Culture Loose socks are back!

Loose socks, popularized during the Heisei era, are now drawing renewed attention, especially in Harajuku. A visit to a local sock specialty store reveals a wide range of these socks lined up. The shop sells around 200 pairs of the standard white type each month. According to Yuiko Nagai, store manager of the Tabio Harajuku Takeshita Street location, "They look great with miniskirts or shorts. We see customers ranging from elementary school students to those in their 20s and 30s." The design of loose socks is also evolving. Nagai explained that the newer styles are shorter and give a more streamlined appearance, making them easier to wear. As the weather warms, gauze-textured varieties are becoming popular, and new sock designs that replicate the loose sock look are gaining traction.

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Loose socks were adopted as a fashion which flattered plump calves and also expressed rebellious deviation from Japan's strict dress code for school uniforms.[3]​ They have been used as an inspiration for photography by Akira Gomi. They are also used in Japanese street fashions such as kogal and fairy kei.

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thomas said:

I never knew this started as a remedy against what is sometimes colloquially described as "daikonashi."

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