If you are a grown man, and you own shorts, this may be a familiar conundrum for you.
It’s a hot summer day, so you dig out your trusty shorts, throw on a shirt, and grab your shoes when… it happens. You stop and ask yourself the same question every time. “Should I wear socks with shorts, or not?” Will you look like you’re 10 years old with tube socks on, or will you look like a hillbilly sans the socks? There is an answer. First a bit of education on sock etiquette for you non-sock-savvy boys.
It’s important to know what not to do. Here are some commonly made mistakes – which seem obvious – but necessary to point out from the start:
- Do not wear socks with flip flops, sandals, hippie shoes, or anything that shows your toes. Bad. Somehow the Pacific Northwest has become a breeding ground for guys wearing sock with sandals. Hopefully you are not a victim of this, but if you are, please stop! It does not look good, and it never will.
- If you do wear flip flops or sandals without socks (as you should), you should have clean feet. That means no missing toes or toenails, no foot fungus, and no crackly dirty toe jam.
- Never wear black socks with shorts, unless you are a referee or you work for Foot Locker. Again …Bad. If you see someone wearing black socks with shorts, kick them. Kick them hard right on their black sock.
- Please men, don’t wear shorts that are too short! Thigh or higher is too short. On the flip side, shorts can also be too long, and thus look like cropped pants (not a good look for straight men). Knee length (give or take a couple inches) is a good length, and most appealing to us gals.
Hopefully you weren’t too surprised by these no-no’s! And if you were, you learned something new and can apply this to your short-wearing experience.
Now, back to the original question: To wear socks with shorts or not? The answer stems from one main element: the shoes.
Here is a nice little chart to help you figure things out. It’s all about the shoe!!
I’m curious what all you boys out there think. After all I am not a man – however i do know fashion. If you have any insights to share, bring it. Challenge the sock!!