When it comes to fashion, there’s an eternal conflict between the generations.
Move aside, skinny jeans: the latest dividing line has arrived – and yes, apparently you can now tell your age based on your sock choices.
As per the latest internet debate, Millennials cling to their beloved trainer socks. Back in the day, even if you weren’t wearing sportswear, they were a thing: and as kids, many (even those bordering on Gen Z) even went as far as to roll down their regular socks in the playground to evoke the same effect.
But now, Gen Zs are increasingly favouring crew socks – often rolled up to the max, particularly when paired with trainers.
‘This is exactly how you can tell the difference between a Millennial and a Gen Z just by looking at their feet,’ @phoebe_fitish, AKA the host of the FIT(ish) Podcast, speculated in the TikTok video that started it all.
‘Gen Z exclusively wear their socks up and Millennials still wear ankle socks,’ she added, pulling up her feet to show trainers paired with tiny, barely visible socks that placed her firmly in the Millennial camp, as she herself confessed.
Naturally, the comments were inundated with a combination of nostalgia and outrage.
@emer_mck joked: ‘I can’t. I just can’t. No sock crew.’
And @ellessb423 said: ‘As an elder millennial, it’s a NO from me. I am a no show sock wearer for life.’
It’s worth pointing out though, that there were some whose age groups didn’t align with their fashion preferences.
‘I’m Gen Z but I wear ankle socks,’ @emilyyyy.claire penned, but noted she would describe herself as ‘Zillennial as they’re calling it now’ – a term that refers to the cultural no-man’s-land that is being born on the cusp of the boundary between Gen Z and Millennials, and potentially associating with neither. Hello, 1997 and 1998 babies.
So why is it that Millennials cling to these teeny tiny socks?
‘Ankle socks have always been easy to incorporate into any outfit, offering up a minimalist approach with the busy and on-the-go lifestyle of Millennials everywhere,’ Rachael Wood, managing director of womenswear brand Chinti & Parker, tells Metro.co.uk.
But, she does suggest that Millennials should at least try an on-show sock. ‘No doubt it’s a bit of a big fashion shift for Millennials; they’ve spent so long hiding their socks, whereas now it’s acceptable for them to be flaunted!
‘But, the small, yet highly impactful accessory of a crew socks has become a simple way to enhance any casual outfit.’
Elsewhere, Giorgio Ammirabile, fashion expert at ConsignedSealedDelivered, weighs in on the psyche behind generational sock fashion choices.
‘The reason why Millennials didn’t wear them like that was that it reminded them of the way kids wear socks,’ he says simply.
Viewers on the video by @phoebe_fitish agreed: ‘Socks up remind me of when my mom would dress me as a child. It makes me feel like a small child.’
Another argument in the comments is that pulling socks up higher is something older people do. ‘But my dad wears his socks up,’ joked @prettypinksoulmovement.
So, what now? Are trainer socks banned?
Hold fire, Millennials: you don’t need to re-do your entire sock drawer. There’s a whole community out there flaunting their ankles with pride – and long may it continue. You do you.
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