Your essential guide to thigh socks, long socks and other lovely fashion socks

Here's some inspiration if you need to buy some fashionable socks. Whether you need ankle socks, knee socks or over the knee thigh socks then here's some inspiration from the Japanese - the world's most fanatical wearers of socks!

Socks are very popular in Asia, and are especially popular in Japan. I think sock popularity comes from the ancient Chinese belief that allowing the feet to get cold allows energy to leak out of the body via the toes. Socks are therefore an essential part of a Japanese lady's wardrobe.

Socks come in a lot of different lengths. Ankle socks are good in hot weather. Knee length socks are good in cooler weather. Finally long over the knee or thigh high stockings are suitable for very cold weather. Office ladies are very enthusiastic wearers of over the knee socks, as they usually wear skirts to work, even in cold Winter weather.

As well as keeping the feet warm, Japanese ladies seem to think that socks make legs look longer. Long over the knee socks are also very sexy, especially when worn with stilletto heels and a short skirt!

Japanese school girls normally wear knee length socks. White loose socks are also popular although they're not often part of an official school uniform. Loose socks were wildly popular in the 1990's, but are now making a retro fashion comeback. Here's some more photos of Japanese school girl fashion.

White thigh high socks are a good choice for a fancy dress party. They're popular in Japan as the perfect accessory to maid outfits. Maid costumes are especially popular around Tokyo's Akihabara Electric Town district. There are many cafes in Aihabara where the customers are served delicious food and drink by cute girls dressed as maids. It's common to see maids handing out flyers on the street in order to find more customers.

Amazon is a great place to find white thigh socks and other designs for wearing to fancy dress parties and Halloween events. The Amazon fashion mall also has all kinds of other fashionable socks. The great thing about buying socks online is that it's so easy to get the right size of sock. Most of the thigh high socks and stockings are stretchy and one size fits all.

This is one wardrobe accessory that men love!

Unfortunately wearing stockings and suspenders outside the bedroom doesn't seem popular in the Western world these days.

Thankfully there are still a few Japanese ladies who wear stockings and suspenders to go shopping. This is just one of the many reasons why I love Japan so much!