In Defense of Striped Socks

 

 

I've heard a lot of negative comments about black and white striped socks in lolita.When I started in the fashion, I was told that they were pretty much always ita. But when I asked why, I got one of three responses:

1. They look cheap, so they make the coord look like cosplay. 
2. They look like cosplay, so they make the coord look cheap.
3. I don't like them. 

 These first two are circular logic, and the third one is a personal opinion. So, what are the actual issues with striped socks?

1. They visually disrupt the vertical flow of the coordinate. The sharp horizontal lines of black and white striped socks disrupt the silhouette of the coordinate as a whole. This is more of a problem with coordinates that use OPs, because there's very little contrast between the top and the bottom of the OP. The disruption of the flow may look disjointed or distract from the rest of the coord.
   
2. They appear to widen and shorten legs. By disrupting the vertical line, the leg is visually cut into chunks, while the individual stripes accentuate the roundness of the leg. I personally don't care about this, but people sensitive about their body image may dislike the shortening effect.
   
3. They're hard to keep clean. This is more of a laundry problem than anything else, though I have found my cheaper offbrand striped socks bleed more dye. In this case, be sure to use color catcher sheets, wash by hand if you're really concerned, and don't be afraid to get rid of socks that aren't looking their best anymore. 
4. They make color blocking difficult. By combining equal black and white, it's difficult to achieve a typical alternating pattern of color blocking in a coordinate. This is more applicable to coordinates that only use black and white; a third color generally resolves this issue. Personally, I also find that certain black or white shoe straps can look wonky with the stripes kind of melding into them, but chunkier solid shoes don't have that problem. 

None of these are fatal flaws! But still, if you lack confidence with conventional black and white horizontally striped socks, there are a lot of alternatives that you may find easier to coordinate.

 

Alternatives

Pattern Options

A/P Stripe OTKs, 2017

Twinkle Logo Border OTKs, 2019

These first two options use vertical and diagonal lines instead of horizontal ones. This helps the eye flow more naturally down the coordinate and visually lengthens the legs.

Stripe and Dot Knee Socks, Metamorphose, 2007

A/P Logo Border OTKs, 2017

By disrupting the solid stripes with dots and text, these next two pairs reduce the perceived contrast on the legs while still maintaining the black and white color scheme. Relative to the archetypal plain black and white socks, these are a lot less harsh looking, and feature some additional detailing for visual interest.

Extraordinarily Longer Gradient Stripes Thigh High Tube Socks from Sock Dreams

By gradually increasing and decreasing the width of the stripes, these socks create a gradient. The more defined areas of mostly-white and mostly-black would definitely help with color blocking, and the thinner stripes near the foot would make shoe straps really pop! Sock Dreams is also a great company to buy from, with a dedicated plus-size section that actually includes measurements, fast shipping, and eco-friendly packaging.

 Toy Parade Border Knee Socks, 2007, Angelic Pretty

A lot of brands call horizontal stripes "border" or "border stripes" and I'm not sure why. Still, by allowing the toy motifs to disrupt the borders between stripes, these AP socks flow somewhat easier than the traditional type.

Color Options

Princess Drop Embroidered Border OTKs (2020)

Choosing a lower contrast color combination, like pink and white or sax and white, can make the socks less striking while still retaining a traditional horizontal stripe feel. This type of sock was especially popular during the earlier days of OTT Sweet, around 2008.

Black Striped Thigh Highs from We Love Colors in Charcoal

 We Love Colors has both white and black striped thigh highs and tights, including four different plus sizes for their tights. As the name suggests, they have a lot of colors available, 51 to be exact. I like this grey/black colorway for subtler punk looks and more playful gothic coords.

Dreamy Knees from Sock Dreams in Dusk

3-color Border Socks, 2008, from Metamorphose

Adding additional colors to the stripes changes up the look; the Sock Dreams socks in dusk have a muted rainbow that doesn't distract or break up the silhouette, while the 3-color Border socks bring to mind a nautical theme.

Honey Cake Border OTKs, 2021, Angelic Pretty

Finally for our alternatives, I couldn't help but include Honey Cake Border OTKs. This colorway uses a relatively low contrast combination for the stripes and breaks the pattern at the ankle with polka dots and an adorable bear. 

Coordinating Striped Socks

These alternatives are fine, but what if you actually just want regular black and white striped socks? Here's some guidelines I like to follow:

• Unless you want the socks to steal the spotlight, choose a coordinate that already has its lines broken up considerably. I especially like skirt and blouse or skirt and cutsew coords for this; the punk feel of a brand cami or a band shirt with striped socks is just so nostalgic. You can also use a jumperskirt or OP with a lot of contrasting lace or print, or layer a contrasting piece of outerwear. Alternatively, if you want the socks to be prominent, go with smooth, uninterrupted vertical lines, like a solid black on black OP. 
• If you add other colors, make sure they're balanced. I like wearing a red tartan JSK with striped socks, a black and white headdress, a white blouse, and black shoes; this way, the colors each appear in both halves of the coordinate. For more casual looks, I think matching shoes and cardigan in a contrasting color like blue can give a really nice pop without feeling too matchy-matchy. However, when I wear striped socks with a colorful skirt, I tend to use that color in my headdress and make sure that there's both white and black on my top. 
• Feel free to use more patterns! Although a nice solid and striped coordinate is classic, stripes look great with polka dots, harlequin diamonds, and gingham as well. Just make sure, again, that everything is balanced; don't have all your patterns on your bottom half and leave the top empty! Patterned blouses, outerwear, jabots, and even patterned scarves and ribbons can help keep a blouse interesting. 
  
• Wash your socks every time you wear them for more than like half an hour and throw them out when they get gross. Don't be nasty. 

If you read all this, thanks! I have major brain worms and incredible affection for striped socks, and I really hope this spreads the love!