Why has the Argyle pattern remained on store shelves for 100 years? - The story of how hundreds of years of history are packed into a sock pattern -

Hello!
I'm Akuru, and I run the sock workshop Toré.

I have spent years working in the field of major apparel OEM, producing millions of pairs of socks in collaboration with factories in China.

In this note, based on that experience, I write about the mechanisms of socks that are usually not given much thought, in a way that is as easy to understand as possible.

Socks are a very humble existence, but they are actually a deep world where the body, industry, and culture intersect.

Today, I'm going to talk about a famous pattern that everyone has seen at least once.

When you walk through a sock department, there is a pattern that is always there.

The one with connected diamonds and thin diagonal lines running through them.
Yes, that's the Argyle pattern.

Even now, with the increase in simple solid colors, Argyle is always somewhere.
Both Uniqlo and Muji always carry it.

Whether they are cheap or a bit pricey, it's not a pattern swayed by trends, yet it has always been there.
Though it has been a bit trendy lately.

Why has this pattern remained for so long?

Being on the production side, it's quite a life-or-death issue.

Because when planning patterns, I have had to make decisions many times over about what to choose and what to leave out.

Today, I would like to dig a little deeper into the history of the Argyle pattern and why it continues to survive!

A pattern born from the memory of tartan

The origin of the Argyle pattern is Scotland.

In the western part of Scotland, there is a region called Argyll, or Argyllshire.

A clan called the Campbells, deeply connected to that land, had their own unique tartan.
A unique tartan (lol)
I want one, something like that.
Like, our family's pattern.

Tartan is cloth woven in a grid pattern while changing the colors of the vertical and horizontal threads.

In Scotland, unique tartans existed for each clan, and they were a symbol of identity.
This is amazing, isn't it? In Japan, what would that be... a family crest?

The Argyle pattern is considered to have the Campbell clan's tartan as one of its origins.

A pattern made by simply rotating tartan 45 degrees?
Or rather, would it be more accurate to see it as a tartan-like grid pattern reconstructed with diamonds and diagonal lines?

The vertical and horizontal grid appears as a series of diamonds, with thin diagonal lines intersecting them.
That structure is the Argyle pattern we know.

In Japan, it was apparently sometimes called theabacus pattern— though I don't hear that very often.
I suppose the diamonds looked like abacus beads. I think that's quite a clever analogy.

However, at this stage, Argyle was still justthe culture of a single region in Scotland.

It needed a little more time to reach the rest of the world.

The Prince of Wales changed the style

One of the turning points was the1920s.

ThePrince of Walesat the time—later Edward VIII, and the Duke of Windsor after his abdication—was a leading fashion icon of the first half of the 20th century.

He reportedly paired patterned long socks with knickerbockers or plus fours in his golf and country sports attire.

It's the same in every era that celebrities and influencers lead fashion.

This attire spread as the sports style of the British gentleman, strengthening the image of the Argyle pattern.

In other words, Argyle changed from a regional cultural pattern to an image of golf, leisure, and elegant sportswear.

From 'Scottish countryside' to 'gentleman's sports attire'.

Crossing to America and becoming school uniforms

Another turning point was across the Atlantic.
Yes, America.

In post-war America, throughtraditional brands like Brooks Brothers, Argyle socks became deeply embedded in the Ivy League/preppy context.

Ivy League students wore them, and they became established as a staple of the 'trad style'.

From a regional Scottish pattern, through British sports style, to American student culture.

This accumulation gives the argyle pattern a unique weight.

Perhaps it is simply that good things are good.

Fashion repeats its revivals and becomes more refined.
Even now, things like Y2K or preppy styles are coming back, aren't they?

It is not simply that it remains because it is an old pattern, but rather that it has continued to live on while gaining new context in each era.

Why does it still remain today?

This is what I have thought about as someone who makes socks.

The reason argyle survives is not just history.
The pattern itself has a structure that allows it to endure.

One reason is its orderly repetition.

Argyle is a repetition of mathematically ordered shapes.
It is not random; it has regularity.

This type of pattern gives a calm impression regardless of the era or trends.

There are eras that prefer chaotic visual stimulation, like punk or hip-hop, and eras that prefer organized forms.

If you keep the colors muted, an orderly pattern easily lands on a relatively calm impression, making it easy to create a classical atmosphere.

I feel like I can understand why the classic trend is happening right now.

Another reason is the freedom of color.

Argyle is a well-made pattern; it works with two colors, and it doesn't fall apart even if you use four.

It can be understated, or it can be a bit playful.
Because the 'rules' of the pattern are set, there is a wide range of adjustment possible through color.
This is especially important for small items like socks.

And its position at the feet also plays a role.

A pattern located far from the face is unlikely to be seen as 'too loud,' even if it is flashy.

Only those who know will notice the pattern on socks.
That combination of subtlety and the fact that it is still definitely there suits argyle well.

Inner vests follow the same line of thinking. Like the lining, for example.

Thoughts as a sock shop

At Toré, we make socks that prioritize design over patterns.
Basically, they are all solid colors.

The elastic at the opening, the reinforcement at the heel, the stitching at the toe.
We spend time on the parts you can't see.
That is our concept of socks you can wear every day.

However, while researching argyle, I've come to think that patterns have a similar story to design.

Why did it take that shape?
Why was that structure chosen?
Things that last a long time usually have an answer.

I really think it starts with learning.

The fact that a pattern from a region in Scotland hundreds of years ago is still on store shelves today is, in a way, quite dreamy.
They probably never imagined it.

Thank you for reading until the end.

Even though socks are something we wear every day, they are also tools whose mechanisms are surprisingly unknown.

At the sock workshop Toré, we will continue to pursue such designs under the theme of "socks that aren't flashy but can be worn every day."

Click here for the Toré EC site ↓↓