My old editor used to have a phrase I don’t see around much in journalism anymore – the ‘tail fin’ headline, intended to describe a headline that was mostly there for show, in the same way as a tail fin on a car.
Today’s headline is one of those. It’s not untrue, but it is mostly there to get your attention.
All of my socks are not from TM Lewin. But some of them are, and for a lot of Permanent Style readers, that will probably be shocking enough.
But first, let’s step back a bit. Around 15 years ago, when I first started buying quality tailoring, I bought into the idea that a real gentleman wore socks that reached just under the knee – often referred to as over-the-calf (OTC, above).
Socks this long were what men had worn traditionally, and from an elegance point of view they made perfect sense: a sock this long stayed up, it didn’t collapse around the ankle; and when you crossed your legs, a smooth expanse of hosiery was shown, rather than a bit of sock and then some pasty-white, hairy calf.
The logic still holds, but my problem was I took it too far (as many people do that get obsessed with a particular type of dressing). I wore OTC socks with not just tailoring, but jeans and chinos as well (although not shorts, thankfully).
I also thought I needed the finest socks, because I aspired to the finest tailoring. So all my socks were luxurious, ultrafine cotton from the likes of Bresciani, Gallo or Mazarin.
It was the style rationale that started to go for me first. Much as I loved the way OTC socks stayed up, there was something a little silly about wearing them with jeans. I often wore linen or wool ones, so they weren’t as smooth and silky, but still.
The quality rationale took a lot longer to fade. Even when I started wearing normal, mid-calf socks with casual trousers, I bought them from the same makers in the same fineness.
These socks were much worse at staying up than cheaper ones (often because they had fewer synthetics) and wore through really quickly. I looked after them well – delicate wash, hang dry – but still seemed to get holes all the time.
About two years ago, the quality rationale finally faded too. I bought a half dozen charcoal socks from TM Lewin (a cheaper shirt retailer, for those outside the UK) and found they stayed up better than my expensive ones, lasted three times as long, and were a third of the price.
The main reason they were cheaper and tougher was that they weren’t 100% cotton, only about 65%. But then more expensive casual socks, from likes of Japanese makers Tabio or AnonymousIsm, often have big synthetic components to them too.
Synthetics are bad from an environmental point of view, but from every other angle I think it makes sense. There’s less breathability without 100% cotton, but it’s not a difference I’ve ever noticed (if anyone else has, let me know). The only pure-cotton casual socks I now have are from workwear brands, and actually those seem to get damp and shapeless quite quickly.
I wouldn’t want more than 40% synthetic, but the TM Lewin ones have performed well over those two years. They stay up well, haven’t got any holes, and look good – not as fine or smart as the others I had previously, but that’s not what you want with casual trousers.
I’ve asked our friends what they wear in this department, and the most popular brand is Uniqlo (perhaps unsurprisingly) followed by H&M.
Lucas also asked people on social media last year what brands they used, and tried Calzedonia on the back of that. They’ve done very well for him, and they are a touch cheaper (£5 a pair compared to £10 at TM Lewin, Uniqlo also around £).
The other thing these brands often lack is a good range of colours – somewhere like TM Lewin only has standard business ones, navy, black and charcoal, while other brands sometimes lack tasteful colours. I often find I pick some up from AnonymousIsm at Trunk (below) because they’ll have a nicer grey marl, or a good olive green.
As for long socks, I still buy fine cotton ones but it’s less of an issue because I wear them less. I’m also more likely to err away from the ultrafine, gauzy variety, or the cashmere-mix options, in the name of longevity.
I might also try someone like Calzedonia in the future for long socks, at least as a back-up option. When I’m getting dressed up in a suit and tie for something special, I’m happy to wear the finest socks, but day-to-day in the office – perhaps with tailored trousers and a knit and coat – I don’t need that level of quality.
Interestingly, I don’t think this turn towards cheaper socks is about money, because I spend very large sums of money on other things. It feels more like it’s about aligning expenditure with value. Bespoke tailoring is wildly expensive, but I feel the value in every stitch of that jacket; fine socks feel like they give me very little, and for less time too.
I’m interested in what cheaper socks readers wear, given we have such a wonderful group of discerning consumers here. There are so many mainstream brands, and lots I will have missed.
That goes for long socks too. When I’ve tried more durable long socks, they always seem to push too far in the other direction. That was the case with the super-durable socks I tried from Mes Chaussettes Rouges years ago, and with ones from the Turkish company Viccel too – they were much tougher, emphasising ultimate wear resistance, and as a result lost too much in the feel. It feels like the middle-ground there would be the best option.
Readers often ask what they should spend more and less money on, as everything we cover is expensive. I’d say socks are one thing I’d definitely put further down the list, but it took me a long time to realise that.
