The defining element of 2017’s party season is not a LBD or a statement earring. Instead, fashion is focusing on a slightly less glamorous place: the sock drawer.
Glitter socks, the sparkly kind popular with pop stars like Madonna in the 1980s, are back. Seen on the catwalk on Gigi Hadid at Isabel Marant and multiple models at Gucci, they are also a celebrity favourite. Kendall Jenner wore them on the red carpet earlier this year, and Beyonce, Suki Waterhouse and Rihanna are fans.
Glitter socks with an open-toed sandal are set to everywhere at Christmas parties this season. Asos report a 60% rise in sales of glitter socks since last year, selling almost 15,000 pairs this party season. “They’re amazing for us,” says Aisling McKeefry, the site’s head of accessory design.
“Our customer loves the iridescent ‘mermaid’ glitter the most and prefer darker bases like black, blue and bronze.”
The appeal is partly down to the price. Glitter socks cost as little as £3.50 a pair at Asos and Topshop, or £8 at Cos, so are a cheap way to add glamour to an outfit. They’re also a festive addition without going over the top – an entry level item for the larger sequin and sparkle trend.
The sock and sandal look has been a quirk of the Prada catwalk for years. The Business of Fashion, the influential industry website, described socks earlier this year as “fashion’s new secret weapon”. Designs by buzzy brands Gucci and Vetements - which retail at around £80 a pair, with one Gucci sequinned pair priced at around £320 - are highly prized. At Browns boutique in London, Vetements socks reportedly sell out in minutes.
Brands are keen to cash in on the demand for fashionable socks. According to trend website Lyst, prices of socks have increased 10% in the last year and searches for Gucci’s £390 sequin socks spiked in September.
At the cheaper end of the market there has been an upswing. Happy Socks, the Swedish sock company set up in 2008, has seen revenue grow every year since launch. The company had sales of £890,000 last year.
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