The socks to level up your drawer

Yesterday morning seemed like a better time than ever to do a deep dive on socks. If Sunday was a sock it would be the comfiest pair you own, not necessarily the best on the eye, yet a pair that is ever reliable and has you settled for a day of downtime at home. A Monday sock would most likely be a tired looking grey pair that do the job but nothing more. Friday’s would have a little bit of excitement, something a bit different, something that put a spring in your step. Simply put, they are not to be overlooked and should hold similar principles to what I talked about when sharing some underwear favourites. Finding quality pairs will put you in good stead for some long lasting enjoyment, keeping your heels supported and big toe covered for more than just the first few wears.

My younger years did not care for which socks I wore, usually opting for a multi-pack for the school year ahead. Even with these, I was probably making some kind of statement without knowing. Anyone partake with the school playground sock tuck during PE? Part-experimentation, part-rebellion. And in our more older (wiser?) years, we still find situations to make statements with our sock choices, intentionally or otherwise. Leaving the house wearing odd socks, pairing white socks with dress shoes and perhaps the biggest of all, socks with sandals - a big yes in my opinion. I agree with the idea that you can gauge a lot from the shoes someone wears and if that is true, your socks are going to be next up for inspection. The takeaway from all of this is to take pride in your socks and not to get off on the wrong foot, because of what is on your feet.

I consider myself organised when it comes to my sock intake, there’s no need for this part of my wardrobe to be given the Marie Kondo treatment. The multi-packs are a distant memory, everything lines up nicely and my socks are in full view. Looking down at them now, there are a couple pairs that are hanging on by a thread and most likely one wear away from a self-made design tweak/hole. Recently with very little to think about in lockdown, I have been able to notice what pairs I gravitate towards as it’s one of the very few active decisions I make as my clothes pretty much stay the same throughout the week. And for somebody who keeps their outfits relatively simple, a flash of twill, 3-ply or colour might just be what I need to spark that *joy* Kondo speaks so fondly of. So I spent yesterday in a sock shaped corner of the internet looking for pairs that might score me some extra points for my wardrobe.downicon

1/5 ROTOTO DOUBLE FACE SOCKS £23.00

In my sock collection I have a pair of black fleece lined socks that get called upon for the colder days. Not attractive in the slightest and strictly housebound, they do keep my feet at an enjoyable temperature. So, to find a Japanese brand like Rototo that not only ticks that box of warmth with their double face range, but also look good on the eye well that’s a win-win. Sadly they appear to be well sought after as evidenced by multiple tabs telling me they are out of stock and telling me to sign up to mailers. I did track down a couple pairs you could slip straight into - including this yellow pair - before future restocks of this mountaineering inspired style go live.

2/5 SOCKSSS CHERRY PEACH ORGANIC COTTON-BLEND £18.00

“Fun socks do not exist”. Enter: Socksss, the Swedish brand that pack fun. They seem to have picked up on every shade in the colour wheel that every other brand has chosen to ignore. Lemon snow, it’s not blue and snow white being three of them. Aiming to create what they call a high quality “foot-garment” using organic and recycled materials, the brand are already creating patterns that resemble check picnic blankets and stripes that hint at a soon to be populated private members club.

3/5 ANONYMOUS ISM 5 COLOUR MIX CREW BLUE GREY £24.00

All I have to say is “made in Japan” and already that should be enough to make your ears prick up. Anonymous Ism make socks in a number of different styles and weights, though my pick of the bunch is their 5 colour mix crew. The first thing I thought of when finding the blue grey colourway (above) was that they reminded me of strawberry and bubblegum millions. Quite the statement, quite the pop of colour and quite possibly already in my basket. It is also worth looking at their tie dye assortment, one step too far for me in my introduction to colour.

4/5 THUNDERS LOVE RECYCLED TRUE GREEN SOCKS €25.00

While looking for new brands, mostly it’s the story that hooks me in before how a product looks. Thunders Love socks are designed in North West Spain, working with third generation hosiers and using traditional machines and handcrafted techniques. While most of their collections are made from new long staple Egyptian cotton, the brand also have a recycled collection which uses recycled cotton produced from factory offcuts and stick to existing factory floor colours, meaning no need for additional dye or chemicals. To learn more about the finer details, Thunder Love includes details on yarn techniques and how they consider compositions, such as this forest green style, which lets through flecks of blue from the inside over on their website.

5/5 YMC X CORGI MONKEY COTTON SLUB SOCKS £20.00

If you are making socks with a company that has a royal warrant, it is safe to say you are in good hands. YMC have collaborated with Corgi to create a 7-piece collection that riffs off skate (checkerboard style here) and sport culture. Finding socks that add colour to an otherwise plain outfit has been my focus when looking at what to include in this list and this pair uses a twist slub navy yarn for the main, a playful red pop on the heel - perfect for peeping out of open back shoes - and ecru toe and cuffs. For those that like to keep an eye on local provenance, these are made near the Brecon Beacons in Ammanford, Wales, not a bad place to set up shop and road test new socks.jbicon