Just Say No to Black Socks

Maybe sock manufacturers would make more interesting dress socks if we all stopped buying plain black pairs. Not that I have anything against black socks, as long as they are silk for evening dress, preferably with gray or maroon clocks on the sides.

Dress socks work best when their color either relates to something above a man's waist, or is consistent with the color of his trousers. And since we don't wear black trousers during the day, there's little use for black socks. The racy dressers among us might be customers for colors like brown, rust, hunter, maroon and even lilac, but what most men need for work wear in the Fall are over the wool calf socks with gray, blue and tan grounds and cotton versions of the same for Spring (to keep things simple, I lump cashmere socks in with the wool).

With base colors and materials decided upon, we can talk about patterns. Socks ought to be patterned (a simple rib may be OK when they are brightly colored), so they add visual interest to the day's dress. Widely available patterns include clocks, birdseyes, herringbones, houndstooths, neats and simple plaids. Discreet horizontal stripes, a favorite of the Apparel Arts crowd in the 1930's are also nice, if you can find them (I can't). Argyles and polka dots begin to push the bounds of propriety for suits but add nice touches to less formal clothing.

Note that we are only considering over the calf socks. I strongly encourage men to limit their dress sock wardrobe to OTCs as, unless they are worn with sock suspenders, mid-calf hose have a disturbing tendency to slip down to the ankle, potentially leaving bare skin visible on the calf. And, as you know, that's a transgression on the short list of mortal sartorial sins. Stick with the OTCs and avoid problems.