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Description

Pair of coarse white cotton socks (part a-b). The sock has wide ankles, rounded heel and foot angled downward. The fabric is folded over at the top to form a double layer with the seam joining the layers and outlining the rest of the sock. The edges of the fabric are concealed between the layers. Uneven rows of machine stitching reinforce or repair the area above the heel.

History Of Use

Cotton socks, like these but with pointed toes, were worn by Korean men. The outer fabric of Korean socks was folded under to the inside at the top, and sewn with concealed stitching to an inner layer of a different fabric.

Narrative

Most of the clothing in the J. McRee Elrod Collection was made for him and his family by friends while they were living in Korea, much of it by Kim, Sung Sook. She and her family lived cooperatively in the same house as the Elrod family. While they were there, the Elrods preferred to wear Korean clothing on very cold days and for social occasions. They found it to be more comfortable than western clothing in cold weather, as public buildings were unheated in the period immediately following the Korean War. It also was more comfortable for floor seating in Korean homes, and easier to store with limited furniture than western clothing. The children’s clothing was worn by their children Mark and Lona.