Beginning: I just Googled "Argyle Socks: a history". Since I knew that there was a Duke of Argyle, I thought that perhaps they were first developed, in part, due to him. Boy did I get an eye opener. Here's what I found out.
Argyle socks are a modern invention, since they weren't called that until around 1928 or so, but in actuality have been around in different forms since possibly ancient times. In order to give you a little information about them I have to back up a little and give you some information on the history of Scotland. Please know that I am not a Scottish historian and so there will be gaping holes in this brief history but remember we are trying to sort out Argyle socks, not the history and relations between Scotland and England which quite frankly is so tangled, it looks like a spider web that fell out of a tree and survived a hurricane! It would take someone better than me to untangle that mess.
During the 1700s there was an ongoing political battle between Scotland and England. The Stuarts, who had sat on the thrown in England since just after the death of Queen Elizabeth the first, and were of Scottish descent, had lost the thrown through conflict between the catholic and protestant church. Queen Mary and her husband William of Orange, took the thrown of England and king James who was a Stuart was ousted rather resoundingly.
Scotland became divided in their support of the new king. Most of the lowlands of Scotland slowly came to support the new king of England and protestantism (through the Presbyterian church mainly) while most of the Scottish highlands remained loyal to the Stuart king and catholicism. The Highlanders began to collect money among their people in the early 1700s in an effort to encourage the Stuart's return to the thrown. The ex-king's son, who we know as Bonnie Prince Charlie, was being supported by Rome and France and the monies collected in Scotland. There were great hopes that the Stuarts would re-invade England with the help of their supporters, called Jacobites. Jacobites could be found all over Europe and the Stuart cause was supported by many in the European community. But Bonnie Prince Charlie was no true leader and was in fact a drunken fool, spoiled and thoughtless when it came to his own desires. He had no regard for the people who followed him. In 1746 there was a horrific battle in the Scottish highlands at the site of Culloden following several successful battles on the part of the Jacobites. Here they were resoundingly defeated. The result of this battle had much to do with the subsequent affects on the dress of the Scottish highlanders.
In an effort to break the spirit of the highland clans the King of England instituted the Dress Act or de-kilting act where all dress of the highland and even the highland pipes were banned. As a result of this act much information has been lost as to traditional Scottish Highland dress. The kilts of today and the Argyle socks that are used now are actually a re-creation of the original, and like all clothing has developed to the point that modern science has influenced much of how the highland dress is worn.
So Argyle socks.... those who wear Scottish dress now wear kilts that are pleated with stitched pleats and knitted Argyle socks sporting a diamond pattern that matches the pattern of the kilt they are wearing. The first knitting machine was developed in the 1500s when the demand for hose was high. Prior to this, Argyle socks were knitted by hand and were not easily come by. By the mid 1600s knitting machines were much more common and so, knitted hose with diamond patterns were easier to come by. I imagine for warmth of the legs of the men who wore the kilts, these socks would have been knit with quite a heavy yarn from the typical highland sheep which was coarse.... (possibly the Scottish Black Faced which would have been the common sheep of the highlands at that time). After Culloden and the Dress Act or de-kilting act of the 1700s, traditional highland dress was not worn and so much was lost. It was only after King George IV in 1822, visited the highlands that kilts and hose were re-instated for military dress only.
The Duke of Argyle which would have been Clan Cambell made popular, modern Argyle socks, around 1928 when hunting grouse was popular. The greatest area for hunting grouse was on and around the Argyle estate in Scotland. Part of these hunting weekends would be the country's national sport of playing golf. The typical golfing outfit would have been knee length pants (trews)in a tartan pattern with socks (hose) of the same tartan. Thus the name Argyle became popular only after 1928 or so when hunting weekends among the elite were frequent.
Now I have to back up a bit because it was grouse hunting on fancy estates and golf that gave the typical diamond pattern that we know as Argyle its name, but in actuality they were around long before that.....
In ancient times the Celts were spread far and wide across the European continent eventually spreading to the British Isles. They brought with them a rich culture. But as Roman influence moved ever northward much of the Celtic culture was lost in mainland Europe. On the British Isles, however, Celtic culture remained in tact and unchanged especially in remote regions such as the Scottish highlands. The men of the highlands were shepherds, farmers and hunters. They would have been exposed to the elements since most of their activities would have been out of doors. From very early etchings the Celtic garb included short skirt-like garments over form fitting leggings. The leggings were probably made from leather originally, and were tubular in shape and would not have covered the nether regions... ; } thus the short kilt. I am not sure when weaving became the practice for clothing but it was relatively early as we have examples of weaving from as far back as Egyptian times and probably earlier. Perhaps the Celts brought the practice of weaving with them when they came to the British Isles, however, for whatever the reason, we know that by medieval times short woven kilts were being used over leather leggings. Perhaps because leather was stiff or perhaps because leather was harder to tan and prepare than was woven material, but eventually the leggings were made from woven fabric sometimes with leather on the upper inner leg area probably to help the material withstand the rubbing of the legs together, or horse back riding might have been a factor for the leather. These leggings were called truibhas (a Gaelic word pronounced trews I think) which were the precursor to trousers. They were form fitting by being cut on the bias so as to fit the form of the leg better, and they also were cut from the same material as the tartan kilt. Since being cut on the bias turned the grid pattern (sett) of the tartan on the diagonal it was the original Argyle pattern. For some reason the fashion of the kilt began to change and slowly the kilt became longer and trews became shorter. There seems to have been two types of trews at one point where there was an upper trew (which eventually were changed from form fitting to quite loose and are the beginnings of those God awful plaid golf knee length pants that we saw in the early years of the last century and are still around today as men's walking shorts) and a lower trew, (now known as Argyle socks) held in place by a garter either on the upper leg or the lower leg. Eventually a sock or foot was knitted and attached to the bottom of the lower trew, either plain or in the same pattern. This was the precursor to modern hose (now known as Argyle socks).
Ok so now we need to look at the kilt for a moment. By the 1700s there was in use the garment called the great kilt among clansmen and depending on which clan you came from the kilt could be worn worn in many different ways, I gather. There is no one way to put on a great kilt. The great kilt was actually a large piece of material usually 25 inches wide by about 9 meters long for a large man. sometimes this would have been cut in two pieces and sown together to form a rectangle 144" x 50". It would have been laid on the floor or ground and pleated or gathered by hand and then wrapped around the body and belted into place with a leather belt to which might have been attached a knife and sporran (leather bag for holding things). The upper part would have been folded over the belt or thrown over the shoulders or used to keep the upper body warm in some manner. It could also be folded in a way for the excess material to form pockets. We all know the joke about what a man wears under his kilt.... nothing! This may be true but the lower leg would have to have been kept warm and this was done with trews, cut on the diagonal.
You can see with the changes in trews over the years, how they led to trousers, short golfing pants, the modern day kilt, and eventually Argyle socks.
So there you have it. My navy socks with the Argyle diamond and the wee Scotty terriors are precious.... I love them.... who knew they had such a history.
Here are a few examples of modern Argyle hose...
Oh.. and by the way the kilt was worn by men only.... and there were hunting tartans for each clan that were drab colours to blend into the wild, and dress tartan that would have had brighter colours. Women could only wear the clan tartan as a shawl or shoulder throw, pinned with a brooch that would have had the emblem of the clan.
Hmm... maybe I should consider knitting or weaving some nice Argyle patterned trews... socks.... leggings.... or the like.
Arrrgggyle socks!!! Whose up for a round of golf??!!
