History of Argyle Socks

Although there are various stories on the origin of these socks, it's generally agreed they first showed up around 1500 as the footwear of the Scottish clan of Campbell in the town of Argyll in Scotland. The clan's colors were green and white, represented in their kilts and later, footwear made of the same cloth. From this simple beginning, argyle socks were born.

Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish writer and poet was largely responsible for immortalizing the argyle pattern when he brought attention to the design in a casual mention in his writings.

Argyle socks first became popular with the masses in the U.S. in 1949 when the president of Brooks Brothers, John Clark Wood, brought them to the states for a new casual look. He became aware of the sock pattern when he saw them on a golfer during a golf tournament he attended in Scotland. As the story goes, argyle patterns were first formed when Scots clansmen cut their traditional tartan plaids on the bias for use as foot coverings, thus creating the unique diamond pattern on the side of the sock.