Men Essentials | A Guide to Buying Dress Socks

A Guide to Buying Dress Socks

Socks (or, as some of the swankier brands still call it, "hose") have refined from a practical necessity. 

 

Human feet sweat extensively, and a cloth covering help absorb that perspiration and then draw it out into the air, where it could evaporate and disappear. 

 

Besides, you costly pair of shoes might also be at risk of getting ruined by sweaty feet— so by wearing Mens Business Socks, you also get to prolongs the life of your footwear.

 

A good quality sock should not only absorb sweat but also enable it to spread to the outside surface (a process called "wicking") through its fabric. This is essential to keep your feet dry, and also ensure that the sweat evaporates before odour-producing bacteria begin breeding in it. 

 

However, a decent sock needs somewhat more to blend in with a contemporaneous, well-dressed look— particularly at business-appropriate levels of formality. 

 

Preferable Sock Qualities

 

Wicking

 

As mentioned above, socks should "wick" the sweating dampness away from the feet, pushing it towards the exterior surface of the fabric.

 

Padding

 

Your socks should be cushioned enough to protect the feet during the impact with the ground, besides preventing the rubbing of the skin against the inside of the footwear.

 

Snugly Fit

 

The loose and unflattering sock chunks when rub against the skin could cause blisters. A proper fitting socks carry a snugly pull from top to toe, thus preventing any sort of discomfort or irritation.

 

Slim Fit

 

Even your corporate dress shoes are meant to be snugly tailored, implying you can't squeeze an oversized, bulky Mens Business Socks into one. Dress socks should be as slender as comfort allows, both for fitting in shoes and avoiding looking boxy around the ankle or obscuring the pant cuff.

 

Colour

 

The default Mens Business Socks have been black for a while now, but a sharp dresser has options galore. In the majority of the cases, a decent sock should fit smoothly and discretely into its outfit — and stand out prominently and proudly in the less frequent instances where that's the objective.

 

 

The ideal sock material

 

There is no one correct answer to this, and several companies will be using their own trademarked mix, whose exact properties are confidential. But a good Mens Business Socks might look something like this:

 

Natural: Wool for comfort and warmth, or cotton for absorption and light weightiness to counter hot weather.

 

Knitted with wicking material: An acrylic, olefin, or related material in the fabric holds the feet dryer than the 100 % natural socks.

 

Elasticized: A hemming or ribbing, or both made of stretchy material, helps to keep the sock snug on foot besides preventing it from slackening on the leg/ankle.

 

 

It goes without saying that this is a pretty long list of sweet notes. Very few socks have managed to touch each. If you find a brand that fills you with all main demands, love it and buy a lot of stock back.