Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette.
In today's video, we compare $4 versus $40 socks, we'll talk about the differences, the
advantages, disadvantages, and why one costs 10 times as much as the other.
I get it, socks are not a style enthusiasts' most sexiest subject, but in fact, they can
have a huge impact on the way your whole outfit looks.
Socks have a unique ability to add some color to the bottom half of your outfit and therefore
you can tie your entire outfit together, for example, you can coordinate it with your shoes,
your tie, or your pocket square.
The only other two options are either, to exchange your shoelaces and you can learn
more about how to that here in this video or you can buy different colored shoes which
is a lot more expensive and those kinds of shoes are typically less versatile.
In our opinion, socks are a gentleman's secret weapon to tying together an entire outfit
and bringing it alive.
For instance, I use socks to make a neat transition between my pants and my shoes without sacrificing
contrast or visual interest.
So the big question is, for an item that you need to replace regularly in your wardrobe,
should you spend $4 on it or $40?
First, let's look at the $4 socks.
I bought a 5-pack of Dockers Men's Dress Socks for 20 bucks.
So, that comes out to be about 4 bucks per pair.Now ideally, that seems like a good deal
especially since they are sized and I got the size 10 to 13 because I'm typically a
US 11.
Of course, if you are on the edges of the size category, chances are they may be a little
loose or quite tight.
When I shopped for a $4 socks, I came across much larger size brackets such as 6 to 12
or one size fits most.
Now even though I followed the size range, the problem is that there is so much elastics
in there that actually pinches my calves over the course of the day.
Not only that it restricts my blood flow, but it's also quite uncomfortable.
In terms of color on the website, it looks like they came in black and khakis and variations
thereof.
When I got them in person, they are solid ripped khaki pair, there's an argyle pattern,
there is a small pattern in brown and khaki but also two in brown.
Now at these tones work with Khakis or maybe brown pants, you have a problem with any kind
of business suit socks such as charcoal or navy or gray.
Also, we take a closer look at the solid socks, it's really hard to match a pair of solid
socks to a pair of patterned or solid pants because most of the time the shade is not
quite matching and it just looks off.
When we get our $4 socks, they're pretty limited in the color range and you may find black
or gray, something brownish or khaki but that's about it.
Now, even though they're advertised as dress socks, they're actually mid-calf height and
because of that, they don't stay up.
Gravity is just too strong over the course of the day, so they'll just move down towards
your ankle.
As a consequence, it will probably expose your legs which is unprofessional because
no one wants to see your hairy legs at the office.
And now, even you shave your legs, people still don't want to see it.
Now, on the material mix on the website, it was advertised as 71% polyester, 26% cotton,
2% spandex, and 1% nylon, the actual package itself looks different.
Here, it says 83% polyester, 15% cotton, and 2% spandex.
Upon touching them, they feel quite soft and comfortable because polyester can be finished
to be very soft these days.
Frankly though, polyester is the cheapest of all materials that you can use in your
clothing but it also ages very poorly and quickly.
How?
Well, soon you'll find peeling and it just won't stand the test of time and always look
like a hand me down that's old and worn.
Polyester is also insulating, which means that you're more prone to sweating with these
kinds of socks and just having worn feet over the course of the day.
When I put on those socks, I noticed 2 things right away.
One was how thick they were compared to a more expensive pair of socks and two, the
toe area.
When you need a pair of socks, it has to be finished in this toe area because machines
are not quite able to do that.
Now, if it's done by machine, it's usually very bulky and that's exactly what you get
with a $4 pair of socks.
The problem is you will always feel this elevated seam inside your shoe especially when you
walk a lot.
So in nutshell, who are $4 socks for?
They are for men who think short term, who want the cheapest pair of socks that they
can find without having to resort to white tennis socks.
They're also for men who don't mind sweaty feet and don't really want a comfortable pair
of socks.
Now, let's go on to the $40 socks.
What exactly makes them 10x as expensive?
First of all, they are sized to your foot.
Most high-end socks come in a number of different sizes and at Fort Belvedere, we offer 5 different
sizes -- Small, Medium, Large, Extra-large, and Double Extra Large.
This allows as to adequately cover the size ranges all the way from size 6 to size 15.
Of course, if you look at the length difference, it is apparent.
The more expensive $40 socks are the true over-the-calf sock that is below the knee
and stays up all day comfortably.
Over-the-calf socks are the gentlemen's choice and at Fort Belvedere, we only offer that
style, nothing mid-calf or shorter because they will just inevitably slide down and for
me, it is really important to design a sock that stays up.
In our mind, the biggest advantage of a $40 socks compared to a $4 socks is their versatility.
And now, most men don't even think about that when they buy a pair of socks.
Obviously, we love men's style and we want you to look as good as possible.
To learn more about the basics of how you can combine pants, socks, and shoes so you
look dapper, please check out this free guide here.
So $40 socks don't just come in a much larger range of colors for you to choose from, but
they typically also come in 2 different colors that are combined and the combination of that
allows you to wear a single pair of socks with a multitude of outfits and pants and
they will always look like it matches and works together versus a solid, plain color
sock will always look off.
Just think about navy, charcoal, or gray for a second which are the most popular business
colors.
They properly come in hundreds, maybe even in thousands of different shades.
If you have two colors combined, for example, a navy blue and a lighter blue, you can wear
it any shade of navy that's always gonna work.
Or look at these socks, for example, it's kind of a grayish blue and a light blue combined,
so it can work with any type of gray pants, charcoal pants or navy pants that will always
look good.
That's the true hidden power of two-tone socks that most men underestimate.
And it also works with different colors, for example, look at these socks, they're actually
a combination of purple and white.
And there is something that I would call a false solid because from afar, they look like
a solid but if you look at closer, they are actually made up of two colors.
They can be worn with any kind of brown pants and they look great.
They can be worn with denim or maybe with something in charcoal or with a pair of chinos.
Now, that's true versatility.
Compared to this pair of sock in brown, it just doesn't work with gray.
Yes, it somewhat works with a brown, yes it works with chinos, it doesn't look that great
with any blue or denim.
In Fort Belvedere, we try to design our socks so you'll get a large range of different colors
in two-tone patterns that work with a multitude of outfits.
You also won't find rocket ships or pizzas on our socks and if you want to learn more
about why crazy socks are overrated, please check out this video here.
Now, as you'll imagine, a pair of $40 socks is made up of premium materials.
For example, you can find silk, cashmere, or blends thereof.
Even if socks are made up of cotton, not all cotton is alike.
You can find cheaper cotton with shorter staple lengths or you can find higher-end cotton
with a longer staple length that is twisted twice for consistency and longevity of the
yarn and that way, you just end up with a sock that is much more comfortable because
it is all made of natural fibers, not artificial fibers like nylon or polyester and that won't
insulate.
In reality is just the raw material of a $40 socks costs more than the entire $4 socks.
Because of that, you can make a yarn much thinner and knit a sock that is much more
finely knitted.
Of course, with a larger number of needles, it takes longer to make a pair of socks.
However, the fine gauge knit of a high-end dress socks is always a hallmark because you
will not be able to find any expensive sock that is fine as a high-quality sock.
Also, the machines used and the country of origin are typically different.
All the $4 socks are made in China, Fort Belvedere socks are exclusively made in Italy of a 100%
natural fibers.
And because there's a tradition of craftsmanship and socks making in Italy, all the socks are
finely finished by hand so there is no bulky seam at the toe that would provide any discomfort
to you when you walk.
Consider that cotton is absorbent and as insulating polyester, you will have just a much more
pleasant experience walking around in your dress shoes throughout the day.
So, is it worth it to pay 10x as much for a higher-end pair of socks?
Well, ultimately that is up for you to decide.
In my book, it is definitely worth it especially when you consider that you can buy a pair
of 3, 6, or 12 socks and can bring down the price down all the way to $30 per pair.
That would allow you to get 12 different colors of socks, meaning, you'll basically equipped
to handle any kind of situation with the right pair of socks.
It also makes travel easier because you can bring along a small amount of pair of socks
and you don't have to think about what color works exactly with it because you can be confident
it's gonna work out.
So in conclusion, $40 socks come in many sizes, the $4 socks come in very few or just 1 size.
While the material of the cheaper socks won't stand the test of time, the pilling will look
bad and make you sweat, higher-end materials allow for thinner socks that look more elegant
with your dress shoes and your fine outfit and they're more breathable and overall more
comfortable when you wear them.
On top of that, $40 socks are true over-the-calf versus cheaper socks are mid-calf that cut
of your circulation and just slide down top make you look unprofessional.
On top of that, $4 socks are finished by machines in its toe area, making it less comfortable
to wear them versus the $40 socks are finished by hand so you have a smooth result and don't
feel anything.
Most importantly, while $4 socks usually come in colors of black, gray, brown, or khaki,
$40 socks come in a range of 15 or 20 different colors especially in color combinations that
allow you to really look your best without having to think about it very much.
In today's, video, I'm wearing a casual outfit that is built around the color green.
It starts with a green cable-knit sweater and I combined it with a green checkered shirt
as well as a brown knit tie.
My pants are of brownish green and a nice twill weave and my shoes are dark green suede
test loafers with accents of brown.
I combined them with a pair of green socks by Fort Belvedere that tied the entire outfit
together seamlessly.
Of course, my pinky ring has a green bloodstone which works with the entire outfit.