I think it went like this:

• Linux is highly customizable
• customizing or "ricing" your Linux machine became a hobby
• weebs got into the hobby, infesting the space with anime waifus and other degenerate cartoons
• some time during the weeb infestation, thigh high socks became a recurring theme
• gay/trans programmers sarcastically posted themselves in thigh high socks
• gay/trans programmers who didn't get the sarcasm unironically adopted thigh high socks
• Rust was invented

So you see, it's just another example of the kind of tragedies that can befall society when sarcasm isn't clearly labeled on the internet.