Introduction to the use of men's long socks
Is your goal to enhance your outfit with men's long socks that immediately make people understand that they are in front of a true gentleman? If this is your goal, you can't overlook the details that often make the difference!
You can wear the most elegant dress in the world but if you lose sight of matching with quality stockings , of the right length and color , you won't look as good as you expected.
Good socks are able to enrich the lower part of your outfit and must be in full harmony with your look.
That's why today we decided to help you choose the best men's long socks, whether it's for an important event, for work or simply to create elegant outfits to use every day.
If you follow these precautions, advice and rules you will see that you will be free to express yourself on every occasion.
But let's start from the beginning: why choose a long sock?
Men's long socks: an all-Italian exception
Italy has always dictated the trends of style and morality on an international level. This also and above all in the textile and clothing sector, the latter one of the leading sectors in the world panorama of Made in Italy.
In fact, the long men's sock is used much more in Italy than in other countries and is, as we will see, the most suitable if we have to take part in a special occasion, for a ceremony or a business meeting.
Other countries, as often happens, have recently understood the value of using men's long socks and are finally adapting to the Italian style.
We have already talked about the undisputed advantages of choosing Made in Italy socks and they concern the attention to detail , the imagination of the solutions adopted and the ability to last over time . All of these characteristics are indicated precisely with the expression Made in Italy ("produced in Italy") thus signaling the Italian origin of an industrial or artisan product destined for the national and international market.
How to wear men's long socks
A long men's sock must be comfortable, adhere well to the foot and above all allow you to obtain maximum comfort.
It should fit your feet snugly but not be too tight at the same time. This is to ensure the best fit.
To wear your long socks in the best possible way, it is very important that there is no excess fabric because it can cause annoying and unbearable chafing.
Remember that the fit of your shoes is influenced by the type of socks you choose and for this reason you should always try on the socks with the shoes you plan to wear.
If the shoe is narrow, it will be preferable to wear a thin pair of socks . If, on the other hand, the shoe is a little wider, use thick socks that will offer you a better fit;
Long socks vs short socks: the difference
We often underestimate the importance of the length of the socks and this is a serious mistake, especially if we want to have a true gentleman's style.
To make the most of our outfit and make it perfectly consistent with the style we want to have, we need to know that the length is one of those details that can make the difference depending on the situation.
If we have to take part in a special occasion, for a ceremony or a business meeting, the stocking must be strictly long . It shouldn't go higher than the knee, so it's best to choose socks that cover the calf.
Shorter length socks, the so-called medium stocking , are recommended for everyday life. As for the short sock, a use for casual and sporty outfits is recommended.
To avoid confusion, remember these three rules: longer socks for special occasions or so-called business man looks; short for everyday life.
It wouldn't hurt to opt for custom stockings . Nobile creates them with the intention of offering socks that are perfectly in line with your needs.
The best yarns and fabrics for your socks
You can choose the right length sock but if you don't pay attention to the fabric and/or the yarn, you may have nasty surprises and not experience the comfort you would have liked.
The topic of the best yarns and fabrics is very complex and has been the subject of many of our previous in-depth articles.
In general, cotton socks are the ones that adapt best to every season because they allow the foot to experience comfort and freshness, while ensuring elegance at the same time.
However, you must know that there are different types of cotton socks. The best are Filoscozia® stockings and Makò stockings.
Filoscozia® is recognized by all as the best yarn in the world, designed to give maximum comfort . Unfortunately, however, there are few companies in the world that are able to offer collections with this type of fabric which, due to its natural and healthy structure, is particularly suitable for the most delicate skins . Noble is one of them.
The peculiarity of this precious type also concerns the fact that it does not shrink in washing and releases less lint than any sock. It retains these properties even after numerous washes, it does not leave redness, redness and itching.
Another peculiarity is that it makes socks bright and soft like no other yarn, as well as disfavouring perspiration and unpleasant odours.
Makò socks, on the other hand, are an Egyptian cotton yarn with a particularly elastic fiber between 30 and 34 mm long, which adheres to the leg without leaving unsightly marks.
Makò cotton is non-mercerized Filoscozia (mercerization is the process that transforms a normal cotton yarn into Scotland thread).
A cotton can also be mercerized and then transformed into Scotland thread but basically if the raw cotton used is short fiber or of poor quality, the result will not be the best.
In essence, an extra-long staple cotton, not mercerized, is better than a cheap cotton mercerized and transformed into Filoscozia.
A timeless classic, as well as being the noblest of natural fibers together with cashmere , is silk and it certainly cannot be missing from your wardrobe because it almost always proves to be an excellent investment.
In addition to its best-known qualities such as shine and softness , silk is able to wrap your feet without leaving marks and giving your leg fluidity. It keeps the heat in winter and gives freshness in summer, allowing the skin to breathe.
How to combine men's long socks with your outfit
Choosing men's long socks for your outfit is difficult but it can seem even more so when you have to opt for one color rather than another.
Combining socks with our office outfit is a real Made in Italy art and as such it needs to be learned, known and then applied.
There is a wide choice of color and pattern of socks to match our look:
Solid colour
The most classic and the safest. With neutral colors in line with the shades of shoes or trousers, it's easy to win. The solid color lends itself well to rigorous environments and is perfect for those who do not like to draw attention to themselves.
Gaudy
If you want to attract attention, opting for socks with bright colors can be for you. However, you must remember that bright colors, to maintain an elegant style, must necessarily be combined with shoes or trousers in order to avoid unpleasant combinations.
Fantasy
Do you want to be really noticed and be original, creative and whimsical? You can opt for patterned shades while waiting to make the right choice. They are often less suitable for formal environments and outfits but still offer you the possibility of being elegant. Don't overdo it and maybe opt for socks with geometric shapes like those from the Nobile collection
How to combine men's long socks with your shoes
The first combination of elegant socks and shoes we tell you about is the classic one, usually the darkest. Usually you opt for neutral colors in line with the shades of the shoes. The solid color lends itself well to rigorous environments and is perfect for those who do not like to draw attention to themselves.
With respect to colors, blue is widely used as it is the royal color par excellence, suitable for important events but also for meetings.
Black, on the other hand , is suitable for ceremonies and if combined with a shoe of the same color during formal occasions, it lengthens the figure and physicality.
Elegant men's socks and shoes: formal match
The second combination that we propose concerns an occasion where maximum elegance is required even in business environments.
With classic shoes (heights or not) the advice is to wear elegant dark, plain, thin and smooth socks. In this way you will have a formal look in line with your dark suit and you will be slimmer and taller.
Elegant men's socks and shoes: casual match
Third pairing, this time ideal for leisure time. Here you have more choices. For example, if you love raised sneakers, you can choose long or medium cotton socks.
Even for heightened boots, the socks must be long and in this case the patterns are almost useless because no one will see them.
Elegant men's socks and shoes: matching ceremony
Fourth and last pairing we're talking about concerns men's socks for ceremonies . We talked about it in a dedicated article .
As with shoes, elegant ceremonial socks should also make sobriety the point of reference to take into consideration.
In a ceremony one thing is certain: colored stockings, patterns of a thousand colors and, as a rule, anything that is too eccentric are banned.
However, the type of ceremony can influence the choice and for less formal ones it is possible to go slightly out of the classic lines by using socks with colored geometries even in different shades.
The advice is always the same: don't overdo it!
With a pair of black patent leather elevator shoes, for example, it is good to combine a pair of black, thin and smooth silk socks. Silk stockings have always been a sign of elegance and exclusivity, while elevator shoes for ceremonies are a luxury item that will make you appear taller even on the most special occasions.
Long men's socks for a "Noble" style
Our hosiery was born in Racale in 1982, we were little more than a shop. It was the golden age of Italian hosiery factories, and Racale was its capital. After difficult years (with the 2008 crisis, 90% of the hosiery factories in the town closed) we chose to give new life to the noble Italian yarns, from which Nobile was born
Unlike other hosiery factories, the socks are not produced in an industrial way, but go through a quality control at each stage of production which combines the work of the machine with the manual work of the craftsman. Finally, each sock is inspected, ironed and washed by hand.
Conclusions
We have seen when, how and why it is recommended to choose men's long socks. In order not to get confused, remember the three rules we talked about: longer stockings for special occasions or so-called businessman looks; short for everyday life; ankle for a casual and sporty outfit.
Pay attention to how to combine them with your outfit and the type of shoe you have chosen. By following our advice you certainly won't make a bad impression.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
How to combine socks with men's suits?
Three fundamental variables such as fabric, length and color must be taken into consideration. Starting from these three we can choose the best combination. For dark trousers, socks that match the trousers or even darker. For light-colored trousers, socks matching the color of the shoes.
How to combine socks with men's shoes?
The general rule is that for dark trousers, socks match the trousers or even darker and not the shoes. For light-colored trousers, socks matching the color of the shoes.
How to match the color of the socks?
The color of the socks matches that of the shoes, but at the same time the color of the trousers and jacket must also be taken into account. To get a good combination, just respect the basic rules of color combination and always have black, dark blue and dark gray socks available in your closet. With these three shades you can easily match everything you have in your wardrobe, without much effort.
How should men's socks be?
There are three levels to differentiate: longer socks for special occasions or so-called businessman looks; short for everyday life; ankle for a casual and sporty outfit.
