For many men, socks are an afterthought. They put on any old pair available, so long as they match some part of their attire—and each other.

This attitude comes from a time when dress socks offered fewer choices in color and style. Today’s sock lines offer nearly every color and pattern imaginable.

Sticking with old-school styles and colors, therefore, tells the world you’re stuck in the past. To modernize your sock game, here are three essential fashion tips for men’s dress socks:

Mix it up. If you’ve taken the bold step and incorporated bright colors into your custom dress socks, don’t stick with one pattern. Wear argyle one day, stripes the next, and maybe finish the week with a solid, yet vivid color, like pink or purple. Mix in unique patterns and unusual color combinations as well.

Don’t match. Accentuate. Back when socks were strictly utilitarian and hardly considered a fashion statement, they would simply blend with the rest of the outfit. That has changed. Now, socks are every bit as important an accessory as a belt, watch, tie, or pocket square. So don’t hide those socks by making them the same color as your shoes or pants.

Instead, have your socks complement your ensemble. Match them to those aforementioned accessories. Find secondary colors on your socks that match the stripes on your shirt or the pattern on your tie. Choose colors and patterns that offer a sharp contrast to the pants and shoes.

Length matters. You want your dress socks to show. But just the socks.

With casual attire, it’s ok to show skin. However when you’re dressed up and donning a pair of high-powered socks, the last thing you want people to see are your bare legs. They distract from and clash with those cool socks. So for dress attire, your custom dress socks should be at least crew length, if not a longer mid-calf length.

At the same time, you don’t want to conceal those socks. They should stand out — in a good way — when you sit down. So wear pants that are the proper length as well; not so long that they keep your socks covered at all times.

About the author

EVERSOX is a worldwide supplier of custom branded socks for businesses, retailers, and promotional products distributors — with over 10,000 designs manufactured & 100 major brands served since 2010.