Sometimes things are obvious. Sometimes they’re not. For instance, to me it’s obvious that white athletic socks make any young attractive man look instantly like a grandpa. But for those to whom this is less obvious, let’s state it outright: if you must wear white socks, wear them only to the gym.
While we’re at it, could we also ban gym shoes to the gym? They have that name for a reason.
Socks are like any other accent to your ensemble: they can make or break it. Need some good ideas in this area? Check out this primer to choosing a good pair of socks at the Bonobos blog.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Wait what? I’m not allowed to wear white socks anymore? Ugh, that’s at least 70% of the socks I own
Does it make better that I am either going to the gym or wearing sneakers 70% of the time? In fact the only time I’m not is when I’m at work (wearing brown or black socks to match the shoes)… do I still need to get gray or black socks to wear with my jeans and sneakers combo, that old standby? Please advise
It does help that you’re frequently on your way to and from the gym, although I’d reconsider the “wearing sneakers 70% of the time”. There are many more options available. But yes, I would actually recommend getting some good pairs of blue, black or gray socks to wear with your sneakers. You may think it not a big deal, but there’s a reason they say God is in the details.
[Side note: While we're talking about socks, stray away from matching your socks to your shoes... ever. At work or otherwise. Check out this post on socks over at Bonobos for some more stylish options.]
Thanks for the comments. Hope this helps.
Ok there are two things we need to talk about. One is that I hate dress socks. I do not find them comfortable. In fact the #1 factor for me is comfort in both socks and shoes – I am not willing to compromise on this. I have found that you can get nice socks and shoes that are both good looking and comfortable, you just have to be patient. I found adidas cotton brown socks that come in a variety of shades and are super comfortable; same thing for black. I found the following dress/casual shoes that are SUPER comfortable and in my opinion look fine: http://www.stevemadden.com/item.aspx?id=48342&path=|mens shoes|best sellers|
Two is that there is no way I could pull off the socks in the Bonobos post or some of the shoes you pointed me too. The pink arguile design or the red christmas socks wouldn’t work for me. I think TOMS are cool (and a friend works for them) but I can’t pull them off either. Either I’m not cool enough or my style doesn’t work that way. I need to do some baby steps here. Moving to more interesting t-shirt designs, better looking jackets, and cleaner looking jeans have been big improvements for me thus far.
Interesting that you don’t find dress socks comfortable… never heard anyone say that before.
I agree with you about baby steps (basically this entire blog is about baby steps guys can make), but don’t write off too quickly what you can or can’t pull off. Most style is about having the balls to try what the guy in the next cubicle won’t.
Caleb—
Thanks for the shout-out!
Royce—
Caleb’s right, baby steps. Those boat shoes Caleb linked to can be as comfortable as sneakers but will make even casual outfits (jeans, khakis, etc.) a bit spiffier. Driving loafers are also a great choice. Err on the simple side–plain brown or black leather–and you’ll be able to rock them with dozens of different looks. Here’s a cool pair from Frye on Zappos: http://www.zappos.com/frye-sullivan-driver-saddle
When it comes to socks, don’t throw all yours away–but when the time comes to buy new socks, try to pick up dark gray or black. They’ll be the simplest and most versatile.