Bare ankles were acceptable for summer, but after Labor Day it’s time to cover up. Still, think twice before you slip on those old argyle numbers; to impress critical eyes lingering south of your calves nowadays, it’s necessary to sport something a lot more daring. “Right now, socks are a hot commod- ity,” says Eric Jennings, vice president and fashion director for menswear at Saks Fifth Avenue. “Colorful, bold socks are selling extremely well.”
Those are the same socks that made, ahem, toes curl when designers like Thom Browne and Dries Van Noten showed them for fall. Jennings counts brands like Paul Smith and Marcoliani Milano, which feature eye-catching designs, among his favorites. Before worry sets in that these rainbow-hued dazzlers will be hidden beneath your slacks, take heart. “Trousers are being worn shorter,” Jennings says. “And it’s an easy way for a man to express himself without stepping too far out on the fashion spectrum.”
And without the horror of breaking sartorial statutes—like how socks should match pants—which Jennings says you can abandon with reckless glee. The idea is to throw convention out the window in only the way that paying $30 for a pair of socks can allow.
“It’s just a little detail but makes you feel like you’ve put some care into your appearance,” Jennings says. And it’s one that has staying power.
“Socks have been trending for a while,” he says. “I can definitely see this continuing for several seasons.”
Photo Courtesy of Adam Katz Sinding
