At a company training meeting a few months ago, I was introduced to a new co-worker. This guy was extremely motivated and on the ball. I was pretty impressed with him, until I looked down and saw that he was wearing white socks with a pair of dark dress slacks. Maybe it’s superficial, but at that moment this guy’s credibility as a sharp shooter and go-getter entirely evaporated. I suddenly saw Steve Erkle standing in front of me. Other people at the meeting noticed as well, and got a laugh out of it. No one took the guy seriously.
You don’t want to be this guy. If you want to impress people, you have to pay attention to the details. It doesn’t matter if you’ve put together an awesome outfit; if you don’t have the right socks, you spoil your whole look.
To help you not sabotage your image or credibility like the guy at the meeting, follow these simple rules when selecting which kind of sock to wear with your ensembles.
Wear dress socks with dress shoes
Don’t try to wear athletic socks with dress shoes even if the socks are black. Athletic socks are thicker than dress socks and don’t match the refined style of dress shoes. If you try wearing gym socks with a pair of dress shoes, they’ll bunch out over the shoe and look goofy. Stick to dress socks. The thin material feels nice on your foot and looks sharp.
With jeans there’s a little more wiggle room. Preferably, you should have dark socks even with denim, but you can get away with wearing gym socks with jeans.
Sock color should match your pants, not your shoes.
This is a rule that many people are confused about. I’ve heard numerous arguments about whether you should match socks with shoes or socks with pants. You should always match socks with pants because when you sit down and your socks are exposed, you want a solid line of color from your pants to your shoes. Socks that don’t match your pant color create a jarring break in your outfit. So black socks go with black pants and brown socks go with brown pants. Absolutely and under no condition should you ever wear white socks with dark pants unless you want to look like Steve Erkle or 1980’s Michael Jackson.
No socks with sandals or shorts
The goofiest thing is to see people who wear socks with sandals. Society’s ability to take you seriously will be reduced to zero if you do this. Sandals were designed to be worn with bare feet, so please, do not wear socks with sandals.
Socks with shorts should be avoided as well. Wearing socks with shorts visually makes your legs look shorter. If you need to wear socks while wearing shorts, invest in some ankle socks that aren’t visible when you wear you sneakers.
Novelty socks are for elementary school teachers
No man should own a pair of orange novelty socks that say “Boo!” on them and are adorned with little bats. The only excuse you have for wearing these is if you’re an elementary school teacher named Mrs. Heart. Keep you sock collection simple and classic and you’ll never go wrong.
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Smartwool (http://www.smartwool.com) makes a male dress sock that feels like a comfortable pair of white socks with all the visual of a dress sock.
I’ve heard different advice from different style gurus on the what color socks question. Some have indicated that you should match the shoe because matching the pant makes you look like you match the sock to the pant with a much differently colored shoe it can make you look like you’re wearing stirrups.
I think the sock color matching pant color is a good general idea-
However, I think black socks are fine with black shoes and a charcoal suit or navy suit. If you are wearing brown or maroon/cardovan shoes with either you need to match the suit color. With khaki or taupe pants and brown shoes I think you can easily match either the shoe or the pant. With clack shoes I pretty much always match the pant- I think the black socks would be far too jarring.
And though it’s become somewhat acceptable I just don’t think you should ever wear black shoes with a brown suit or brown shoes with a black suit.
I typically wear no-show socks with my shoes when running- though for basketball I prefer a little bit taller sock. I think White athletic socks are fine with athletic shorts when doing basically any athletic activity, though style guidelines are somewhat less strict for exercise attire.
The reason why socks match the pant is because you are trying to create a seamless line from your waist to the top of the shoe. A different sock color actually breaks off the visual line and makes it look like you’re wearing a boot, except that you’re not.
With a matching sock, you create one visual transition: from gray cloth pant and cloth sock to black leather shoe. By matching the shoe, you create two transitions in a short space: from gray cloth pant to black cloth sock to black leather shoe. It can be jarring, especially if the pant, sock and shoe are of different shades.
I think it’s really hard to match some of the grays, but I avoid a black sock whenever possible, it just never looks right.
hey! David Letterman wears white socks with loafers … its hip as all hell !!!
Good rules in general, but… My Dad, perhaps the best dressed chap I know, occasionally wears socks that do not match his trousers. Picture it- Grey dogs tooth weave suit (two piece), red tie, red handkerchief expertly tucked (not folded) into breast pocket, and… red socks. Black brogues under this, polished to a military shine.
To me, this does not look “novelty”, or to draw attention to the fact that his trousers are tailored to him, not 8″ too long, it looks confident. He manner of dress is different (he laughed at a colluegue who asked him why he doesn’t wear something a bit different, like.. well… jeans and a T-shirt) and perhaps just a little eccentric.
I don’t think it is particularly manly to follow the most common style of attire- although perhaps it takes an older man to break rules like this so ruthlessly!
@Basil Moss:
You’re dad sounds like he’s a well dressed guy! I think you nailed it on the head at the end of your comment. I think it takes an older man or well established man to pull something like this off. It takes a certain kind of bravado. It’s like an artist or a writer. You can only break the rules of art and writing after you mastered the basics. It sounds like your father has mastered the basics of fashion, so he’s able to break them to create fresh looks.
Dress socks also match well with casual sneakers. When wearing denim matching socks to shoes is appropriate.
Let us not forget the birth right and exclusive luxury of southern gentlemen…no socks at all. Obviously inappropriate in the boardroom, but in many places where business is done, sockless is acceptable. Boardrooms and cubicles are but a small part of the business world. The clubhouse, the power breakfast, the local watering hole; all places where business meets casual in a way that is not nearly as confusing as “business casual” actually is.
umm… i have a pair of orange socks with a ghost that says boo.
You missed one of the most important details involving socks, especially with suits. Buy socks that are long enough that you never show skin between the bottom of your pants and the top of your socks. I can’t think of anything (other than white gym socks) that can destroy your look quicker than sitting down and exposing your legs over your sagging socks. Especially when sitting in front of a crowd, as you would be during a panel discussion or an on stage presentation.
“invest in some ankle socks”? Anyone who wears ankle socks may as well get the ones with the little pink pom-poms on them.
Russ, what would you suggest to wear with sneakers? High socks look dorky, and going sans socks makes your shoes smell.
I agree with the above that socks can be boldly colored as a piece of bravado. The most important thing is to limit the bravado to a single item or risk looking like a buffoon. Also, don’t forget about argyle, they go good with business casual dress.
Brett, get the low cut no-show socks or ones that come up to ankle. Nike make comfy sports socks.
@Jaime-
I do wear the the socks that come up to the ankle, that is what I meant by ankle socks.
I like your comment about a single piece of bravado. Very true. Also, argyle is a nice touch.
Actually, except for wearing denim/jeans, the socks should be either a shade darker or a shade lighter than the trousers.
If you think this hard about socks, or would cease to respect someone because they wore the wrong ones, you have no claim to manliness. Get back to the kitchen or your knitting, because your manliness cred is utterly gone.
I agree with TL. If you judge a man by his socks during his presentation, that makes you less of a man. Bad form.
Socks- and the oddity of your site…
I find your site oddly retro conformist, by that I mean inflexible and the real question, or statement actually, is I feel there is nothing about being a real man with him being sartorial. There has been many a man that I’ve shaken hands with- grease or worse under their fingernails and I gladly did so. A gentleman does not judge by appearances.
But your site is about manliness, not about being a man.
Now about socks…Just as in ties and pocket squares that is the flair to show ones self off in a subtle way. Color theory- compliment/contrast/transition. Several of the previous posters have already pointed this out. Are you two individualists or conformist?
Well the thing about your qoute, “A gentleman does not judge by appearances.”, is that you are completely right. However, do you honestly think the whole world is made up of gentelmen and ladies that hold true to that. You must have been sheltered as a kid. There is absolutely nothing wrong with dressing to impress in a manly way, and this artical is just that much more of a lil tidbit to add to one’s knowledge. Go be a troll somewhere else…
I’ll have to categorically disagree with the “no socks with shorts” stance.
It depends on what your activity is going to be. If you are hiking in the backwoods then going sans socks (or with ankle socks) is foolish. The socks protect your ankles from the brush and/or insects.
It would stand to reason then to me that if you are wearing cargo shorts, khaki shorts or some other style of shorts that are recognized as “hiking apparel” and you’re wearing shoes that might also be identified as “hiking style” than socks would be appropriate (especially heavier, wool or wool looking). But of course not knee high athletic socks.
So I’m curious, I personally match my socks to my pants, but I prefer to wear my dress socks as casual wear with jeans and sneakers, is there anything wrong with doing so? Also, lets say I have on jeans and a pair of white sneakers on, is it ok to wear black, or dark blue socks to match my pants even though the shoes are white?
I say wear dress socks for formal wear. However, I am an avid sans socks guy and enjoy wearing dress penny loafers ,and tassled loafers without socks except if I was in a TUX. You can pull the look off if your ankles are tanned. As for shorts- forget socks altogether.
I don’t know if this is correct or not, but my mother said that according to the conventional rules of business dress, the socks should match the belt. Since I nearly always go with the black belt, this leads me to have lots of black dress socks (and black shoes, with black, gray and navy pants/suits).
I’d like to not wear socks with sandals, but if I do, I get athlete’s foot. Summers are short at 9,000 feet and even with socks and sandals, my feet get more air and feel more comfortable than wearing shoes.
sorry, but you NEVER EVER match socks with shoes or pants. Think about it. To actually match, two items must be made of the SAME fabric. Since no one makes socks from suitings, you can’t match sock to pants. You do however, choose socks that complement your pants. They should be darker than the pants and ideally create a nice transition between pant and shoe. extra points if there is an common element between sock and tie, pocket square, or shirt.
Sock matching is a moderately contentious area within men’s fashion. The most common camp, and probably the most logical, recommends socks that closely follow or complement the trousers, and are at least as dark. Matching the shoes is not a terrible crime, though, and as dark shoes and dark pants are often found together, it should be fine.
The third crowd, however, is the most interesting, and one I confess to holding an occasional membership in, is the rebellious sock group. This ranges from a subdued argyle with khakis to the bright red socks with a black suit. Ideal execution has the socks as the single unusual element, thus giving that beautiful hint of individuality. “He wore a dark coat and trousers, a plain shirt, a conservative tie…and *bright red socks.*”
Socks should complement (not necessarily match) your tie, generally. If not that, then some other item you are wearing; shirt or jacket, say. When in doubt – pair with your trousers.
In everything, there is room for individual expression, of course.
As for judging appearances: Everyone – gentleman or no – is at least influenced by how someone presents his- or herself. You should be very careful about judging a person’s WORTH by appearances, but you can draw conclusions about how a person WANTS to be thought of by how they show themselves in their dress and manner.
I’m all about subscribing to the usual rules of fashion and proper dress when trying to look sharp, but in reference to Jim Katz’s comment above, I definitely fall into the “rebellious sock camp.” This is certainly not to say that it is ever appropriate to wear goofy Christmas socks with reindeer on them – I firmly believe that a bold, colorful sock can be pulled off in a classy and bold way. Much of men’s fashion is fairly rigid and unexpressive in nature, but I believe a carefully chosen pair of expressive socks can make a world of difference in being original, unique, and confident. If done right, it can set you apart from the masses in a great way.
My general rules in this area are somewhat fluid to match the situation, especially since socks with more than one color (e.g. argyle) are a little more tricky, but in general I will try to match the sock to both the trouser and the tie. In the absence of a tie (like at work, if business casual prevails), I generally try and match both the trouser and the shirt. For instance, kahki colored slacks with a blue dress shirt – I would add either a similarly colored blue sock or more likely a sock with elements of both colors (arglye is always classy, or a striped sock). Or take a gray wool suit with a sharp orange striped Oxford tie – matches perfectly with a gray sock with a few orange horizontal stripes. I wore the latter to a conference I presented at yesterday and received numerous compliments from people surprised by the attention to detail.
@jessica irving –
letterman is a dork, and you’ll be one as well with white socks…
No offense to anyone here, but I like looking like 1980s Michael Jackson with my black shoes and white socks. In fact, when somebody joked about it once, I showed them up by doing some very smooth moves.
When it comes to style, you’ve got rules of thumb, as seen in this article. But it comes down to who you are as a person. I often wear vintage outfits such as heavy polyester leisure suits, reflective sequined jackets and shirts with silver shoes, even the occasional zoot suit. People like it, and obviously get a kick out of the silly factor, but they also find me to be a very impressive and respectable person afterwards.
Of course, I wouldn’t advise doing this at a business meeting, but if you follow these rules stated above everywhere you go, you’ll go from Steve Urkel to Adrian Monk.
Note to the author: if you’re going to reference pop culture, make sure you spell the names correctly.
None of this matters to me, as I generally wear boots with my suits. But then I am in Texas and it fits my profession. I generally wear ankle socks and try to limit my sock drawer to one or two different types of socks so I don’t have to worry about pairing them up, but they don’t show up at all while wearing boots with my suits. Of course, not everyone can pull this off. A suite is probably a bit overdressed for my profession, and you look good as long as you shave and don’t have Skoal ring on the back of your pants…
My company, Oberon Socks (www.oberonsocks.com) pretty much agrees with this post. We like our socks a little flashier though – we take classic patterns like argyle and add a bit of a twist to them. Our socks are professional, but give the wearer the confidence of knowing he is dressed a little differently than the other guys in suits.
As a general rule, wearing socks the same hue and tone as your pants is the simplest way to look good. Wearing hose with a pattern when the suit is a solid is a nice way of adding a bit of interest. As with any rule thee are times when you can make an exception. As we move away from serious suiting colors and fabrics, we can find opportunities to break the rules. Earlier, a gentleman referred to his father as wearing a black and white hounds tooth suit with red tie and pocket square and red hose. Because the hounds tooth is a step away from the blues and grays of serious suiting’s we find an opportunity to dandify our outfit. I would caution that this not be made one of your personal rules to always make this exception. Exceptions to the rule should be rare and made with a specific intent as to the complete look.
Hey, if you’re all such big men, how can you rationalise disrespecting and denigrating someone based on the socks they’re wearing?
They’re just socks, guys. It’s like disrespecting someone based on the color of briefs they wear: what the hell business is it of yours in the first place?
Why not respect him for being a sharpshooter and go-getter, just like he seems to be?
Two things come to mind:
- there are no hard fast rules on dressing up “nowadays”; just general guidelines
- clothing is classified into two general categories; formal and non-formal
For formal wear, matching your dress socks with your pants is ideal. BUT, when one is in a situation where there is no socks to match with your pants, common sense comes into the picture. Ergo, matching your socks with your shoes is a logical alternative. Wearing a third color, socks in this case, is a NO – NO especially in “formal” men’s wear.
As with casual wear, almost anything goes nowadays. Comfort is a primary concern but likewise, not without regard to what is considered acceptable and proper.
Wearing socks with a very sporty-looking sandals could be very apropos. My only advice would be that it be ankle high for knee length walking shorts and mid-calf length (or a bit shorter) for mid-thigh or shorter shorts. Proportion is key for the right look.
Leather sandals are better off worn without socks since is gives an “implied” formality in its casualness as opposed to gum-soled and synthetic sporty sandals.
Wearing clothes should always exude the air of living in the “NOW” and not what WAS considered appropriate in the distant past. Times change and so does clothing etiquette.
What is the proper etiquette when wearing denim? I tend toward a black athletic sock when doing so, mostly because I’m usually in a casual setting when doing so and they’re comfortable (and not white). However, I’ve been wearing jeans for work recently because the current phase of my project involves time on a very dusty building site where dress pants are inappropriate – they get dirty far too quickly and I end up looking foolish.
I disagree that sox should match your trousers. Sox should instead match your tie (and your handkerchief, if you have one). Belt should match your shoes and your watchstrap (if it is leather). Watch should match rings and cufflinks and tie clip — no other jewelry is acceptable for men to wear if they intend to be taken seriously. Shirt is to be lighter in color than the suit and the tie.
Never gym sox with a suit.
I rebel against having to spend too much time making decisions about clothing every morning, so I try to keep it as simple as possible. Black socks for work and other more formal occasions. White socks with jeans. No socks with shorts. The exception is wearing very short “runner’s” socks with sneakers for jogging and long walks. While sticking to black socks for dress clothing may not be totally correct, it sure makes it easy to match socks early in the morning. Oh yeah.
Anton
I have told my friends that if they ever see me wearing black dress socks with shorts, it is time to put me down.
I have always found that a low cut ankle athletic sock underneath a dress sock really helps if you have a new shoe and are your feet all day. I learned it in the service, its adds comfort and since it is low no one will notice. It also prevents blisters.
I like the look of socks with sandals. It looks clean. It feels gross to wear shoes without socks, and it looks gross, too.
I tend to just have black and brown socks for business occasions. I don’t have the spare money to buy socks to match all my business slacks, nor would I if I did, there are better things I can spend my money on. I understand why you don’t take someone seriously in business if they wore white socks, it stands out and looks odd. But what about individuals that simply match their shoes. I understand that your *supposed* to match the socks to paints, but it feels unmanly to spend so much time worrying about the perfect look. As long as I look professional I’m good to go.