It has been perhaps the most controversial - and maligned - men’s styling trend of the twenty-teens. Simply a few centimetres of skin on show between hemline and shoe, the mankle has come to signify membership of a certain tribe (fashion aware, possibly a fan of Wes Anderson). To the wider world, the mankle has often been a source of derision, a signal of affectation - a sign the wearer is making too much of effort, rather than simply getting dressed.
But at the latest round of menswear catwalk shows - London Collections: Men, currently taking place in the capital - something is afoot. Mankle flesh is nowhere to be seen. On the runways of streetwear designers and Savile Row traditionalists alike - though trousers are often cropped, the ankles underneath have so far been clothed, by ankle boots or statement socks.
Christopher Shannon showed bouncy Caterpillar boots with cropped shiny jogging bottoms. Lou Dalton’s models wore smart Grenson ankle boots with socks and ankle-swinging slacks. Astrid Andersen’s cropped trousers, meanwhile, showed off black socks and high-top Nikes. At Fashion East’s salon show by Shaun Samson, it was Timberland boots with knee-high socks. Margaret Howell’s ankle-swingers were paired with socks in tasteful colours (mustard, russet and grey) and smart lace-up ankle boots. Over at James Long, models showed off socks in similar hues. In the crowd at Topman Design, Utopia actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett wore ankle boots with cropped jeans, making those in the front row who still had their mankles out look rather unneccessarily chilly.
Fashion’s current fascination with function is playing a big part in the mankle’s demise. With designers at LC:M this weekend citing ocean survivalists and Sir Edmund Hillary (see Hardy Amies) as their inspirations, hiking-inspired ankle boots - or shoes paired with thick, useful-looking socks rather than anything silky and suave - are the only logical choice. After all, who would choose to climb a mountain sock-free?
