, the machines that produced the socks wore down in about 2009, having made socks since the Civil War. But about a year later EG Smith introduced the Ribbed Bootsock, with a similar look, but more scrunch than slouch (they’re only 94% cotton).  We love them even more than the original!

From left to right: Natural, Denim, White

Our Dream Stockings and Dreamer Socks lines have similar styles, so there are even more colours and slouch sock styles to choose from!  Our Cotton Slouch Socks are a customer and Dreamer favourite, with the most colours of any line we produce.

From left to right: Bubblegum, Dusty Plum, Light Blue

The Acrylic Slouch Socks come in shocking bright colours, they’re so vibrant, like crayons!

From left to right: Hunter Green, Yellow, Purple

And there are more delicious, scrunchy socks just waiting for you to browse in our Scrunchy Socks collection!  Are scrunchy socks your thing and if so, do you go schoolgirl or slouch?

Posted on Friday, March 2nd, 2012 at 11:00 am and filed under: E.G. Smith, Made in the USA, Sock Journal, socks, Super Long Socks, Tabbisocks.
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