Leeann Duggan works at Rookie and maintains her own blog at Born in Flames.
I found these socks one gloomy, winter afternoon when I was wandering around Williamsburg. It was one of those bitterly cold mid-winter days when you feel like the weather is never gonna break, and you're doomed to perma-numb fingertips and cold feet from the slush seeping in your boots. Since my to-go coffee from Konditori had long since gone cold, I was in desperate need of some warmth. I ducked into a little shop off Bedford that I'd never been in before, drawn mostly to its amber light and the steamed-up windows promising warmth inside.
Right by the register, I spotted these little polka-dot socks in every sugary, sherbet-y color of the rainbow, from lilac to sky blue to bubble-gum pink. Instantly, I was snapped out of my winter gloom. I imagined wearing them with my platform clogs and a swingy little tennis skirt, with my white high-top Chucks and cutoff jean shorts, peeking out of my two-tone oxfords with jeans rolled just so. I could feel my winter-bittered little heart melting just looking at them. Still, this was Williamsburg, so I was afraid they'd be priced for the premium denim-clad tourists lining the streets of Bedford with their subway maps. With some trepidation, I flipped them over to look at the price tag: $1.99 each! Needless to say, I bought 'em in every color — a small price to pay for the promise of summer.
My friends hate me because I can't remember for the life of me the name of the shop where I bought them. Someone told me she has the same socks in black from the dollar store (to which I say...where is this magic fashion dollar store?!). Alas, the socks' store of origin will remain a mystery. But I still get compliments every time I wear them, and every time I pull 'em on, it instantly feels like summer.