The story of Monsieur Chaussette

The story of Monsieur Chaussette

 

Even if the first Teddy bear would be born in 1902, mothers started making soft dolls for their children to play with during the Victorian era in America when the «Art&Craft» movement (our present DIY) was a real fashion then. During that time European countries were racing to colonise Africa. The recent knowledge of the exotic animal species found in Africa provided inspiration for sewn stuff monkeys beyond dolls.This little animals are stuffed with newspaper or corn sheets.

1869 – John Nelson, a Swedish immigrant patented the sock knitting machine in United States during the industrial revolution. Thousands of socks animals were created in the Canadian and American families.

1929 – During the Depression, when toys were too expensive and fabric was hard to come by, Sock Monkeys were at the height of their popularity. Grandma would take a pair of Grandpas old work socks and make a Sock doll. Many sock monkeys appear in american homes.

1950 – The Nelson Knitting Company (from the sock knitting machine inventor) embraced this creative use for their socks and began including a sock monkey pattern in every sock packet. Old worn out socks were given a new life by Grandmothers across America. Sock monkeys were said to be good luck charms.

1960 – Because of industrial or plastic toys, and globalisation, sock animals were progressively less and less sewn.

2018 – Monsieur Chaussette is the european cousin of the sock monkey. His design and its colors has evolved, he is tall, soft and smooth (he is a real cuddle toy) and made with all brand new socks. There are 5 little guys: Marin, Léon, Gaston, Marcel and Lucien. Even if the way of sewing them is the same, they all have a different expression and their own personality. Monsieur Chaussette respects the ancestral tradition: every monkey is hand-sewn in Italy and the socks (as well as all the material and the packaging needed to sew them) are also Italian and conceived from our designs. Monsieur Chaussette complies with all the general safety requirement, conformity assessment criteria and European standards regarding the toys safety and is CE marked. He can be safely loved and cuddled.