We have been obsessed with those slouchy ankle socks from Prada since we first started seeing them in ‘08. We cannot for the life of us find what collection they are from and are starting to think that maybe they weren’t Prada after all. The only thing we’re sure of is that we saw them. Somewhere.

It never occurred to us to actually invest in them. I guess we both thought, they’re just socks. We can get socks anywhere. Well, little did we know what a task we had tasked ourselves with! For the past year and a half or so, we have been searching high and low for the perfect slouchy ankle socks. We’ve been to Target, to American Apparel, to Bloomingdales, H&M, Urban Outfitters… We’ve bought countless pairs of socks and tried to DIY our own Prada slouchy sock, but to no avail.

Then, we were at Bloomies looking for tights for an upcoming shoot and came across these little guys from Betsey Johnson…

We definitely were not looking for pink glitter Betsey Johnson socks, but they were seriously calling out to me. So we got them. And they’re perfect…

Mason anorak, Gar-de Penn henley, Opening Ceremony high-waisted skirt, Betsey Johnson socks, 1st season Louis Vuitton pumps

Since starting on this post, I’ve done a lot of research in my quest to find that elusive little slouchy ankle sock and my search has unearthed some of the internet’s most stylish ladies rockin’ all kinds of socks. So, thought I’d collect a few of them and give you a tribute to the Sock.

Susie Bubble with her collage from Prada’s SS07 collection along with some shots of her DIY version

The Aldridge ladies, Judy and Jane, sporting a variety of sock/shoe combos…

Alix, the cherry blossom girl…

Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere…

and our new friend, Erin, doing a delightful job of mixing her colors…

Long live the sock!!

images via Style Bubble, Atlantis Home, Sea of Shoes, The Cherry Blossom Girl, and Cupcakes and Cashmere.

So, i just read on Sea of Shoes that Jane Aldridge has a capsule shoe collection coming out with Urban Outfitters. A number of the comments on her post were rather negative — calling her an “advertising opportunity” and her designs “knock-offs”. I am not going to deny that she is indeed a great marketing opportunity for a conglomerate like UO, nor am I going to deny the obvious influences of Margiela and Ann Demeuelemeester in her designs, but can we just step aside for a second and look at things the way they are? First of all, the girl is a mere 17 years old. Yes, she comes from an affluent family. Yes, her mother is an experienced style maven (with a closet laden with treasures). And yes, she has access to items that most of us can only dream about. However, the girl really knows her fashion and she’s smart enough to grab an opportunity when it comes her way. Even the wealthiest and most pampered of teenagers don’t even know how to pronounce Demeulemeester, let alone know who she is. Be jealous if you will, be critical if you will, but you have to admit that Jane has a taste level more sophisticated than many who call themselves fashion industry professionals. 

Let us not forget — fashion is a business. We recently posted about working a Hugo Boss sample sale and trust me, there was nothing glamorous about it. Were the suits expensive and fabulous? Yes. Was the event surrounded by paparazzi? No. There is definitely a blurry line between fashion and retail and, for some reason, that line seems blurriest in the US. The people that seem to be dressed the worst are the first ones to go after someone exhibiting a sense of personal style. Great style always seems to be equivalent to snobbishness in our society — and it definitely creates a frenzy of envy. Even if the aforementioned is wearing H & M. 

So what do I think about Jane’s collection for Urban Outfitters? I think it’s bloody fantastic! It’s hard to make affordable shoes look good and I think these look damn good. Hats off to Urban Outfitters and to Jane. They may be knock-offs, but I’d rather wear Jane Aldridge Ann D knock-offs than Nine West Marc Jacobs knock-offs any day.

So, most of you who follow this blog are undoubtedly familiar with the uber-stylish Jane of Sea of Shoes. We love Jane, but after reading Jane’s blog for some time, we have really become taken with Jane’s mom, Judy Aldridge. Judy should be the poster child (woman?) for twentythirtyforty.net. She wears what she loves and loves what she wears. She is not afraid to take risks and clearly dresses solely for herself. She rocks out every single outfit she dons with the utmost confidence and commitment. Just look at her in this shirtdress with piles and piles of accessories and good old-fashioned geek glasses.

Good, no? Judy has a long and prestigious history in the world of fashion (former model & boutique owner, now online purveyor of style), so it’s no surprise that she’s such a style maven. You’ll definitely want to check out her online vintage shop, Atlantis Vintage, as well as her fantastic blog, Atlantis Home(where she always posts about newly added shop items). Judy loves her some vintage shopping and she has a very keen eye, so things in her shop move quickly. Don’t wait too long or that YSL silk shift will be gone like McQueen on Gilt Groupe! 

It’s difficult as a woman over 40 to stay hip, stylish, current and age-appropriate. Somehow, Judy Aldridge always seems to get it right. She’s just down with who she is and that’s reflected in her impeccable personal style. I think what always gets us about her is how completely effortless and cool she always looks. We love those Olsen twins (haven’t talked about that much, but we do), but THIS is the style icon that we aspire to be.

Gotta love a woman who understands the power of a great shoe and some fabulous accessories…

And Judy’s style isn’t just about Judy: check out the skirt she made for daughter, Carol (this one bakes, by the way. such a creative and talented group of ladies!)

Thank you, Judy, for inspiring us all to take some risks, wear what we love, and embrace who we are.