A men's only club in Sydney has banned sockettes. Is it Victorian-era modesty or fashion policing below the ankle?
Hold my prosecco and plate of canapes, do I have a story for you. According to the Australian Financial Review, the elite private members Australian Club in Sydney has embarked on a war on men's socks, and the common sockette is in the firing line.
As per the AFR, the club secretary has distributed amendments to its dress requirements for the clubhouse, which requires that jackets be 'tailored' and that socks – which, they note, 'must be worn by gentlemen', should cover above the ankle.
I can only assume the fashion police will be waiting at the doors, and if you have a low-rise ankle sock on, or, even worse, no sock at all, you're in danger.
I thought private members' clubs were from the 18th century. We still have them?
Unfortunately, yes.
The Australian Club is actually the oldest gentlemen's club in the southern hemisphere, established in 1838 as a private, men's only establishment. It's part of a string of reciprocal elite clubs around the globe, including the Melbourne Club and Athenaeum Club, also in Melbourne.
According to its website, the Sydney club, situated at 165 Macquarie Street, boasts 'unparalleled views' of the Botanic Gardens and north shore, 'where tradition and modernity are skilfully blended'. Sockettes, presumably, do not count in that skilful blend.
Wow that's so retro. How is it still men's only?
Ima, be reasonable. When it opened, this was a different era. It was 1838! Women couldn't vote, hold political office, or own property in their own right. But yeah, it's still a boys' club.
In 2021, 62% of its members, who include John Howard and Malcom Turnbull, controversially rejected a proposal to allow women to join (though we don't know how the former prime ministers voted), with some fearing the 'atmosphere' of the club could be 'irreparably damaged'.
Women are welcome to stay in the clubhouse and use facilities when a member is with them though! They just can't go on the first floor until after 5pm.
Right, that makes sense. A 'no girls allowed' vibe. So what were the rules for entry before?
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A pretty stringent dress code has always been in place. Members and their 'gentlemen guests' have to wear a jacket and tie (though on the 'relaxed' third floor, ties are optional), and 'ladies' can wear a dress, skirt, tailored trousers with a jacket or evening pants.
No denim is allowed, and don't even think about sports shoes. This is the Australian Club – not the wild west.
So. Many. Questions. If pants are a prerequisite, why ban sockettes? Not cute, but don't they remain out of sight? Or are more members rocking a three-quarter chino these days? If an exposed ankle is the cause of scandal … is it the sensuality of a man's lower leg?
I don't want to think about the sensuality of an old man's leg.
But honestly, if it were me making the rules, I would ban sockettes on the basis they're just a bit daggy. I mean, their slightly longer cousin, ankle socks, have been colloquially referred to as 'millennial socks' because they're such a fashion faux pas among youth.
And the Australian Club is all about 'modernity'. Its members may have a median age above 60, but that doesn't mean they're not sailing on the winds of contemporary fashion. I'm with the secretary. Get with the times, I say, and pull up your socks.
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