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The ankle sock will suck all style out of your look in 2 seconds flat.
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I’m gonna keep this short & sweet– let’s give this one a quick spank and put it to bed. Do not try to rock the ankle sock as an apologetic attempt to go semi-sockless for Spring/Summer. This look is popping up all too often, even on guys who seemingly have style. Stop. Gym shoes fine, dress shoes never.
Either go completely bare, or own the sock– like this very “John Waters” character below. Sidebar– There’s another lesson below that’s not to be missed. See his white bucks? What’s wrong with this picture? Exactly. That messed-up square toe. Beware of cheezy attempts aimed at “updating” a classic.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
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Nice socks buddy, but the shoes stink.
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Aaah. Someone who gets it.
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Images via The Sartorialist
The Selvedge Yard 
I gotta agree on the square-toe white bucks…WTF?
If people can’t go sockless because of foot odor issues, then they need to just wear regular sucks. There should be no half assing it. The square toed shoes don’t even look comfortable.
Couldn’t agree more. I was blown away with “Mr. V” in the top photo ruining an otherwise great look with horrid hoisery (!) He should also have a leather strap on his watch, but who’s counting?
Bingo.
hahaha! i love this blog. that was great!
bess
I’m noticing no belt on those gabardine Hollywoood waisted trousers…wonder if they’ve got some adjustable side tabs?
Funny but the top photo doesn’t bother me…the bottom photo was on my inspiration board almost immediately after it was posted
So I can take it that you rock the sport sock to work, bra?
A sartorial trick you learned from Obi Wan Bastian?
wear socks and stop dressing like a twat..
so many guys with rolled up trouser and sockless they look like affected knobs
Isn’t that Richard Dreyfus in the last pic? Mebbe not, but that was my first impression. I’ve never seen Dreyfus clean up like that, though. I’ll get my glasses checked.
The socks are the only good thing about the John Waters pic. No, it’s not Richard Dreyfus. Although, he does look a bit like Stan Lee. To sock or not to sock, that IS the question…
the john waters type is the main guy in susquehannah tool and die co…a fantastic country and rockabilly band here in nyc…super nice guy too.
he rules…as do his socks…as opposed to ankle sock boy.
I gotta agree 100%, that top photo is so near yet so very very farrrrr(ked)…..as for the dick tracy extra in photo two, well…..the last photo proves that sockless does not mean dressing like a twat, after all, that’s what wearing Ed Hardy is for. Ankle socks are only for 90+degree days and trainers. And that means running shoes, or ‘I am actually exercising’ trainers. No if, buts, arguments. The answer is noshow or loafer socks. Jcrew used to do ’em, vans have ’em online or you can ebay ’em in 4packs from hongkong. Just don’t let anyone see them when you take your shoes off. You might come across as a guy who likes to wear womens underwear…but at least you won’t be ponging the place out….
I’m guilty of this if I have new shoes…
Amen, I was thinking the exact same thing when I 1st saw this on the blog, and couldn’t believe this guy got credit for being a ‘sartorialist’, I mean damn, at least tell the man to take the socks off if he wants to get in your picture.
Great observation! Agreed.
I’ve had the same sentiment about ankle socks for so long now. haha.
I’m more partial to wearing the right socks instead of going bare though.
Yikes, sounds like some of you folks could use a little dose of Mr. Happy Face.
I’m glad I carry a moustache comb around with me as I wouldn’t want a stray hair jutting upward or out.
Yeah, the socks could be construed as a might bit dweebish but really not a big deal in the big picture. The shoes are ok. I happen to welcome a different spin on a classic…sometimes. And lastly, I can only hope to look this good at that age.
And someone finally says it. When I saw “Mr. Ricci” featured on The Sartorialist, I honestly thought this guy doesn’t know what the hell he is doing below the knee. Sockless seems like a no-brainer answer in the Spring/Summer. I would have thought the ankle sock would be enough to bar one from The Sartorialist, apparently not.
And yes, square toe anything…toss it. Well done.
But can you go ankle socks with shorts? It works that way …
ps: great article by the way ! we need more of those. So we know what to and what not to do.
/sarcasm.
Amen. Going sockless with light tan loafers and those manually-hemmed khakis right now.