how to wear: schoolgirl chic

stuck in germany for a few hours after a work meeting last week, i decided to take a browse round H&M before heading to the airport. i'm not normally a big H&M shopper, but i find that the quality of the clothes is better on the continent than in the UK for some reason, so i try and make a point to stop in whenever i'm travelling there.

i found myself strangely drawn to the hoseiry aisle, particularly a few pairs of thick, woolly, cable-knit knee socks in school uniform shades of navy, grey and ivory. i was a bit short on time & inspiration at that point, so i didn't buy them, but i haven't been able to think about them since, especially after seeing this girl sporting an adorable bright green pair on the sartorialist.

as the temperature drops and leggings start to become impractical, thick, high socks seem like a good alternative for knee-down accessorising. i'm thinking of layering them over dark, opaque tights , peeking out of the top of chunky, flat riding boots, or even just on their own with a pinafore dress and heeled brogues. with the return to 90's in full force with black skinny trousers and grungy parkas filling the shops, it's only natural that other icons of the decade, like cher horowitz and britney, should be referenced as well, no?