Dress Socks

[leighton]

Yes, I know. Weird topic. But one that apparently does not have a thread of its own. Unless its under a different name, but I would like to think I'm pretty good at googling.

Anyway, what are everyone's favorite brands of dress socks? Which ones are better? What makes a better sock?

I'm using the regular Gold Toes now, every other sock in that price range that I've tried has proven to be either uncomfortable or really sweaty. I'm hoping there is a better option.

[Mr. Scruffy]

You've already found the Holy Grail of hosiery and its toes are golden.
I'm wearing a pair of their argyles right now, haven't had to pull them up once today.

[Doc4]

I am very pleased with my Pantherella OTC socks. :biggrin:

[The Knize]

I kind of agree with M Scruffy. I pretty much stick with Golden Toe. So what is not to like about them? I used to get the over-the-calf size, and I guess I still prefer them that way, but, frankly, Costco seems to constantly have the regular length at such a good price, I have found it hard to justify going with the longer version. Mostly I like the longer version because they stay up better. But I find that the regular Golden Toes do a pretty good job of staying up.

What makes a better sock? Well, one that stays up even after a few washings. That is biggest problem I remember having. Socks that became shapeless and tended to droop to one's ankles after a few washings. Socks that do not seem to pill up and collect all sorts of lint when washed seem like a plus. It has been a long time since I have worn a sock that seemed sweaty or that shrank up excessively, but if they are still out there, I do not like them. (For all I know, Golden Toe makes a 100% nylon sock. I would not like the look of them and I would expect them to be sweaty.) I guess I like a sock that is supposed to be opaque to be thick enough in all the right places to actually be opaque. I would not want anything so thick that the socks bunched up or filled up my shoes excessively, but it is hard to imagine that really happening with a standard dress sock. I guess I have had an occasional sock that got runs, but that seems like an unusual problem, too.

I guess I have had dress socks that were partly cotton that tended to get kind of bleached out looking. There was a time when I would highly favor all wool socks, or socks with a high proportion of wool, but whatever Golden Toe is using these days that seems to be all synthetic seems to do pretty well in all respects.

[leighton]

Yeah...the cheap cheap price of costco has deterred me from searching for a "better" sock. My only problem really is that the socks tend to feel sweaty and would prefer a sock size that fits my feet better, rather than one size fits six.

[Doc4]

Putting 2 and 2 together here ... is Golden Toe from Costco?

[leighton]

Putting 2 and 2 together here ... is Golden Toe from Costco?

Costco has their kirkland brand, so I'm fairly certain GT is not Costco. BUT, it seems that virtually all costcos stock the GT dress socks.

[The Knize]

<My only problem really is that the socks tend to feel sweaty and would prefer a sock size that fits my feet better, rather than one size fits six. >

Over time Costco has had GT socks made with different types of materials, I have noticed. Maybe you are having a different experience with the all synthetic ones than I am. I was afraid they might not breath very well. I think before this latest round where I am Costco had GT is some kind of wool blend that I actually liked a bit better and you might like a lot better.

Before I bought from Costco I actually used to order up big batches of GT socks from time to time on line. I do not recall whether it was Amazon itself or some store associated with Amazon that sold through Amazon, but I remember they would have GTs on sale at what seemed at the time--before Costco started carrying them--truly excellent prices, and I could get exactly the length of sock and the wool blend that I wanted.

Hate to keep leading you back to GT, but I wonder if you couldn't what works better from you that way.

In the past I ordered socks from places like Lands End, that were advertised as great, but never were very good from my perspective. Maybe LE has gotten better. I end ordered very expensive socks made by someone famous in Europe, etc., that did not seem so great. I suppose they might have been especially soft and as I recall some brand has lots and lots of sizes.

There must be someone out there besides GT!

[jones2289]

Call me a hillbilly, but I despise dress socks. I buy black athletic socks to wear with dress shoes, and no one can tell the difference. I will say that of the dress socks that I do own, I like the Gold Toes the best.

[mk-ultra]

Another vote for Gold Toe.

[Doc4]

Call me a hillbilly, but I despise dress socks. I buy black athletic socks to wear with dress shoes, and no one can tell the difference. I will say that of the dress socks that I do own, I like the Gold Toes the best.

Hillbilly!!




(well, he asked for it ... :rolleyes:)

[JonDC]

You can't go wrong with Gold Toe.

Maybe I'm hard on socks, but I find that the cotton ones look worn and old very fast. I stick with the nylon ones, which wear better.

[Kouros]

Brioni socks are the bomb, but at $40/pair are quite prohibitive as well.

[ProphetNoir]

Pantherella.

[LeverTime]

Surprisingly (to me, because I don't like anything else they sell), Old Navy makes some decent socks, and they are frequently on sale for a decent price. I like argyle, and they have a huge selection. I've only tried the "Made in Korea" ones, but I like them.

I've tried a few expensive socks, and I didn't think any of them were worth even close to what they cost.

[leighton]

What about nylon v. wool? Don't think I've ever tried nylon socks. Polyester yes, bamboo, yes. Nylon, no.

[Nicks&Cuts]

I just make sure that my socks match my trousers and not (necessarily) my shoes. Oh wait, maybe its the other way around. Darn it, I hate it when that happens! :wink:

[danstar250]

I'm not brand loyal, but OTC is the only way I roll when it comes to my dress socks.:wink:

[The Knize]

What about nylon v. wool? Don't think I've ever tried nylon socks. Polyester yes, bamboo, yes. Nylon, no.

Shear all nylon, like some tux socks or some blend of wool and nylon?

Former is very hip and old school in some groups. Need garters though. They fall down. Not business wear

[wilsonent]

I have a Brooks Brothers outlet not too far away, and I have found they last a long time. I wear the ones that are thin on the legs, but thicker in the heal and toe. Little more expensive than Golden Tow, but not nearly as sweaty.

[JonDC]

What about nylon v. wool? Don't think I've ever tried nylon socks. Polyester yes, bamboo, yes. Nylon, no.

The Gold Toe socks I wear regularly are their "Metropolitan" style ones, and they are all nylon. They're thin but not sheer (like tuxedo or silk socks), and they hold up and don't fade.

Also, I always wear over the calf ones for work. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I think it's really tacky to cross your legs and show shin. That, and I hate pulling up my socks all day long.

[Rudy Vey]

I just make sure that my socks match my trousers and not (necessarily) my shoes. Oh wait, maybe its the other way around. Darn it, I hate it when that happens! :wink:

Absolutely right on!! It really shocks me when I see men (or women) wearing black or dark blue socks with their beige or olive green khakis, or worse white athletic socks!! On the other hand, I had a colleague in Germany who only wore red socks with whatever pants he wore, jeans, khakis or even with a dark suit - that was his trade mark.

[avsmusic1]

does anyone still make the dress socks that had the "strap" that goes over the top of your calf and keeps them up?

[The Knize]

does anyone still make the dress socks that had the "strap" that goes over the top of your calf and keeps them up?

That "strap" is a "garter" and it was sold separately from the socks and attached to them either in one or two places with kind of a clamp.

You can still buy sock garters on EBay. Most modern socks seem to stay up well enough by themselves. I do not know why they did not stay up on their own in the old days, but i guess the did not. Also they seemed to make socke a lot shorrter back in the day.

I got some real old school see-through nylon socks to go with patent leather shoes for black tie--I guess back in the day they would have been made of silk. But they utterly would not stay up at all without garters, so I got a pair. I wear them sometimes with a regular suit an pair of socks where the socks so not seem to stay up too well. They do work very well and are not uncomfortable or anything.

[leighton]

Elastics? Just wondering. I noticed that GT said their wool socks with the nylon blend stayed up on the calf better. I figured it was because the nylon was stretchy.

[The Knize]

Probably synthetic elasticized thread or whatever made the difference. I guess they had nylon in WWI, because they mention giving nylons to women in the movies, but maybe it took a while for syntheitcs to become used more universally.

I wonder if all guys, or at least all business type guys wore garters. Seem to see them in movies a lot. I guess thought even there it is sort of joke thing. It is not as if they are not an easy to wear highly effective item!

You Tube as that bizarre men's shoe porn that also seems to features some guys wearing socks. Not sure I get all that. Actualy pretty sure I do not get that at all, but whatever turns someone on.

[gaseousclay]

i'm not brand specific either. since I don't dress up often, my wardrobe is still fairly limited. I think I have a half dozen pairs of dress socks (black, brown & grey) which I picked up for under $10 at Marshalls.

[JonDC]

I thought I was a little old-school in my habits -- more so since I picked up DE shaving -- but garters are really old-school, but in a Cary Grant-ish sort of way.

[danrobles]

Only way to go is Pantherella they offer various materials and patterns a little pricey however, well worth the money.

[The Knize]

I thought I was a little old-school in my habits -- more so since I picked up DE shaving -- but garters are really old-school, but in a Cary Grant-ish sort of way.

No doubt about that! To get more old school than that I guess you have to go with detachable collar shirts and, what?, spats, I guess! Knickers for golf I suppose? I really can't think of anything much else. Shaving with a straight, I guess!

[Klarion]

I don't really use dress socks all that often, but I always go over the calf, since that's all that will stay up on me. And, since almost my entire sock collection has wool (SmartWool ftw), I like Gold Toe Windsor. Inexpensive, and they do the job.

[leighton]

No doubt about that! To get more old school than that I guess you have to go with detachable collar shirts and, what?, spats, I guess! Knickers for golf I suppose? I really can't think of anything much else. Shaving with a straight, I guess!

:blink: :huh:

Straight shaving = more old school than garters huh? I'll keep that in mind. :lol:

[JonDC]

No doubt about that! To get more old school than that I guess you have to go with detachable collar shirts and, what?, spats, I guess! Knickers for golf I suppose? I really can't think of anything much else. Shaving with a straight, I guess!

Spats, now those are really old-school!

By the way cstrother, where did you buy the garters?

[The Knize]

Spats, now those are really old-school!

By the way cstrother, where did you buy the garters?

From some place or another on EBay, if I recall. Either that or some US on-line black tie vendor. They were newly manufactured. I got the kind that attach with only one "snap," not two. One seems to work fine. These are very efficient. Ebay prices seem kind of high right now at around $15.99 a pair. I think I paid more like $9.99, and this was about a year ago. There seem to be vintage ones around, including NOS. Not talking about anything that has to be sturdy at all.

They also have these elastic bands that attach to the bottom of shirt tails and to the top of your socks to keep shirt tales in and socks up. I read somewhere that that is a military thing. Seems pretty wild. I do not think of my having a problem with my shirt tail coming out, but this has to add a whole new level of keeping it in and straight! Seems like it might be uncomfortable and a hassle to deal with though.

[JonDC]

They also have these elastic bands that attach to the bottom of shirt tails and to the top of your socks to keep shit tales in and socks up. I read somewhere that that is a military thing. Seems pretty wild. I do not think of my having a problem with my shirt tail coming out, but this has to add a whole new level of keeping it in and straight! Seems like it might be uncomfortable and a hassle to deal with though.

Saw a picture of those on ebay. They are wild and do look uncomfortable, like you'd have to flex your legs to keep them from bending from the tension.

[Phog Allen]

From some place or another on EBay, if I recall. Either that or some US on-line black tie vendor. They were newly manufactured. I got the kind that attach with only one "snap," not two. One seems to work fine. These are very efficient. Ebay prices seem kind of high right now at around $15.99 a pair. I think I paid more like $9.99, and this was about a year ago. There seem to be vintage ones around, including NOS. Not talking about anything that has to be sturdy at all.

They also have these elastic bands that attach to the bottom of shirt tails and to the top of your socks to keep shit tales in and socks up. I read somewhere that that is a military thing. Seems pretty wild. I do not think of my having a problem with my shirt tail coming out, but this has to add a whole new level of keeping it in and straight! Seems like it might be uncomfortable and a hassle to deal with though.

I will keep this in mind.

Regards, Todd

[adamant]

I will keep this in mind.

Regards, Todd

I'm surprised that the auto-censor didn't pick that up.

[adamant]

Absolutely right on!! It really shocks me when I see men (or women) wearing black or dark blue socks with their beige or olive green khakis, or worse white athletic socks!! On the other hand, I had a colleague in Germany who only wore red socks with whatever pants he wore, jeans, khakis or even with a dark suit - that was his trade mark.

Help me out here. I am wearing brown leather shoes with jeans. Should I be wearing dark socks to match the shoes? I guess the jeans sort of go with anything, right?

[Sam]

GT Metropolitan in Nylon are good socks, and don't fade either, and not sheer. I hate paying for a sock that either loses its elasticity or it fades in the heel area (and has abrasion marks) within 3 months. The Metros dont do that.

[Kouros]

Help me out here. I am wearing brown leather shoes with jeans. Should I be wearing dark socks to match the shoes? I guess the jeans sort of go with anything, right?

Socks should either match your pants, be darker than your pants, or come in a color that is complimentary to your pants or shoes. I usually wear navy or dark brown socks with blue jeans if I'm wearing brown shoes. If the shoes are tan or cordovan, I would go with tan or olive socks. If I'm wearing black shoes I will only wear black or navy socks with blue jeans. I have socks in colors to match every pair of pants I own.

[rgc]

i am very pleased with my pantherella otc socks. :biggrin:


+1

[Bayamontate]

I'm an argyle cat all the way.

[Will P.C.]

What does OTC stand for?

I found that I really liked the Banana Republic dress socks. I used to work for them a few years ago when I was in college and I had a 40% discount. I would buy most of my stuff their since I got it so cheap when they already had a specific item discounted. My feet don't sweat in them and they have really held up well.

I used to absolutely hate wearing dress socks and would wear athletic socks before I bought these.

[JonDC]

What does OTC stand for?

OTC = Over the calf

They're the long dress socks that come up to about the knee. They stay up better, and they don't "show shin" when you cross your legs.

[Thelonius1]

This ones easy. VK Nagrani!!! They make conventional OTC dress socks, but you can also purchase those with...personality. I was a Pantherella guy but was extremely dissatisfied with them. I'm cursed with baseball bats for a lower leg and they always slipped down. Nagrani, durable, beautifull, form fitting and I get compliments every day, I actually have friends, clients and colleagues who look to see what pair I wear. Some take a bit of stones to put on, but with the rest of my daily wear being conservative, I can bring out some personality with my socks and they fit fantastic.

[DaveAri]

Putting 2 and 2 together here ... is Golden Toe from Costco?

+1 Funny I'll spend $350 on Allen Edmonds shoes. (I have AE Disorder) but Costco for socks.

[Doc4]

Help me out here. I am wearing brown leather shoes with jeans. Should I be wearing dark socks to match the shoes? I guess the jeans sort of go with anything, right?


Socks should either match your pants, be darker than your pants, or come in a color that is complimentary to your pants or shoes. I usually wear navy or dark brown socks with blue jeans if I'm wearing brown shoes. If the shoes are tan or cordovan, I would go with tan or olive socks. If I'm wearing black shoes I will only wear black or navy socks with blue jeans. I have socks in colors to match every pair of pants I own.

I'll generally +1 that, although I'll suggest being a bit more of a free-spirit from time to time. (A wag once observed that a businessman matches his socks to his pants, and gentleman matches his socks to his mood.) Something colourful might be just the ticket!!


(Just never ever white tube socks ... or any white socks, for that matter.)

[leighton]

But....I like white socks with my jeans & sneakers.... :crying: