(classical violin music)
- Hi, I'm Ashley Weston. I'm a celebrity men's wear stylist.
This video is part of my men's essential accessories series.
To see the other articles and videos in this series,
check out this link below.
Alright, so I want to talk to you guys about socks.
If you've read my ten style mistakes e-book,
then you know I have some pretty
strong opinions about socks.
Most of my clients come to me with their draws
filled with a bunch of white regular socks,
maybe a couple ankle socks thrown in there,
and two or three pairs of ratty,
and I mean ratty,
pairs of dress socks.
On top of this just being unacceptable,
it's just frankly,
gross.
Socks are one of the few areas in men's wear where it's
perfectly acceptable to go absolutely crazy with them.
They're a great opportunity for
you to show off your personality,
and they're really great conversation starters.
So the goal here is just to have fun with them.
So there's one rule to follow with your socks,
and that is to never own a pair of white ones ever.
They're the cancer of the sock world,
if you disagree with me, then I'm sorry to say but,
- Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
You're wrong.
- So let me show you the three different
types of socks that you should own.
First up are dress socks.
So think of these as the replacements to your white socks.
Like I said before, go absolutely crazy with them but,
do have some black, gray and navy ones in your sock draw,
just in case you have an event that calls
for you to be a little bit more conservative.
As for material they come in wool, cotton, or silk blends.
I would recommend going with a cotton blend,
that's what I use on my clients because then you can
use that one type of sock for all of your outfits.
So that includes your casual outfits,
like with jeans and sneakers,
and with your suits and dress shoes.
Just be careful not to get a thicker wool sock
because then that only looks good,
and should only be worn with casual outfits.
On the flip side of that,
don't get something that's on the thinner,
silkier side because then you can only
wear that with dress shoes and suits.
As for how many dress socks you should own, well,
that's really up to you, but,
if you do go with the cotton blend
socks that I was just talking about,
then that's your everyday socks,
so just get enough to cover you till laundry day.
If you wanna match your dress socks with your outfit,
then the best thing to do is to take a color in your sock,
and match it to a similar shade of an item in your outfit.
So whether that be your shoes, your jacket,
your accessories like your tie, that's how you do it,
if you really wanna be a stickler about
matching your socks to your outfit.
Now, I will have to say,
this is the one time, the one area where really
don't worry about matching, go bananas,
show off your personality, have some fun.
In a weird way, having some bright crazy socks with
your outfit, might even make it look even better.
Next up are black ankle socks.
So these are for working out only.
I'm serious guys, only working out.
They have a little lip at the top
so you don't want anything super wide.
Just that little lip.
Some companies refer to them as low, or short stocks.
Socks, not stocks.
And the last type of sock you should own,
are black no show socks.
So you'll wear these with loafers or boat shoes and if
you're wearing shorts or if you're cuffing your pants,
regardless of what shoes you're wearing,
so remember, you cuff your pants,
you gotta wear no show socks.
Now as for color,
I recommend going with black because white and nude,
nude especially, nude looks just weird,
and white is going to get gross and dirty very quickly.
So go with black.
So I get asked this pretty regularly,
and that's when should you replace your socks?
So I would say when they're thin in the heel or toes,
if they're faded or stretched out,
then definitely replace them,
and if they're severely pilled, which are those,
you know those little balls that your socks get
when it's like a lot of fiction in a certain area?
If there's a lot of pilling,
then that means that they're starting to get worn out
and just start to toss them and replace them
with some fresh new socks.
So let's get into the best socks that you should own.
For dress socks whether they be solid or pattern,
I love these one's by Darn Tough.
They're super soft and comfortable.
And they're one of the most durable
socks that I've ever encountered.
Another great thing about these guys,
is that they offer a lifetime guarantee.
So if you manager to wear through these ones,
then they will replace them, free of charge,
no questions asked.
Now the price definitely reflects that but it's not
too offensive compared to other brands that offer
no lifetime guarantee.
So they offer these socks in a
micro crew and a crew version.
Definitely go with the crew version because
the micro crew is way too short,
you will be flashing some leg skin
when you're sitting down with the micro crew.
Don't do it.
If you're looking for a more budget friendly option,
then I really love Gold Toe.
You can pretty much find them everywhere.
I'm partial to the cotton blend socks which I have here.
It's their signature gold.
I really like them because
they're not too thick or too thin.
Now, the price for what you're getting is great.
But just be prepared to replace them
about once or twice a year if you wear them regularly.
For ankle socks, again,
I really love the ones by Darn Tough.
Like your dress socks I prefer the
cushion version over the regular ones.
And, I mean, they have a lifetime warranty.
What's there not to like about it?
If you're looking for a budget friendly option,
I really like the ones by Uniqlo.
They actually call their ankle socks "short socks".
They have a bunch of crazy patterns and colors,
but, again, I don't really see the point in that.
Stick with their black ones.
For more information just check out my article.
And lastly for your no show socks, I honestly say,
just go with the cheapest ones out there.
They're all very similar. Uniqlo, H&M,
Topman, Target.
They all make great ones.
Most stores carry them.
Some companies sell cotton blends,
and others sell more thin nylon no show socks.
So I've had clients that prefer one type over another,
but some like to have both.
So this one's entirely up to you in terms of
which material you want to go with.
I just say, try both, and see what you prefer.
So those are the socks that I love using on my clients,
and that I'm recommending to you.
This video is part of my men's essential accessories
series, check out my website for a more in depth article
that includes all the product links as well as honorable
mentions that I did not go over in this video.
Subscribe to my channel for more videos like this.
And if you like this video, remember, give it a thumbs up.
Alright guys so how do we normally sign off on a video?
(squeaky voice) Freemasons run the world!
N-no silly, we don't say that in this video.
Come on. No.
Think about it.
(low voice) Mm, is it, we'll see you in the next one?
Exactly.
So let's all do this at the same time.
Alright gentlemen, thank you so much for watching,
and we'll see you in the next one.
Now give each other a kiss.
(kisses)