Foot Fetish...

Is there rumor of a sock shortage that I don’t know about?? Because it appears that hoarding of pantyhose and socks is completely out of control!

I was at my girlfriend’s house last week and we were looking through an old trunk that was her grandmothers, and inside was a pair of old wool socks. First, I thought, gross... Then I noticed how many times they had been darned. These were very well worn socks. Clearly, she was a frugal woman who did not believe in waste or did not have the luxury of owning several pairs, let alone DOZENS. It left me feeling not only very fortunate, but a little embarrassed over my good fortune or ocassional decisions to "toss" vs. fix things, at the same time.

One pair of excessively darned socks is certainly extreme, but can we be a little more realistic about the amount of balled up pantyhose and socks a person really might NEED on hand? Perhaps if you live in a rural area, or have a hard to find size of pantyhose, you might need to store more than average. But with department stores and drug stores right down the street practically open 24/7 there is no need to fear you might have pantyhose fashion emergency and can't find another pair quickly. Or heaven forbid, put on another color or outfit until tomorrow! The general rule of thumb is; two of each color should MORE than suffice. If you wear them frequently, wash them right after you wear them, so they are ready to wear again. When they wear out, throw them away, and buy another pair. (Again, apply the one-in/one-out rule). As always, be honest, be reasonable, be SIMPLE.

The same sensible idea applies to socks. But is a much more prevalent problem. How many socks can one possibly wear in a week? If you have colored socks - stick to the two per color rule maximum also, BUT be reasonable about how many different colored socks you REALLY need. Is your dresser stuffed with purple or pink socks that you wear once a year with a certain outfit or costume? Would your feet be just as warm and comfy in another color? I question which choice might really be a bigger fashion faux pas, wearing the pink socks, or having to wear white instead? I'd have to see the outfit :) I recommend 4 basic colors (tan, black, blue, brown) and the rest in WHITE. This will reduce the amount of time trying to find that one sock that is missing. Try to buy the same style each time if possible, to keep them mix and match.

Occasionally there are some necessary specialty socks (peds for clogs, knee highs etc) which is fine. Again, limit the colors and the amount of each style. And if you must have a pair or more of socks for every HOLIDAY, store them with other infrequently used seasonal clothing in your closet vs. taking up valuable real estate in your dresser drawer. Quit digging through dozens and dozens of sock that you NEVER wear, trying to find the pair that you ALWAYS wear. The 80/20 rule applies here too. You most likely wear 20% of your socks, 80% of the time. They are your favs, be honest.

So quick, how many pairs do you think you have? Most think 7-12 pair. If I was a betting woman, I'd say it's closer to 15-30 and depending on the woman, probably more :).

Wear what you have. When they wear out, toss them. If they are colored, and you are down to your 2 per color maximium, replace them with white if you need them. If you have enough whites, control yourself and resist the urge to buy more! What is enough whites? If you wear hose and or colored socks on occassion, 7 white socks are enough. If white is all you ever wear, then 14 is more than enough.. It will last you a week if you wear 2 pair a day, or two weeks if you wear a pair a day. If two weeks worth isn't enough, then that is another subject, for another day - Laundry!