It all started with Instagram. I was scrolling one afternoon when I saw a post from a guy in Melbourne selling crochet cock socks for $150 each. Naturally, I was interested, so I went through his list of customisable options, which included cut, uncut, veins, no veins, pubes, no pubes—all of which were available in a “range of colours to match your skin or your creative mind.” I then sent a DM to place my order, and a week later received a package in the mail.
It fit like a coat. I just put my stuff inside and tied it off with a string and it felt like a warm, soft hug for my genitals. Thrilled, I posted a photo of my new willie warmer on Instagram—and got more likes than I’d ever had in my life. That’s when I decided I wanted to talk to the man behind this beautiful invention. Because who knew the world needed dick socks?
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Brett Walker (AKA Brettybobetty on Instagram) is a 33-year-old Melbourne-based artist, and the mastermind behind these socks. I hit him up to talk about his inspiration, as well as body positivity and social media censorship.
VICE: Hey Brett, let’s start with the most obvious question. Why are you making crochet dick socks?
Brett Walker: Because everybody should feel attractive and sexy within their own skin. A lot of the body positivity movement is driven from a female perspective, but I want to highlight that men face the same societal pressure too. Men can also be very sensitive about their penises and sexuality—but by seeing their dicks turned into art, I can give guys more confidence in their own bodies.
Men should feel like they are allowed to love every part of their body without comparison to others. And for men, nothing hits more personally than the uniqueness of our own dicks. We are sold a cookie-cutter image of what a penis should look like, but in reality there’s so much beautiful variety in shapes, sizes, colours, veins or no veins, pubes, foreskin length or lack thereof—and that should be celebrated. So, what better way to shine light on this than to showcase the variety with detailed crochet cock socks?
Well I’ve certainly enjoyed my sock. How long does it take you to make one?
Usually about three days. And, just for the record, I don’t use a pattern, so each cock sock is unique. Just like a digital print.
Can you walk me through the usual process with your customers?
Well, as the crochet cock socks are made for wearing, I need a few measurements to make sure they’ll fit the wearer comfortably. The commissions start from $150 and, to make it easy, I send an instructional drawing to show how to take the measurements correctly. While not compulsory, a reference photo is extremely helpful with getting shape, size and details right. Oh, and I can also make a variety of other crochet body parts, including stuffed crochet cocks for trans men to wear as packers or with straps so you can wear it without underwear.
I also get customers to select their style. Options include colours, circumcised or intact, foreskin length, whether to include vein detailing or pubic hair… I can even incorporate piercing jewellery and simple tattoo designs.
That’s wonderful, Brett. How do people generally respond when they receive their crochet dick socks?
People love them. I’ve yet to receive any negative comments or feedback. There’s a few funny looks and a bit of nervous laughter, but mostly it’s positive. I’ve also had people in the crochet community asking me questions about techniques and stuff after seeing my posts on Instagram.
How do you reckon your crochet dick socks can help men develop a close-knit relationship with their penises?
The fact that we’re talking right now about penises and male sexuality already makes me feel happy. I’m a life model and artist who has drawn many male life models with a great variety of penises, and I’m also a queer man. So you could say I have had ample experience with dicks up-close and personal, which has greatly heightened my attention to detail when creating the crochet cock socks.
Unfortunately, though, there’s a limited variety of bodies and penises available to draw in the life model community. This is because men tend to be uncomfortable if they don’t match society’s ideal image, and sadly this reflects the mindset of the society. I feel the media tells us what is and isn’t beautiful and that narrative isn’t beneficial to anybody. I believe that variety and personality are what create beauty in the world, and that’s what I want to express through my art.
Have you ever had your Instagram account flagged or taken down because of nudity? I’m asking because…
Yeah, I know. Censorship on Instagram is a joke and hardly consistent. My crochet cock socks highlight the absurdity of censorship in the best possible way: by censoring nudity with simulated nudity! Think about it: I can create a detailed replica of a cock out of yarn, then you can take a photo of yourself wearing it over your real cock, and this technically meets the guidelines. But if an artist posts a photograph that contains a penis, close-up butt, or even just a female nipple, then it can be removed for violating the guidelines.
Nudity in general is still quite taboo, but in my perspective, it should be always celebrated when it comes with art, plurality and self-esteem.
Interview by Felippe Canale. Follow him on Instagram
