THE “NO FAULT” METHOD
First, you need to understand a simple principle: if you wear socks of the same color as the shoe, or of a very close color, you will accentuate the presence of the shoe.
And conversely, with socks in the same color as the pants, you will accentuate the pants.
For me, the ideal in most cases is to rely on the pants, especially when you have pants that are darker than your shoes.
Simply because, still for these stories of visual continuity, when you have a low contrast between the sock and the pants, the silhouette appears a little more slender. And it's a little more relaxing to the eye.
And conversely, if you decide to wear a sock that highlights a low-cut shoe, if the colors are very close you will almost have the impression that you are wearing slightly odd ankle boots, from a distance.
That said, at the risk of surprising you, I also don't recommend going completely tone-on-tone with the pants : for me, the safest thing is to take the sock in a slightly lighter tone than your pants , at least for colors that are not too light.
I recommend this because if you have absolutely no color separation between pants and sock, it can make a somewhat strange “combination” effect, especially if you have a very contrasting shoe underneath.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE
Note on the one hand that in the case of really very light pants, like white, you have to proceed differently.
What I do, typically with white pants and camel or cognac shoes, in suede for example, is to take an ecru or a pale yellow.
It's a little more technical, but the idea is to find the color that is at a contrast level halfway between the pump and the pants.
I apply a bit of the same principle when the contrast comes from a pair of very light shoes, typically white sneakers: with blue pants, I will prioritize a fairly light blue to make “the link” between the two. And when it's a little complicated because the color of the pants is more specific, like green for example, I will choose a light gray or a beige, that is to say neutral tones that complement the shoes AND the pants .
Another exception, in the case of an ultra dark outfit with very little contrast from top to bottom, bordering on monochrome, I can recommend taking the darkest socks possible, like black, very dark gray or really deep navy blue.
This also concerns a good number of costumes when they are worn formally.
COLORS TO PRIORITIZE WHEN PURCHASING
It's nice to have 300 pairs of socks in all colors, but if we're pragmatic, we know that there are pairs that we'll wear a lot more than others.
And you can't have enough to make the ideal combo with all the pants and all the shoes.
But that's good because I had looked into the subject once, for a friend who asked me “give me a link to buy a stock of socks in the right colors and never have to think about them again”.
He had decided to buy 25 pairs at once, just to really settle the matter.
This friend in question has:
- Three pairs of sneakers (one white, one light gray and one taupe)
- A pair of mahogany boots
- Three jeans (one raw blue, one bleach and one gray)
- Three chinos (one navy blue, one gray and one olive green)
A good example because it reflects very well the basic wardrobe that many men have.
For this wardrobe, here is what I recommended she take:
- 3 pairs Navy blue, so classic dark
- 4 “Denim” blue which is a lighter blue, but not bright
- 7 pairs of a rather light gray
- 4 pairs of a slightly darker gray
- 7 pairs of a rather beige/ecru shade
There is more light blue than dark blue because his shoes are all quite light.
And I suggested more gray and beige because as they are more neutral tones than blue, they go with a greater number of colors, if not being “the” perfect shade.
And there are no black socks simply because he doesn't have any black or dark enough shoes to go with them.
There you go, I think this is a good distribution that you can draw inspiration from if you have a stock to renew at once.
WHAT IF THERE ARE SEVERAL COLORS ON A PATTERN?
Very good question, which also applies to many other patterned pieces. How to apply the advice I just gave you when we relied on solid colors?
In fact it's not that complicated: when you have a pattern, unless it is really huge and very spaced out, all of the colors that compose it are perceived as a rather solid color when you move away enough, especially for a small piece like a sock.
This color is the dominant shade that emerges from your pattern. To find it, look at the pair of socks from quite a distance placed on a neutral background, or at worst, squint and look at it to blur your vision, and the shade that stands out the most is the one that will be authentic.
And there you have it, no more excuses for having poorly chosen socks and buying whole boatloads of black socks!
