At 62, I dreaded taking my shoes off at my daughter's house
At 62, I dreaded taking my shoes off at my daughter's house
Six things the Mallory socks get right that my old socks got wrong, from a woman who is not a fashion writer.
Caroline Richards · Customer · Nottinghamshire · 5 min read Let me be plain about who is talking. I am Caroline, I am 62, I live in Nottinghamshire, and I have never once sat down to write about socks. But my daughter has had new cream carpets fitted, and it is shoes off at the door now. Which is fine, except that the first time I took my boots off in her hallway I looked down at a pair of thin black socks, gone baggy at the ankle and nearly through at the heel, in front of my son-in-law. I spent the whole afternoon with my feet tucked under the sofa. So this is not a review. It is a woman who sorted out her socks, saying so.
What I found is from Nottingham Boutique, a small boutique that has been quietly dressing women our age for a few years now. They are called the Mallory socks: soft, fuzzy, cable-knit socks that come up above the ankle, and they come two pairs for the price of one. Mine are a lovely warm mushroom brown. When the boutique later asked if they could put my letter up for others to read, I said yes, on the condition I could be completely honest in it.
A letter about socks. At 62. Read on.
Here is how it happens, and I suspect it happens to most of us. Socks are the last thing we ever buy for ourselves. We wear them until they give out, because nobody sees them. Then more and more homes become shoes-off homes, the grandchildren's, our friends', and suddenly the one thing nobody saw is the thing everybody is looking at.
I had nice shoes and nice clothes, and I was hiding my feet under the sofa.
The Mallory socks are the first pair I have owned that I am happy for people to see, and having worn them most days since they arrived, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
The afternoon they came. Two pairs, and so soft I could not stop touching them.
Socks you are happy to be seen in
They have a proper cable pattern running down the leg and over the foot, like a little knitted jumper for your feet. Now when I take my boots off at my daughter's, I do not mind one bit. My granddaughter asked if she could have some.
Boots off at the door. For once, I did not mind.
So pretty I actually want people to see them. Lovely cable pattern.
Margaret S., BeestonSoft and fuzzy from the first minute
They are a plush, fuzzy knit, soft the moment you pull them on. My old socks felt like nothing. These feel like a treat.
Up close. The fuzzy cable, and the cuff that sits above the ankle.
The softest socks I have ever had. I put them on as soon as I get in.
Jean W., ArnoldA proper crew length
They come up a good way above the ankle, so there is no cold gap between the sock and my trousers, and they keep the chill off on these colder mornings.
Nice length, they keep my ankles cosy. Lovely in the mornings.
Pauline R., HucknallTwo pairs for the price of one
Every order is two pairs, and you pay for one. So there is always a pair ready while the other is in the wash. I keep my second pair in my handbag for visiting.
Brilliant offer. One pair on, one in the wash, and I am never without.
Sheila B., Long EatonEight colours, mix or match
You choose your first pair and your free pair from eight colours: beige, black, blue, brown, grey, green, white and light grey. Have the same twice or pick two different. I went for brown twice, and next time it is the green.
I picked a blue and a grey. Love being able to mix them.
Brenda C., CarltonThe easiest little present
With Christmas coming, I have already ordered some for my sister and my friend Sue. Tied with a bit of ribbon they make the loveliest stocking filler, and everybody needs socks.
Two pairs for Sue, tied with a ribbon. Christmas sorted.
Bought several for Christmas presents. Everyone loved them.
Christine P., West BridgfordThis, against my old socks
Most of us have a drawer of tired socks we never think about. I know, because mine was full of them. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
Thin and gone through at the heel
Plain black, baggy at the ankle
Hidden under the sofa
A cold gap above the ankle
Never bought, just worn out
Soft, plush and fuzzy
A pretty cable pattern
Happy for everyone to see them
A proper crew length
Two pairs for the price of one
About the price
The Mallory socks are £24.95 at the moment, and that is for two pairs. They were £50.00.
I will pass on what the boutique told me, which is that with Christmas coming the most popular colours are going first, and once this batch has gone it can be a long wait for it to come back. Their words, not mine. What I can tell you from my side is that a sale this good is usually where I start asking what is wrong with a thing, and after weeks of wearing them, I have not found it.
And I do not trust perfect scores, so I read the reviews before I ordered more for presents. Just over three hundred of them, sitting at 4.2 stars, which sounded like real women rather than robots, so I read on. The same six things I have just walked you through come up in them, over and over, in other women's words.
If you have ever tucked your feet under someone's sofa, I would start here. Not because you need more things, but because you deserve to take your shoes off and not give it a second thought. Go and have a look while your colours are still there.
Caroline
MALLORY | Warm & Cosy Socks (1+1 Free)
- Two pairs per order, the second pair free
- Soft, plush, fuzzy knit
- A classic cable pattern down each sock
- Crew length, sitting above the ankle
- Eight colours, mix or match your two pairs
- A lovely stocking filler
- Free UK delivery and 30 day returns
The sale is on now. The most popular colours are going first.