I have always tended to think of argyle as an Autumn thing.
To me at least, argyle’s fundamental overlapping diamond motif has a certain heavy warmth which reminds me of bundling up on crisp mornings to walk the dog. Maybe it’s the historic pattern’s Scottish heritage or its current prevalence in sweaters and thick socks, but it just makes me think “warmth.”
This is not a bad thing, just a stylistic association that I never much thought about. Then, a few weeks ago, my friends over at Smart Turnout, a favorite OTC brand, let me know that they were adding argyle socks to their already extensive and colorful lineup. A short while later a pair of the RAF argyles (shown above) arrived at my door.
I have generally tried to avoid touting lots of brands on OTC, mostly because I like what I like and have never tried to be shopping resource. I don’t want to have to run through 18 options for great khakis when I like Bill’s Khakis and that’s that. Like Bill’s and Smart Turnout, several keep popping up because they make excellent products that reflect OTC’s own brand and sense of style. With that in mind, my cold weather argyle philosophy went out the window once I pulled on these socks.
One of my beefs with argyle socks is that they always seem to feel a bit stiff and bulky. The weaving process often leaves the sock’s interior a tad bumpy and, to me, unappealing. These are smooth and seamless without any sense of bulk. I fact I’m wearing them right now and feel comfortably summery.
As a fan of regionally crafted goods, it’s also nice to hear that they are a truly English product – from the raw material to the hand finishing.