| |
Socks For Every Occasion
Socks are the most underrated item of clothing, since they're usually hidden and most people pay little attention to them when making a stylistic judgment about your outfit. Yet, if you wear brown socks with black pants and brown shoes, for example, people will almost certainly notice such a blunder. On the other hand, wearing a somewhat bold, yet aesthetically sensible pair of socks instead of a boring, solid black pair could raise some eyebrows in the right direction.
You may feel like socks serve as a mere detail in your attire, and you would be right. But the smallest details set those who look extremely fashionable apart from the rest of the pack. You can master the art of wearing the right pair of socks by matching the type of sock not only to your outfit, but to the occasion for which you’re dressing.
Athletic occasions
Many men struggle to wear the appropriate socks during strenuous and/or athletic activities. I still manage to stare in wide-eyed amazement at the guys wearing the same pair of socks they wore all day at work with their white sneakers at the gym.
Functionally, you want something to fit the occasion. In this case, you need a sock that will provide comfort by absorbing the impact on your feet. You also want something to absorb sweat. So, your best bet for this occasion is a thick, cushiony, cotton sock.
With functionality taken care of, you can wonder about more stylistic concerns. These days, the socks that stop at your ankle tend to be the most popular, especially when wearing shorts. Longer tube socks should be worn sparingly, either with long sweat or track pants, or for functional purposes when playing a sport like soccer.
As for color, stick with white; you should only be wearing white socks with sneakers. Athletic activity does not necessarily forbid colored socks, but unless there is a really good reason to wear them, don’t bother.
Casual occasions
Casual occasions, such as going to the mall, to a friend’s place for a party or to a bar, probably present the most flexibility in terms of socks. You should not find this surprising, since casual occasions also present the most flexibility in terms of all other types of clothing as well. As a result, the rules here should not feel extremely constraining, but you should stay within the confines of a few guidelines.
For starters, your functional needs for a casual sock differ somewhat from what you would need for athletic activity. As casual occasions involve less strenuous activity, you don’t need a thick sock. You still want to have some padding around your feet, as you might be doing some walking, but padding is not as much of a concern as before.
In regards to material, I recommend cotton here as well. While you can probably also get away with wool, I would stay away from socks made of very thin material like nylon; you’ll sweat through these too quickly, and they won’t provide you with any comfort.
Your pants should dictate the length of your socks. With long pants, you should wear socks that come up above your ankle, but remain below your knee. The idea here is simple: If you are sitting down or crossing your legs, you don’t want any skin showing. For shorts, however, you probably want to stick to very short socks. Some people would advocate not wearing any socks in this situation, but you should choose to avoid having your shoes smell like you use them to store limburger cheese.
For casual occasions you should actually embrace colored socks and stay away from white. If you like to play things safe, just match your sock with the color of your shoes. If you like things a little less conservative, wear a solid sock that matches your shirt. If you really want to spice things up, try wearing a sock with a pattern whose overall color matches your shirt or your pants.
Formal occasions
For formal occasions, such as weddings or job interviews, things tend to become more conservative.
Since formal events probably require the least amount of activity, you can now wear thin socks made of material like nylon. Dress shoes also tend to have less give and require a thinner sock as a result.
Here, the length should conform to the same standard as with casual wear, falling somewhere between the shin and the bottom of the knee. With color, you should err on the side of the less adventurous. At most, you should wear socks that match your pants and shoes with a very mild or barely visible pattern.
|
|
Home
