Date: c. 1930s
Origin: England
Fabric: Rayon and elastic
Brand: Cambridge Garter
In his 2010 book The story of Men’s Underwear, Dr Shaun Cole writes that:
‘After the invention of Lastex, a rubber thread, in the late 1920s socks appeared with Lastez in the ribbed tops. Self-supporting socks such as Stephens Brothers 1929 patented “Tenova”, with a Lastex band at the top and a semi-circular cut out below it and Samson’s version with a “gentle grip” band of elastic meant that sock suspenders were no longer required to hold socks up.’
From the collection of Lorraine Smith
