OC, you have just revealed something important- probably so important that it is obvious to the rest. White hose set off Ghillie brogues. No wonder they are so popular.

The vogue for black hose seems to me to mirror the vogue for all things black- black labels on groceries, head-to-toe black outfits, etc. When I was a lad, black was really not that cool- black was the color of cop cars and bad guys' hats. And bad guys were not necessarily as cool as the last 25 years have made them. Over on another forum, I remember reading that black guitars were not cool at all in the 60s and 70s.

We have Darth MacVader among others, to thank for the change, I suppose. I saw a football team (American) on TV the other night, dressed in black jerseys, black pants, and black socks. They looked menacing and cool. Somehow, menacing and cool have become more desirable in the last half of the 20th century and the dawning of the 21st.

I liked the reference to burned sticks in the post above. I think dark socks or hose tend to make one's legs look even pastier above them. And I have said too many times that dark hose remind me of a gentleman who has just removed his trousers. I prefer something more obviously intended to be seen, something specifically for kiltwear.

But even I know the best advice of all was "See what your wife thinks".