I have little enough opportunity to wear sock suspenders, or garters, out here in California—as I type, I am happy to report, I’m wearing sandals with no socks at all—but under your inspiration, John, I just a moment ago closed my eyes and pictured myself wearing garters and a suit, as I did every day of the working week back when I lived in Washington. The result of this mental experiment? A smallish document—say, ten or twelve pages—would, I decided, conform very nicely to the shape of one’s calf, fitting snugly inside an ankle-length dress sock, the additional weight proving no problem for a proper garter.

Tube socks would indeed have posed a problem. But if Berger was wearing dress socks and garters, he could have pulled the caper off.