Are socks a sartorial nightmare or will they be our saviour?

When was the last time you really thought about your socks? For many of us they conjure up memories of school uniforms, mine were bottle green to match my tartan skirt, and I spent six years pulling them up every five minutes. So, once I ditched the uniform, socks felt obsolete as that was the only time they had ever really been a staple in my wardrobe. But we’re urging you to re-think socks and give them a second chance. This isn’t a suggestion to buy a pair of bottle green knee highs for the office, but instead to see how they can be incorporated into an outfit in a more surprising way.

With the Irish climate not being the warmest, we do tend to cover up, our legs hibernating all winter inside black tights. Some of us are brave enough to go for a bare ankle when wearing cropped trousers or jeans, but if you’re not, a pair of colorful or printed socks are a great option. They’ll keep out the chill as well as adding a point of interest to your outfit.

Some sock styling tips;

• If you have a pair of trousers that are an awkward length- not quite cropped, not quite culottes- socks can help. Choose a pair in a similar colour to your trousers as they will elongate your legs and make you appear taller.
• If you don’t want to look too ‘out-there’ a minimal, printed pair with either a stripe or geometric pattern are a good place to start. They look great with a simple, monochrome outfit for work.
• You could go matchy-matchy and colour co-ordinate, or even clash colours and prints together for a real point of interest.
• If you’re feeling braver socks and heels is a fun way to introduce them to your wardrobe, go for a glittery or sheer pair. They also make heels far more comfortable!

Some of our favourite brands;

Shiny Powder Women Socks; €25 at falke.com

These bejeweled Falke socks also come in black and look fantastic with heels. Falke also sell a huge selection of different colours if you are looking for a particular shade to match trousers or shoes.

Striped Sheer Socks; €7 at cosstores.com

A simple and monochrome pair can be enough to elevate a minimal outfit. These from COS are perfect with alternating black, and sheer stripes and would look great for work with cropped cigarette pants.

Rio Glitter Socks; €6 at weekday.com

A glittery sock is particularly eye catching and also looks surprisingly dressy with the right shoes. You could wear these with plain black brogues to make them more exciting, or pair them with heels for evening.

Sheer Tartan Socks; €5.00 at topshop.com

We love the Spring colours in these Topshop socks and would style them with a pair of fresh white trainers.

Metallic Calf Socks; €9 at stories.com

& Other Stories have an almost overwhelming selection of socks in their store to choose from. Their selection includes a variety of pairs in kooky prints and colour combinations. We like these blue ones that come up a little higher, wear underneath a pair of cropped jeans with trainers.

Header Image: JasonLloydEvans.com