Missing Sock Theory

According to the New York Times a million theories aim to explain the missing-sock phenomenon; from the rational (porous lint traps in dryers) to the fantastic (sock-swiping elves).

What if the victim decided to reject fashion orthodoxy, and its emphasis on harmonious hosiery? Such thoughts led to the founding of LittleMissMatched, a company in San Francisco that sells colour-drenched socks to girls in their tweens, meaning somewhere around the age of 11.

The socks come in packs of one, three, or seven, but never in matching pairs, and are being sold by retailers including Nordstrom and Linens 'n Things.