The Evolution of Socks: Everyday Item into Men’s “It” Accessories
17 September 2018
Author: Anton Dell
With more and more males purchasing socks for the purposes of fashion, the market is truly expanding. Malkiel Berry, PR Director, Happy Socks says, “You have the cool sneaker or skater kid, but there are also a lot of people who wear suits at work and the only part they can actually have fun with is their socks.” With males making up over half of the market and almost 70% of men wearing socks every day, men are the key contender and the obvious key consumer. Socks can be both practical and fun. Evolving beyond a simple yet useful item of clothing, socks are deemed the ‘it’ accessories for men.
Evolving from Minor Trades to Great Sales
Socks are incredibly universal, are inimitable items and frequently in demand. Over the past years however, they have expanded into an apparel of fashion, this is due the product being great for selling as an, ‘add-on’ item alongside other durable essentials. They evolved from minor trades to great sales, simply by efficient product development, commercialisation of the item and filling a gap in the market for idiosyncratic sock attire.
Customer Preference for Athletic Socks and Natural Fibers
Bloomingdales, New York saw the uptake in sales for both athletic socks and ‘no-show’ socks recently. Previously, only worn for activity and sports purposes, these particular garments are now regularly paired with informal wear and often paired with joggers, for maximum fashion purposes. From simply being worn for practical use the trend is quirky foot apparel has since developed into a fun experience for consumers. In addition to the huge growth in sock sales, particularly within the USA and in Europe, the demand for natural fibers is also incredibly high.
Easy to Sell “Add-on” Item Benefitting Retail and Wholesale businesses
As a result, socks are of high demand and the ideal ‘add-on’ accessory at the moment, benefitting both retail and wholesale businesses. Easy to sell and easy to transport, socks are ideal items for agents and showrooms to complement their portfolios. Consequently, this particular add-on accessory is beneficial for buyers to offer, as it compliments collections in-store and also, helps consumers to achieve the ‘total’ look. Whether they are colourful, or plain, consumers just buy into socks.
Dipping into the Tech Sector for Better Comforts
With fashion to thank, it seems the sock market will continue to evolve as it is dipping its hand into the tech sector. Similarly to our piece discussing the rise in tech in luggage, where it was mentioned that tech was well on its way to intercepting every aspect of our daily lives. Technology is keen to partner with foot apparel to create better comforts. Branded as ‘advanced socks’, the new era in socks will assist in aiding poor blood circulation, control foot odour, protect fragile skin and reduce friction from blistering. A much needed change in today’ s vast, modern and ever-changing world.
Are you buying into the technology sock theorem?
Image: Solosocks