socks?
Socks are an interesting piece of clothing; we pay so little attention to them and yet they¡¯re central to our overall comfort in several ways: socks protect our feet from abrasion, wick away our perspiration, and keep our dew beaters snug in our shoes. They¡¯re also a small detail that can either pull your outfit together or serve as an unwelcome distraction.Today we¡¯ll give this often overlooked piece of clothing a thorough look over, if for no other reason than to ensure that when you spend your hard earned dollars you are buying the best socks for your needs.
Common Rules Concerning Socks
1. Your socks should match one another and not have holes or visible stains
Now some of you are thinking this is incredibly obvious; however, I mention this rule for those of you who fail to see the problem here. Assuming you keep your shoes on and never expose your torn and mismatched socks, there very well may not be an issue. But for most of us, failing to heed this rule is going to lead to an embarrassing situation when we unexpectedly have to remove our shoes; instead of striking up a conversation with a potential business partner, we¡¯ll be worried about concealing our protruding big toe.
2. Your socks should match your trousers
A man cannot go wrong following this advice, as it serves to create a streamlined look with no unnecessary color contrast until the eyes meet the shoes. Many men also like this rule as its rigidness leaves no room for interpretation and confusion.
However once a man has a sense of his own personal style, he should feel free to break this rule. Doing so enables him to introduce into his wardrobe a wide range of patterned and perhaps even lively colored socks that conservative dressers would avoid. I¡¯m a bigger fan of a man coordinating his choice of sock with his neck wear and shoes; although more difficult than the aforementioned rule of matching your trousers, the tradition of coordinating your shoes, socks, and neck wear has a 100 year history and can help liven up an otherwise dull outfit.
3. Wear knee length vs. ankle length socks
This rule is based off the belief that a gentleman should not expose his bare leg unintentionally. A bit archaic, I know, but it still holds sway nonetheless as the flash of white hairy skin when wearing a dark suit can be distracting. And that¡¯s not what we want.
4. Your socks should match the dress level of the rest of your ensemble
If you¡¯re wearing black-tie then choose a quality, lightweight, knee-high sock with a sheen appearance. If you¡¯re wearing a sport jacket and grey flannel trousers, heavy wool argyle socks work perfectly. Jeans, a nice t-shirt, and leather casual footwear call for a dark sock that simply pulls the shoes and denim together. A trip to the gym? Here¡¯s where you wear those white tube socks.
