There is an art to wearing the right socks when it comes to dressing for success. If you were the wrong socks, you would be mistaken for a clown. As simple as it appears, there is a skill to pair the right colour of socks with your dressing. We have outlined a few tricks, tips and techniques to help you get it right with the colour wheel below to help out. See the tips below too:
1. If in doubt, go tonal
Choose a pair of socks that are either a shade darker or lighter than the trousers you’re wearing. For example, if you’re wearing a mid-grey suit, think about wearing a pair of charcoal socks. If it is a pair of cobalt blue socks, you can use navy chinos.
2. Tonal textures and patterns
Stick to the rule above but this time introduce some texture or a subtle pattern to your sock choice. For example, you could reach for a charcoal pair made from thicker wool, complete with a fleck/marl, to pair with your grey suit. Alternatively, you could incorporate a subtle stripe or polka dot into the mix. Remember that textured styles can add weight to a look, so if you do start using thicker socks and team them with pieces made from similarly heavy/rugged materials such as denim, leather, tweed, wool and corduroy.
3. Make a statement
When venturing into the world of statement socks, bear in mind the colour wheel. Try picking some socks in a pattern with a base tone that picks out/matches the colour of trousers you’re wearing. You could go one step further by opting for more vibrant block-colour socks in a complementary or contrasting colour to that of your legwear. Think pink socks with navy denim or a preppy yellow sock with burgundy chinos.
4. Be audacious
Finally, if you do want to integrate some bright and bold socks into your outfit, always reference the colour wheel to make sure that you’re working within it correctly. Regardless of how cool you think it may make you look, if your choice of sock is not complementary or contrasting correctly then it will clash and look like an eyesore. The easiest way to introduce a bold coloured or patterned sock into any look is to give it a neutral base to play off.