The Types of Socks To Own
Calf-Length Socks
These are going to be your go-to socks for wearing with any longer pant options like jeans, chinos, wool trousers, and suit pants (but never shorts).
Though it's important to invest in classic neutral shades (black, charcoal, and navy), you can also go a little bit wild with the colors and patterns.
As for material, stick with merino wool or cotton blends because they’re the most comfortable and can be worn with casual and dressy outfits.
Just beware: Thick cotton or wool socks look horrible with suits because they’re just too thick and informal. So if you need socks like that, wear them with casual outfits only.
No-Show Socks
As you can probably imagine, no-show socks are best worn when the weather is warm and sunny. It’s not as much a seasonal thing as it’s warm nearly year-round in places like Florida and California, but more of a temperature and outfit thing (more on that in a second).
The key thing to know about no-show socks is that you want to wear them any time you’re showing a bit of ankle. So if you’re wearing a shorter hem, cuffing your chinos or jeans, or wearing shorts, you want to wear the right pair of no-show socks. If you’re going with a standard hem length there’s no need to wear no-show socks, just stick to standard dress socks.
No-show socks look great will all outfits from shorts to suits so you can feel comfortable wearing them with whatever you’ve got on. They definitely add a bit of informality to the mix so be aware of that if you’re getting dressed up. Go for plain colors, as no one will see patterns but never wear nude-colored ones. If you’re wearing all-white sneakers, you can wear white ones, but they'll get discolored quickly, so you'll have to buy them more often.
Ankle or Gym Socks
These should be worn only when working out or doing strenuous activities and can be ankle or calf length depending on your choice
Stick with black or gray colors and grab some that are thicker or have some cushioning on the bottom and ankle area for added comfort.
Fabrics
Socks come in all sorts of fabrics/materials – wool, cotton, cashmere, silk, nylon, or blends of each.
In my experience, merino wool and cotton blends are best, because they’re more forgiving and comfortable than the other fabrics. They also look great and can be worn with both casual and dress outfits, and they’re just the right thickness.
Silk, silk-blended or nylon-blended socks can only be worn with suits and dress shoes and will wear out quicker than other fabrics.
