Tips And Works

Too many men are spoiling perfectly reasonable outfits by wearing the wrong kind of socks. While there aren't a ton of sock rules to follow, there are actually a few that are key to making sure you’re able to pull off your otherwise carefully put together ensembles. Certain socks are only for particular occasions, for example, and certain colors of socks should only be worn with specific outfits.

To make sure you’re not sabotaging your style, have a glance at the sock rules and make an effort to rectify any deviant sock tendencies you may have. Also, feel free to refer to the AskMen.com Style Bible for other tips on wearing socks.

White socks are only for sports

Probably one of the most violated rules of fashion -- wearing white socks outside of sporting activities -- is all too common. Just the other day, in fact, I saw a carefully groomed man wearing a decent quality black suit with black dress shoes, but when he sat down two inches of white socks poked out of his shoes and totally destroyed his look.

If you’re going to the gym, white socks are fine. They’re also fine, and actually even look better than black socks, if you’re playing sports outdoors or going for a run. Apart from activities where you’re going to generate a lot of sweat, however, white socks are a big no-no. Black socks should even be worn with jeans, so section off your sock drawer and keep your white socks close to your workout clothes and well away from your dress-up wardrobe.

Dress shoes require dress socks

If you’re going to wear dress shoes, you can’t wear athletic socks -- no matter what their color. For example, it’s simply not enough that your socks be black. The reason for this rule is the following: Athletic socks are often bulkier than dress socks since they’re usually made of heavier cotton or other materials, so they tend to bunch out over dress shoes. Plus, athletic socks are frequently ribbed and the contrast of cheap, ribbed socks against smooth, high-quality dress shoes looks odd. Instead, wear dress socks with dress shoes. They’ll be easier to slip in to your shoes and the finer, thinner material will mean that any attention focused on your foot area will remain centered on your swish shoes instead of your socks.

Match your socks with your pants, not your shoes

When wearing dress pants or casual pants, apart from jeans, the color of your socks should be dictated by the color of your pants and not by the shade of your shoes. Black pants should obviously go with black socks, and brown pants with brown socks. The same goes for blue and gray pants. Choose your socks carefully for pants in other hues. Try out a few pairs of socks if you must in order to determine which socks match best with your pants. If you’re in doubt, a darker color usually works better. The reason it’s important to match socks with your pants is that when you have to take your shoes off or sit down and your socks are exposed, socks that coordinate with your pants make your outfit appear more fluid. On the other hand, socks that don’t match your pants will break up an otherwise awesome ensemble.

Don’t roll or fold socks

Aside from looking like you’re stuck in the worst part of the '80s, rolling your socks down around your ankles looks downright sloppy. Folding your socks looks slightly neater than rolling them, but it’s still strange because it makes your ankles appear bulky, especially when you wear slim-cut pants. As well, if you roll or fold your socks and then wear dress pants, your exposed hairy legs will often be visible when you sit down -- a look that’s unseemly for business or the office and definitely won’t win you any points with the ladies. Just wear your socks pulled straight up, since doing so will create a lean, coherent silhouette with even the most narrow-leg pants.

Replenish socks often

Buy new socks at least once every six months to a year. You probably don’t need to buy an entire new collection of socks, but you should buy at least three new pairs. Socks go through a lot of wear and tear, and since they’re often not made from the best-quality cotton, they easily get holes. It seems obvious to say, but so many people do it that it warrants comment: Socks with holes make you seem like you were either too lazy to go to the store and buy some new ones, or worse, others may think you can’t actually afford these necessary items. In addition, socks that are worn out, have holes or are seriously faded can devastate outfits that otherwise suggest you have a fabulous sense of style.

“Funky” socks are only OK for home

Yes, purchasing novelty socks with crazy patterns or your favorite anime characters is fun, but please don’t leave the house in them. Socks with wild stripes and other wacky details are the right thing to wear around your pad when you’re chilling out and doing what you want. Sporting unusual socks in other situations, such as work or even at the bar, will result in people thinking you’re immature and a bit of a joke or at least a goofball, and it makes it harder for others to take you seriously.

Avoid socks with shorts

Another all too common sock mistake is wearing socks with shorts. Committing this fashion error also inadvertently results in two further faux pas. Inevitably, you’ll have to either roll, fold or scrunch up your socks when you wear them with shorts since you won’t wear them pulled straight up your calf -- at least we hope not. However, as we’ve already discussed, rolling and folding socks also violates the rules of proper sock etiquette. Second, wearing socks with shorts visually cuts your leg almost in half, thus making your legs appear shorter and stockier. If your body type is short and athletic-looking to begin with, wearing socks with shorts definitely won’t do your appearance any favors. Since you don’t want to go around wearing shoes without socks, invest in a few pairs of ankle socks that are not overly visible when you wear them with your sneakers. And for the record, steer clear of socks with sandals.

No socks in bed

A friend of mine recently told me that her ex-boyfriend refused to take his socks off while they were doing the deed. She then lamented what a turn-off this behavior was. It wasn’t hard for me to empathize. On top of the fact that wearing your socks in the sack looks utterly absurd, girls like to play footsie with you, and it’s really not as much fun with a foot that’s covered up. Also, sex is about skin-on-skin contact, not skin-on-sock contact.

sock it to 'em

While sock rules are not numerous, there are a surprising number of people out there breaking them every day. Fortunately, picking the right socks is not that tricky and now that you know the dos and don’ts of sock etiquette, selecting the correct pair of socks will come naturally to you and you’ll never make a bad sock choice again.