Ovadafut - socks

[amirrorcrackd]

I just got a pair of these, and I'm wearing them for the first time. They were made in France (and with some designer's name on them, can't remember who). They have a kind of fun, funky pattern, and they are not wool (I threw out all the tags, so I can't remember what they are made of -- cotton/poly/elastin maybe or just cotton/elastin). Anyway, point of my post: Damn do they stay up. I've never had a sock stay up on my leg so well.

Dan

BTW: I got them at Daffy's for like 6 bucks down from about 25 or so.

 

[RJman]

By Vivek Nagrani, who seems to want to hide his apparent South Asian heritage by changing shortly after launching Ovadafut to "V.K. Nagrani".

I won't wear them strictly on principle -- Ovadafut is the dumbest-ass brand name I have ever heard. Even "Big Yank" was better.

 

[amirrorcrackd]

Ah well, my principles may be faulty, but my socks sure ain't.

Dan

 

[uriahheep]

Changing "Vivek" to "V.K." doesn't really hide his heritage very well. "Nagrani" is unmistakably South Asian. Would anybody think it to be something else? Lots of South Asians seem to go by two initials followed by a name. Any reason for this?

 

[kabert]

Changing "Vivek" to "V.K." doesn't really hide his heritage very well. Â "Nagrani" is unmistakably South Asian. Â Would anybody think it to be something else? Lots of South Asians seem to go by two initials followed by a name. Â Any reason for this?

Many Italian surnames end in "ani." Thus, I can see how it easily could be confused as, perhaps, an Italian name and sock maker.

 

[RJman]

Changing "Vivek" to "V.K." doesn't really hide his heritage very well. Â "Nagrani" is unmistakably South Asian. Â Would anybody think it to be something else? Lots of South Asians seem to go by two initials followed by a name. Â Any reason for this?

Culturally, the 2 initials+last name is very common. Not sure why. RJman-ani.

 

[globetrotter]

Changing "Vivek" to "V.K." doesn't really hide his heritage very well. Â "Nagrani" is unmistakably South Asian. Â Would anybody think it to be something else? Lots of South Asians seem to go by two initials followed by a name. Â Any reason for this?

oh, yeah, very very common. first, some of the names are difficult, even for south asians - remember that in india there are a huge number of dialects and language families. or if not difficult, long and easy to mispronounce. in the way that some cultures have their surname first or in the middle, and it might require knowledge to know how a person prefers to be called - you have that in india with different casts/religions. so the whole issue of calling people by the correct name can be difficult, not only for forigners. add to that the issue of dealing with forigners, and a lot of people choose to use initials. another thing - sometimes the surnames, which often are caste names, are not the most flattering. I think that there is a power issue, as well. One of the most influencial men in Mumbai is called "JT". it is like being "the donald". if everybody knows you by your initials, you must be powerful.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Interesting article from washingtonpost.com about Mr. Nagrani's socks. Seriously, who here wears $125 socks?

Blue-Chip Socks
Haute Hose by Vivek Nagrani, Just the Thing to Cool Your Heels

By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 24, 2006; Page C01

NEW YORK

Sock designer Vivek Nagrani stretches to reach a corner shelf in his tiny showroom east of Times Square and pulls down a handmade birch box that he refers to as his "sock humidor." You may laugh at the notion of socks being compared to expensive Cuban cigars. He does not.

There are four pairs of Tibetan cashmere socks in mouth-watering vegetable shades curled cozily inside. Nagrani removes a pair of basil-green-and-heather ones and gently unfurls them. "Feel this," he coos.

The socks are as soft as a kitten. Nice. But then Nagrani says that each pair costs $125. Do the math: You are staring at $500 worth of men's hosiery. You begin to yearn for the good old days, when sartorial panache could be had with a four-in-hand purchased from Countess Mara for less than $100.

But socks, in certain quarters, are becoming an alternative to the power tie as a man's point of distinction. "Men who dress up are beginning to treat the socks like they started treating ties 20 years ago," says Trish McHale, the executive vice president of marketing for Gold Toe Hosiery.

Nagrani's gaze lingers over his wares. What is that look in his eyes? Pride? Affection? No, it is something closer to despair. Nagrani, a man who loves socks the way some folks love their pets, admits that he ended up having to give these socks away rather than sell them. It turned out the fine cashmere could stand up to only five washings. That would mean that each wearing would cost a man $25 and that seemed steep even for Nagrani, who ordinarily does not flinch at charging exorbitant prices for socks. A pair of his basic cotton socks, manufactured in either Italy or France, costs $30. The average price of a pair of socks sold in the United States this year was $1.52, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm.

Click link to see rest of article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...32.html?sub=AR

 

[thinman]

Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser

Interesting article from washingtonpost.com about Mr. Nagrani's socks. Seriously, who here wears $125 socks?


Ha! Until I found the forum, I didn't even wear $125 *shoes*.

 

[chorse123]

Good article.

5 washings? I have a couple of pairs of very expensive cashmere socks ($80 or $125, I forget - I paid around $10), and I hand wash them. They've held up very well.

I would wear his socks - they seem relatively well made, and can be had on steep discount at Century 21 - but I have never seen a design I would want to wear. Not a single one.

 

[edmorel]

Marshalls sells cotton Ovadafut's for under $10. I'm sure his cashmere offering are around the corner at Marshalls for $25 or so.

 

[Quirk]

Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser

The average price of a pair of socks sold in the United States this year was $1.52, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm.


Oh come on, that can't be right. Even cheap socks are $5. Or maybe 3 pair for $12 or something. But $1.52 AVERAGE? No way.

 

[EL72]

Originally Posted by Quirk

Oh come on, that can't be right. Even cheap socks are $5. Or maybe 3 pair for $12 or something. But $1.52 AVERAGE? No way.

Entirely believable. Most socks sold in the US are cotton sport (tube) socks, not dress socks, which you can easily buy for $1.50 each, 3 for $5... I rarely pay more than $1 each for my sport socks.

 

[Quirk]

Originally Posted by EL72

Entirely believable. Most socks sold in the US are cotton sport (tube) socks, not dress socks, which you can easily buy for $1.50 each, 3 for $5... I rarely pay more than $1 each for my sport socks.

Really? Seriously, I thought they stopped making tube socks in the 80s. Are those what people generally wear with sneakers these days? If they're cotton, I'm surprised you can get them that cheap.

 

[Edward Appleby]

Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser

Interesting article from washingtonpost.com about Mr. Nagrani's socks. Seriously, who here wears $125 socks?
Someone posted a while ago asking about bespoke socks, which was perhaps the most pointless extravagance of the many pointless extravagances we support around here.