How are all my dapper dudes doing today?
Today, we will discuss one of the most overlooked pieces of clothing. That’s right, you guessed it. I’m talking feet sweaters.
Socks were first invented to provide warmth to the foot, but the modern day gent has evolved this concept to add a certain flare to his outfit. We now use socks as a statement and this article will help you join this awesome fashion fad.
HOW TO WEAR BOLD SOCKS:
Honestly, the answer to this question is beyond simple — it is nearly impossible for you to mess up. Usually, a person still at the beginner level would coordinate socks to dress pants or outfit and there is nothing wrong with this at all. To provide a certain professionalism, you can wear blue trousers and match the socks in color. Or if you’re wearing a red tie, you may feel a little risky and take on the red sock challenge and I welcome such risk. However, for those few guys out there that just want that sock to pop, I’d say go ahead and try patterns.
Personally, I like my socks to stand out because it adds a pop in my step — with the correct tailoring, of course. We’ll save clothes altering for another article, though.
Providing some back story to my love for socks, I actually started to dress better because of them. I was invited to a wedding where the theme color was mint green. I looked at it as it if was too easy — buy a mint green bowtie. I realized that the traditional tuxedo was a bit too plain for my liking, and so I decided to purchase some socks that correlated to my tie in color.
From that moment I went, you can say, sock crazy. I started to buy them any chance I got. After this phase, I started matching outfits with socks, which seems a tad peculiar, but hey, it worked for me.
DOS AND DON’TS:
Do: Wear fun socks to spice up your outfit. It shows a fun side to you and others dig that. A man with a nice outfit and bold socks says I’m well put together, but I can take risks.
Don’t: Never wear two different socks. There are levels on the bold meter and doing this is a bit extreme.
Do: If you’re not too confident in wearing crazy socks, you may choose to stick to your normal colored socks and slowly progress by starting with simple argyle or stripes — there’s nothing wrong with that.
Don’t: Under any circumstances, DO NOT choose against wearing socks altogether. I am one to wear loafers and oxfords and absolutely love the “no sock” look, but it is never okay to free-foot it. You may ask, “Jonathan, how do I execute the look then?” My answer is plain and simple: no-show socks. A sock that is cut low to give the illusion that you have no socks on. Your feet and shoes will thank you.
Don’t: Please do yourself and the world a favor by not wearing athletic socks with dress shoes. White socks with oxfords will never be okay in anyone’s book, so I beg you to refrain from committing such crime.
Don’t: Do not wear long socks with shorts. I know, this one sounds like a given, but you’d be surprised. I’ve seen a guy dressed up with a tie and all its glory, but was wearing shorts. Now, this is fine, it’s actually an amazing summer look that I myself love to pull off, but stay away from the long socks, folks. I recommend the no-show sock (I insist) and loafer or boat shoe look.
Don’t/Do: Confused? I’ll explain. This one is a bit complex, but hear me out. If you work in a professional office, I would try the subtle bold sock look and if no one raises hell about it, continue to be that guy with the cool socks. Now, if Mr. Bob says to not wear those things ever again, do not respond with a “but Jonathan told me to.”
If I left any dos and don’ts out, please feel free to add in the comments section.
PRODUCTS:
Now, I’ve been going on and on about cool-looking socks, but haven’t even given any company names for you to search. First and foremost, know that these companies are not paying me to promote them :(, but are nonetheless awesome at making socks.
Taft: My favorite company that makes no-show socks. They have a dope variety to choose from, so feel free to check them out at taftclothing.com.
BedfordAndBroome have really fun but subtle patterns and one of their socks was featured in the latest Sprezza Box (for more information on the Sprezza Box, check my bio below). Check B&B out at bedfordandbroome.com.
Yosox are another awesome company. Go on yo-sox.com for more.
The list can go on forever. There are even companies that have monthly sock subscriptions. If you are on a budget, there are local stores that make cool socks as well, but speaking from experience they will eventually become infested with holes after a couple washes.
Hope you enjoyed it and realize socks are very important when building an impeccable wardrobe. -PQ
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