You can wear the most elegant suit in the world, but if you lose sight of pairing it with quality socks of the right length and color, you won't make the impression you were expecting.
Good socks can enrich the lower part of your outfit and must be in full harmony with your look, especially when pairing pants and shoes.
Navigating the wide selection of fabrics and colors can be truly difficult for a man, and the risk of wasting all the effort put into creating an attractive ensemble is just around the corner.
That's why today we've decided to help you choose the best socks, whether it's for an important event, for work, or simply to create elegant outfits to be used every day. If you follow these precautions, tips, and rules, you'll see that you'll be free to express yourself in every occasion.
First rule: Choose the fabric that suits you best.
To choose the most suitable sock model for your needs, it's best to start with the fabric. There are different types, and not all of them may be suitable for you.
Cotton socks are certainly the ones that adapt best to every season because they allow the foot to experience comfort and freshness, while also ensuring elegance.
There are various types of cotton socks available. Here's our ranking of the best options:
Filoscozia Yarn®
At the top of the list, we find what is recognized by all as the finest yarn in the world: Filoscozia Yarn® is designed to provide maximum comfort. There are few companies in the world that can offer collections with this type of fabric, which is particularly suitable for delicate skin due to its natural and healthy structure.
The particularity of this precious type also concerns the fact that it does not shrink in washes and releases fewer lint than an ordinary sock. It retains these properties even after numerous washes, does not cause redness, irritation, or itching.
Another peculiarity is that it makes the socks bright and soft like no other yarn, as well as discouraging sweating and unpleasant odors.
That's why we recommend and rank it in first place. If you want to have socks that maintain their characteristics over time and add elegance to your outfit, Filoscozia® is the best choice you can make. If you want to discover some models in Filoscozia®, click here.
Calze in Makò
In second place, we find Egyptian cotton yarn with a long fiber between 30 and 34 mm, particularly elastic, which adheres to the leg without leaving unsightly marks.
Mako cotton is nothing more than unmercerized Filoscozia (mercerization is the process that transforms normal cotton yarn into Filo di Scozia).
As we have said several times, cotton can also be mercerized and therefore transformed into Filoscozia, but if the raw cotton used is short-fibered or of poor quality, the result will not be the best.
In essence, it is better to have an extra-long fiber cotton, unmercerized rather than poor quality mercerized cotton transformed into Filoscozia.
Socks in filo di Scozia
In third place, we find the fabric in Filo di Scozia, not to be confused with the previous Filoscozia Yarn®. A fabric of good quality in terms of lightness and resistance. Filo di Scozia socks have the ability to absorb and disperse heat in a completely natural way.
However, it has its limits: it can often be uncomfortable if worn for several hours and sometimes emits unpleasant odors compared to Filoscozia®. Compared to the latter, it is less bright and shiny.
Socks in Winter Cotton
In fourth place, we find what is also called warm cotton and/or combed cotton. This is because of its characteristic of retaining heat and being brushed.
Suitable for those who particularly suffer from the cold and as an alternative to the classic wool sock, definitely not suitable for formal occasions.
Second rule: choose the length
Choosing the length of a sock can often be not so simple. However, there are some reference points that we can consider.
The general rule establishes that for an impeccable look, a man's socks should reach below the knee or be long enough to cover the calf.
If you know you're attending a formal occasion where elegance is required, then short socks are not the right choice.
Remember, as the formality of the event decreases, so does the length of the male sock to wear.
That said, we can say that there are three levels to differentiate:
1. Longer socks for special occasions or the so-called business look;
2. Short for everyday wear;
3. Ankle socks for sports or very informal situations.
This is an unwritten rule but if followed, it will allow you to be appropriate and consistent with the context you find yourself in.
Third rule: a matter of color
After seeing what the best fabrics are and the different lengths with their respective formal precautions, it's time to talk about another key aspect in choosing your outfit: color.
As we know, chromatics play a key role not only on a psychological level but also, and above all, on a formal level. Choosing the wrong color for socks can completely ruin your style and make you unable to be appropriate for the occasion.
The first thing to do is to understand the pants vs. shoes issue. Which of the two garments should I match my socks with?
If you're wondering, know that you're not alone in the world: it's one of the most pressing dilemmas for all great gentlemen.
To dispel this dilemma, two small general rules must be taken into consideration.
For dark pants, socks matched to the pants or even darker;
For light-colored pants, socks matched to the color of the shoes.
Fashion, as we know, is constantly evolving, and aesthetic canons are often revolutionized. However, these two precautions are an evergreen that will never go out of style and, above all, will allow you, in doubt, not to make mistakes.
At the same time, we must emphasize that new trends have given rise to sock-pants-shoe combinations, taking into account the many patterns and the desire for daring looks of modern fashion.
Alongside the "tone-on-tone" solution and a gentler chromatic transition, there are also stronger combinations (e.g., men's colorful socks with bold hues, different from the classic blue or black).
We will discuss this shortly by analyzing all possible combinations, one by one. Returning to our question: how to choose the colors?
We have understood one thing up to this point: the color of the socks matches that of the shoes, but at the same time, one must also consider the color of the pants and jacket.
To achieve a good combination, simply follow the basic rules of color matching and always have black, dark blue, and dark gray socks in your wardrobe.
With these three shades, you can easily match everything you have in your wardrobe, without too much effort.
Opting for solid-colored socks remains the most elegant choice for formal occasions.
If, however, you prefer patterned socks, you can choose to match them with the color of your tie or shirt, playing with colors.
The combinations we recommend
Tone on tone
The most classic but not for this reason trivial. It involves choosing socks that match the color tones of the trousers or shoes.
For example, brown shoes or trousers require brown socks, just as black shoes or trousers require black socks.
It is a simple solution to match socks to a solid-colored men's suit, but it is equally effective for mix and match outfits.
The tone-on-tone approach should be applied with great care to ensure that the chosen shade is always sufficiently lighter or darker than the shoe or trouser, so as to make the difference noticeable.
Tips: Do not overdo the contrast because the color combination should always be pleasant and appreciable.
Bold and pronounced
Unlike the tone-on-tone pairing, here there is more risk involved, and it's definitely not always suitable in business environments. If your nature is eccentric and you want to communicate this aspect of yourself, you can opt for socks with stronger colors and a distinct contrast with the rest of your outfit.
This applies whether you're wearing solid-color suits or mix-and-match ensembles. The most obvious example is pairing socks in purple.
As with all things, if you want to dare, you must know how to do it and have the right experience, as well as a suitable physique.
Tip: Don't completely disregard the colors of your shoes and trousers when choosing bold and pronounced colors. Ensure they still have a stylistic connection with the hues of your outfit, trousers, or shoes. This is to avoid giving the impression that you randomly chose socks from your wardrobe.
Geometry
Geometric patterns are suitable for casual wear and pairing with a mix-and-match outfit, but they can be challenging to coordinate with a larger number of colors.
The presence of geometric motifs generally attracts more attention, making the pairing of geometric socks the most difficult but also the most interesting.
It can give your look that extra touch of personality compared to other combinations.
Advice: Pay less attention to the color of the shoes and primarily consider the color of the jacket. Choose socks that match the dominant color of the jacket and the secondary color of the pants (preferably in a tone-on-tone fashion for the latter).
Conclusion
As we mentioned at the beginning, you can wear the most elegant suit in the world, but if you lose sight of pairing it with quality socks of the right length and color, you won't make the impression you were hoping for.
An appropriate sock is capable of enriching the lower part of your outfit and making your entire ensemble harmonious.
With the rules and tips we have provided, you will have full freedom to choose the best pairing and leave room for your creativity to truly make your style unique, with elegance and good taste.
Nobile Socks
Our sock factory was founded in Racale in 1982, when we were just a small workshop. It was the golden age of Italian sock factories, and Racale was their capital. After difficult years (with the 2008 crisis causing 90% of the sock factories in the area to close), we chose to revive the noble Italian yarns, and from this, Nobile was born.
Unlike other sock factories, our socks are not produced in an industrial manner. Instead, they go through a quality control process at every stage of production, combining the work of machinery with that of skilled artisans. Each sock is inspected, pressed, and hand-washed.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
How do you match socks with men's clothing?
Three fundamental variables must be taken into consideration: fabric, length, and color. Based on these three, we can choose the best pairing. For dark pants, socks should match the pants or even be darker. For light pants, socks should match the color of the shoes.
How do you match socks with men's shoes?
The general rule states that for dark pants, socks should match the pants or even be darker, not the shoes. For light pants, socks should match the color of the shoes.
How do you match sock color?
Sock color should match that of the shoes, but at the same time, you should also consider the color of the pants and jacket. To achieve a good match, simply follow the basic rules of color coordination and always have black, dark blue, and charcoal gray socks in your wardrobe. With these three shades, you can easily match everything in your wardrobe without much effort.
What should men's socks be like?
There are three levels to differentiate: longer socks for special occasions or business looks; mid-length for everyday wear; shorter socks for casual and sporty outfits.
