To Sock or Not To Sock: That Is The Question

Summer is almost here and I?m already taking advantage of the warm temperatures to show off some of my style “skills,” Things like rolling up my chinos, rolling up my shirt?s cuffs or sleeves and wearing a pocket square with my leather jacket are some of my favorite ways to stand out.

But there?s one style trick that I can?t do… yet. Going (almost) sockless. I still have to wait for the end of May or even June for this.

Just what does the ?sockless look? imply?

To sock or not to sock

Sockless is simply about not wearing or giving the impression that you?re not wearing any socks. This looks great with casual summer outfits (think shorts and polo shirts) as well as will ? you?ll never guess ? suits.

Yep, not wearing any socks with suits can be daunting, yet it will look EXTREMELY good if you can pull it off.

However, there?s a big problem with not wearing any socks. When your feet start sweating, the sweat will start to go right into the shoe, causing it to smell long after you take it off. The other downside is that the dust and dirt that is normally kept away by the sock will start to go right into your feel, causing them to mix with the sweat and smell even more.

This two-way circulation of sweat and dust is very bad, even if you?re not the type whose feet sweat too much. However, there are solutions.

My number one fix for this is to wear no-show socks. These are socks that, when worn, are 100% hidden in the shoe. So you?re wearing socks but give the impression that you?re not. Sneaky, right?

This is how I roll, by the way: I always wear no-show socks. But, if for some reason you don?t like that, there are other ways to pull off the sockless look.

One way is to apply foot powder. The other is to use foot spray. Both of them do a good job at keeping the sweat away from the shoe, but do little to prevent the dust from reaching your feet.

If you live in an urban area, however, dust won?t be that big of a deal. So, in the end, all 3 options are viable.

What types of shoes can be worn without socks?

That?s a great question. Initially, the only shoes that I recommended were casual types: loafers, boat shoes, espadrilles and sandals. However, the trend now is that you can wear lace-up leather shoes such as oxfords with no-show socks. Things change and, in a way, I?m glad that business outfits get to benefit from this really stylish trick.

When?s the best time to stop wearing socks?

I know some of you may be in love with the sockless look but that doesn?t mean you can pull it off in spring and autumn… unless the temperatures allow for it. This is a summer look so, unless it look like summer outside, don?t do it. Each season has its own style tricks you can do to make yourself look good.

One last thing: if you?re wearing full length pants (jeans, chinos, khakis), make sure you roll them up a little to let that ankle show. Otherwise it will just look a little strange. If someone looks closer, they can see a little bit of skin coming out from under the lower part of your pants and they might be thinking: geez, did he forget to wear socks today?

However, rolling up your pants a little will let everyone know that the absence of socks is something intentional. And cool. And that makes YOU look cool.

For more stylish tips from George, check out LifestyleGod.com.