"Around your feet, tie your sandals made from brutally hunted oxen skin

and, under these, dress them in piloi."

Hesiod, "Days and Works"
An evolving history, with the Greeks as the protagonists.
The first, ancient sock was invented and designed by a Greek. The history of the
sock begins in Greece. Fro the !th cent"ry #.$ "piloi" to the %&st cent"ry sock, the
Greeks have played a leading part in this story in progress.
't is known that Hesiod lived after Hoer(s era, aro"nd )*+,)++ #.$. in Askra of -iotia,
at the foothill of o"ntain Helikon. Hesiod wrote his poes d"ring his harsh life as a
shepherd. 'n his asterpiece "Days and Works" Hesiod gave advice to his brother
.ersis, so that he co"ld protect hiself fro the cold and properly dress his head and
body.
$oncerning the feet, Hesiod s"ggested that .eris wore sandals and, "nder these,
cover his feet with "piloi", a cloth ade of wool or anial hair /"Days and Works" verse
*0%1.
The History of Socks
The word "sock" coes fro the 2atin word "socc"s", which was a type of low
heeled loose,fitting shoe or slipper, "sed by the Greeks and 3oan coedians. 't then
passed thro"gh 4ld 5nglish "socc" and 6iddle 5nglish "socke". The 2atin word derives
fro the ancient Greek "sykkos", a .hrygian shoe. 7oe of the Greeks wore sykkos on
their feet, then p"t their sandals on top of the, and like odern day people, they took
their sandals off and walked aro"nd their ho"ses in their sykkos.
In the 8th century B.., the !reek poet Hesiod "as the first to "rite of
"piloi", socks made from matted animal hair.
The 3oans, wrapping their feet in strips of leather or woven fabric, by the %nd
cent"ry A.D. were wearing ""dones", which were sewn fro woven fabric and were
p"lled over their feet.
'n 5gyptian tobs of the 8rd,9th cent"ries A.D. the first knit socks were
discovered.
'n 5"rope, socks were strips of cloth wrapped aro"nd legs and feet. They were
called "leggings". 'n the 6iddle Ages, the length of tro"sers was e:tended and the sock
becae a tight cloth covering the lower part of the leg, held by a soe kind of a garter.
When "breeches" becae shorter, socks began to get longer. Aro"nd the &%th cent"ry
feet were added to that hose. Aro"nd &0;+, breeches and hose <oined and were ade as
one garent, foring tights. These were ade of colo"rf"l silk, wool and velvet, with
each leg a different colo"r.
=nitted hose was worn in 7cotland aro"nd the t"rn of the &*th cent"ry, and then
in France. Willia 2ee, an 5nglish clergyan, invented the knitting achine in &*!;,
while any of the principles 2ee developed can still be fo"nd in odern te:tile
achinery today. >"een 5li?abeth ' ref"sed Willia 2ee the first patent for his knitting
achine beca"se she didn(t like the feel of the stockings it prod"ced. His achine, she
coplained, ade wool stockings that were far too coarse for the royal ankles. When
knitting achines were reg"larly "sed in the &*;+(s, knitted hose becae ore coon
everywhere.
5"ropean fashion d"ring the &9th and &)th cent"ries was infl"enced greatly by
7pain. #eca"se of the wealth of the @ew World, 7panish clothing of that tie was
bea"tif"l fabrics adorned with ebroidery and fine <ewels. 6en(s socks were typically
ade of knitted silk and ebroidered with ebles.
$otton cae into "se in the late &)th cent"ry, while in the %+th cent"ry nylon
becae pop"lar for stockings beca"se of its strength and elasticity. At the sae tie, as
en(s pants grew longer, socks becae shorter and shorter.
4ver the years, the sock has developed into a clothing ite with eno"gh
variations to cover all tastes. $ons"ers can easily find the color, pattern and si?e of
their preferences that best fit their feet.
Excavations done on Egyptian tombs build during
the 5
th
and 6
th
century A.D. Have unearthed knitted
socks, which can be considered as an indication
that the frst form of knitted socks were worn
during that period.
&%th,cent"ry cotton sock, fo"nd in5gypt. The knitter of this sock started work at the toe
and then worked "p towards the leg. The heel was ade last and then attached to loops
fored while knitting the leg. This practice allowed the heel to be easily replaced when it
wore o"t.
The 'll"stration of the .resent 7ocks
History on a Timeline
#AT$ Si%nificance &AT$'IA(S )*+TI,+S
!
TH
$ent"ry
#.$.
5arliest odels
of socks worn by
Greeks
Anial Hairs which were
atted
.rovide warth to
the feet rather than
fashion stateent
%
nd
$ent"ry
A.D.
3oans initial
version of socks
7trips of 2eather or woven
fabric
Feet protection
*
th
$ent"ry
A.D.
5gyptians cloth
socks
=nitted socks /split toes1 Designed for "se
with sandals
*
th
$ent"ry
A.D.
5"ropeAs socks
for holy people
."ttees Worn by holy
people to
syboli?e p"rity
&+++ A.D. $olored cloth with garters 7ybol of wealth
and nobility
&*
th
$ent"ry
A.D.
'nvention of
5nglish loo
6ore decorative, first printed
socks and 7ocks of different
length cae o"t
.rotective garent
and fashion
accessory
&9
th
$ent"ry ornaental design on the
ankleBside of a sock / called
clock1
&*!; 'nvention of
knitting
achine
7ocks were knitted si: ties
faster than hand
&9
th
and &)
th

cent"ry
5"ropean en
started to wear
socks with
eble
knitted silk socks with
ebles ebroidered onto
the
socks ade fro cotton
becae widely pop"lar /later
part of&)th cent"ry1
&;++As first circ"lar
knitting fraes
were invented
which in t"rn
led to the
echani?ation
of the sock
ind"stry and the
ass prod"ction
of socks
=nitted socks
&;8! 'ntrod"ction of
nylon
7ock coloring
was also
introd"ced
7ocks were coonly ade of
silk, cotton and wool
.eople started to ake socks
by blending two or ore
fabrics rather than "sing a
single fabric.
developent of
new looks, styles,
and patterns in
socks.
.resent day 7ocks are ade fro a variety
of aterials like polyester,
spande:, polyaide, and
acrylic
7ocks for a part
of any school
"nifors
Great variety of shapes and
si?e C there are the
official b"siness socks, the
anklets, knee high socks, short
socks, toe socks, and bare
socks
The socks today
are not "sed as a
siple piece of
clothing b"t are
"sed to ake a
serio"s fashion
stateent ports
tea o"tfits
The -atented Socks
'eferences.
History of Socks
httpDBBwww.po"rnara.grBenBthe,history,of,socks
httpDBBen.wikipedia.orgBwikiB7ock
stockings
httpDBBwww.google.coBpatentsBE788!80&
hosiery
httpDBBwww.google.coBpatentsBE7&+8)99;
hosiery &;&+
httpDBBwww.google.coBpatentsBE7&+!)9;+
welted garent and ethod of aking the sae
httpDBBwww.google.coBpatentsBE7&+);%9!
latest %+&0 socks patent
httpDBBwww.freshpatents.coB,dt%+&0+8+9ptan%+&0++*;)0%.php
httpDBBiages8.freshpatents.coBpdfBE7%+&0++*;)0%A&.pdf
Arellano *ni/ersity School of (a"
Intellectual -roperty (a" lass
Thursday, 0.1234.12-&
TH$ -AT$+T HIST,'5 ,) S,6S
Submitted By.
aritos, ,li/a ecilia
)lores, 7anine
!abo, 7oanna
'oxas, 'ose Ann laire
Taccad, Atheena
8on%, 8illie
Submitted To.
Atty. 7osephine Santia%o
-rofessor, Intellectual -roperty (a"
Au%ust 98, 92:;