Mens Dress Socks – 3 Types That Should Be in Every Man’s Wardrobe Mens dress socks: they’re an easy aspect of dressing to ignore. Many men consider socks, like underwear, to be primarily a functional garment. It’s true that we do wear them to keep our feet warm, protect our skin from shoe irritation, and to keep our shoes from becoming sweaty and smelly. But there’s no getting around the fact that our socks are visible to others. Whenever we sit, pants legs slide up to reveal our hosiery choice. While we might get away with wearing underwear we bought 10 years ago, the standards for our socks are higher. Instead of groaning, think about mens dress socks as yet one more accessory that can add style and class to your outfit. By choosing the right length, material, colour, and texture, you’ll enhance your look and come across as a truly sharp-dressed man instead of a poser who’s overlooked the essential details. The History • 800 B.C. The Greeks keep their feet warm with socks of matted animal hair, while the Romans wrap woven fabrics or leather around their feet for protection. • 300–500 A.D. The oldest surviving socks, which were designed to be worn with sandals and feature split toes, are estimated to have been created in this time period. • 1000 A.D. Socks are a status symbol, worn only by the wealthy classes. • 1589 A.D. The invention of the knitting machine makes sock production much faster, although people continue to knit socks by hand even to this day. • 1938 A.D. The addition of nylon to natural fibres such as cotton, wool, and silk provides much-needed reinforcement and better colour retention, for longer- lasting socks.
www.apparelillustrated.com 1 Styles of Mens Dress Socks
Mens dress socks are typically available in three different lengths. You can find over the calf dress socks, regular-length dress socks, and loafer socks. Over the Calf Socks Mens over the calf dress socks are commonly found in school, sports, band, and military uniforms. However, woollen socks of this length in neutral colours are suitable for street, office, and formal wear in cold climates. You should have at least two pairs of mens over the calf dress socks in merino wool on hand for those chilly winter days. Regular Socks Regular or crew length socks cover the ankle and hit the bottom or middle of the calf. This is the most common type of mens sock and is available in the widest variety of materials, colours, and patterns. Higher-quality regular socks are made from a higher grade of cotton, as opposed to less-expensive socks, which tend to contain a higher proportion of synthetic fibres. At the very minimum, you should own at least twelve pairs of regular mens dress socks in high-grade cotton: eight black and four grey. Loafer Socks Loafer socks — also know as liner socks — are very low-cut socks that are invisible when worn with shoes. As with regular socks, these should also be made of cotton. Since loafer socks are unseen for the most part, the colour doesn’t make too much difference. Invest in three or more pairs of black loafer socks for casual wear. Although loafer socks are categorised as mens dress socks, be careful not to wear them with formal or office clothing, as showing a bare, hairy leg in these environments is considered poor form.
www.apparelillustrated.com 2 3 Different Materials
! Cotton is a natural plant fibre that is still used in the majority of today’s mass- manufactured socks. Cotton is almost always blended with a synthetic fibre, such as nylon or polyester, for extra strength. Elastane provides stretch and helps to keep socks from falling down. Wool is a natural animal fibre that was originally easier for Europeans to obtain than cotton, which must be grown in warm climates. Wool is now generally used in cold- weather socks to provide extra warmth. Merino wool is a finer, softer wool that wicks moisture, making it an ideal fibre for sports socks in addition to mens dress socks. Polyester is a synthetic fibre that’s fairly inexpensive and has good colour integrity. It is, however, the least comfortable of the three materials mentioned here, which is why it is almost always blended with natural fibres—especially for mens dress socks.
www.apparelillustrated.com 3 Weaving – Plain or Ribbed?
! Most mens dress socks come in two basic weaves: plain and ribbed. A plain sock in a flat knit has a dressier look than a ribbed sock does, so be sure to choose accordingly. While it’s a fashion faux pas to wear a ribbed sock with a formal outfit, both styles work flawlessly with a casual outfit.
www.apparelillustrated.com 4 Colours
! There are plenty of fun mens dress socks available in different colours and patterns, but be warned: a goofy pair of socks can ruin your outfit and your image. It takes a bit of finesse to pull off eye-catching socks. Start by learning the basics of selecting sock colours, and work your way up to trying more advanced looks as you build confidence and know-how. Beginner Anyone who wants to get dressed without too much thought should opt for mens dress socks in neutral tones. The idea is to match the socks to the trouser colour for effortless style and minimal attention to the socks themselves. You should have plenty of socks in black, grey, navy, brown, and white. Mens black dress socks are probably the most common choice and the easiest to wear. Intermediate If you want to stand out a bit without going too far, you can experiment with mens dress socks in true hues, such as green, red, blue, orange, yellow—even purple and pink! Keep your look cohesive by matching your socks to your shirt, tie, or jumper. www.apparelillustrated.com 5 Complementary colours and clashing fashions are difficult to wear well, but if you’re the daring type, then by all means, go for it. Expert True style experts can play with patterned socks. Stripes, tartans, abstract graphics, and whimsical motifs take nerve to wear. If you’re looking to get noticed, start with a more muted pattern and work your way up to a louder print. However, unless you’re 100 percent certain which patterns will mix well with your outfit, it’s best to keep clear of the prints. Argyle Socks
! The classic argyle pattern is one of the most popular patterns for mens dress socks. This distinctive woven-in design consists of intersecting fine lines over a background of coloured diamonds. The argyle pattern comes from a tartan of the Clan Campbell of Argyll, Scotland. Argyle knitwear was popularised by the Duke of Windsor after World War II and became fashionable throughout Great Britain as well as the United States. An avid golfer, the duke inspired others, such as Payne Stewart, to sport argyle patterns on the links. Other sports have adopted and reinterpreted the argyle design for team uniforms. Today, argyle-patterned clothing and accessories are usually worn by men who favour a classic or preppy style. Products In This Tutorial Go to www.apparelillustrated.com/mens-dress-socks for an updated product list.
www.apparelillustrated.com 6