Pair of socks

Object Type
W.H. Morley showed a group of socks at the Great Exhibition of 1851. They demonstrate the varied patterns and colours which an industrial process could easily produce. The plaids and tartans were in keeping with the current fashion for all things Scottish, which the Royal family helped to make popular.

Material & Making
The feet are joined to the rest of the sock by stitching, instead of knitting in one continuous piece. This method makes the stockings last longer because the construction is stronger, and the stitches are less likely to unravel. Some years later the London department store Debenham & Freebody developed a range of stockings made in this way which they claimed were twice as strong as those made by other methods.

Usage
During the 19th century there was some argument about whether children should wear socks or stockings. Some adults thought that socks were more practical and easier to keep clean. Others thought that stockings were smarter and warmer. Socks with elasticated tops like these would certainly have been more comfortable than wearing stockings with a garter (a strip of fabric) tied around the leg.