4 Reasons Men Can't Wear White Socks

Since the day AskMen.com launched, our staff has stood hard and fast by one fashion rule: Men don't wear white socks. Like most hard-and-fast rules, this one has inspired plenty of debate among AM readers, writers and editors, but entering our 10th year of operation, we continue to stand by it — and anticipate that we will still be doing so 10 years from now. It's a timeless men's fashion rule as incontrovertible as matching your belt with your shoes, and if you haven't bought into it already, this article will make the sale. Here are four reasons, outside of athletic activities, why men can't wear white socks.



White socks don't match anything

White socks get dirty

White socks are sportswear

White socks are too easy

Unless you're Tom Wolfe or the owner of a sugarcane plantation in turn-of-the-century Antigua, you probably don't regularly wear white pants. And if you don't regularly wear white pants, your white socks don't match most of your outfits. Outside of those times you sport a suit, you probably wear the same pants that 90% of the male population does: jeans most of the time, with khakis or flat-front dark casual pants occasionally thrown in the mix. And those of you who have read AM's Style Bible know that one's socks should match one's pants (or, for the bolder dressers among you, one's pocket square ). So if you have a sock drawer full of balled-up whities, they're clashing with everything you have hanging in your closet. Invest instead in a nice collection of black, blue and gray socks that will complement your existing wardrobe so well.As any man who's made the mistake of wearing white underwear to a lovemaking session can tell you, stains become embarrassingly pronounced on a white background. The humiliations that can follow from wearing white socks are similar (though admittedly less traumatic) — particularly in wintertime, when snow muck is everywhere and hosts are in the habit of asking guests to remove their shoes. So the next time you go to pull on a pair of white socks before heading out to a house party, imagine this scenario unfolding: The party host introduces you to a gorgeous Danish entertainment lawyer, who you proceed to charm with your quick wit and intriguing anecdotes. As she warms up to your company and you cozy up on the couch together, you recline and stretch your legs out... to reveal a stray strand of pasta that has been transported from your kitchen floor on the toes of your white sock. Had you worn darker socks she wouldn't have even noticed it, and you would have had a shot at showing her the stains on your white undies instead.Whether or not white socks were initially conceived as sportswear, they are now certainly popularly perceived as such. And just as you would never dare wear a hockey jersey under your dinner jacket, nor should you ever dream of pairing white socks with your designer jeans or your wingtips. White socks look good with: athletic shorts, track pants and running shoes. White socks look ridiculous with: everything else.You come to AM because you want to better yourself, and bettering oneself always involves setting and confronting challenges. That's why you request new responsibilities at work, approach the hot women in bars and increase your reps in the gym. This same ethic should be applied to the way you dress and present yourself to the world. Start from the bottom up; instead of taking the easy route of cladding your feet in the same color day in and out, put some thought into it. Start by matching your socks with your pants, then move on to bolder pairings by coordinating them with accessories like ties and pocket squares. The color of your socks may seem like a trivial detail, but it's attention to detail that distinguishes the man — and shapes others' perceptions of him. Leave the white socks for the suckers.