Socks

Happy Socks

When it comes to socks, there are several "right" answers with regard to the rules, with only a couple of pitfalls to avoid. Sockwear is easily matched to the personality of the man and is one of the easiest ways (along with ties) to show a little personal flair.

First, the things to avoid. Never wear white socks with your non-athletic shoes. It is also a good idea to avoid wearing socks that are the same color as your shoes, as this combination can make it look like you're wearing booties.(Black socks with black shoes and black slacks would be an exception to this guideline.)

There is a continuum of allowable sockwear. At the most basic level, there are a couple of muted colors (charcoal gray and navy blue) that you can wear with most combinations of slacks and shoes. If you want to get a little more advanced, match the color of your socks to the color of your slacks. This will help emphasize your height a bit by visually extending your leg. These are the more conservative options and thus usually the better choices for a formal business environment or interview.

The next option is to use your socks to echo an element in your shirt or tie, such as a color or pattern. However, be careful that you don't match these too exactly: you don't want it to look like you purchased a matching tie/sock set. Argyles and polka dot patterns can be a good way to carry out this option.

The "most advanced" option is to go with brightly-colored or patterned socks that don't match any other color or pattern you are wearing but that nevertheless harmonize with your outfit. This means you have to use your style eye to evaluate whether the pair of socks contributes to or detracts from the overall look you want to achieve. Here's an example we recently ran across:

Admittedly, we can't see the shirt in this photo. However, a blue OCBD or gingham shirt, among other options, would be a good look with what we can see. (Also, note how the marled look of the socks helps mute the bold style choice of pink.)

If going with a bolder sock choice, you'll probably want to avoid a bold tie or other element. Such style accents are generally best limited to one per outfit.

Remember also that the break in your trouser leg will determine how much of your sock will actually show. In a similar vein, the other sock rule you'll want to always keep in mind is that you never want to show bare leg above your socks. So be sure to wear long enough socks (usually over-the-calf length) to keep your leg covered even when it's crossed and is thereby shortening the length of your trousers.

Jacket Buttons

"Which buttons do I button on my suit jacket/sportscoat?" may be the all-time most-asked men's style question. It's also one of the easiest to answer.

One-button jacket: classic tuxedo jackets feature one button, which is to be buttoned.

Two-button jackets: button the top button, leave the bottom undone.

Three-button jackets: this one is just a little more complicated. First, always leave the bottom button undone and button the middle button. Whether to button the top button on a three-button jacket depends on the style of the lapel. In a "3-roll-2" jacket, the roll of the lapel covers the top button, essentially turning the jacket into a two-button jacket.

A 3-roll-2 jacket.

However, some three-button jackets do not have this type of lapel roll, and with these you can choose whether or not to button the top button. With these, take a look in the mirror and determine which is the better look for your particular jacket.

This jacket may maintain cleaner lines with the top button buttoned.

Four-button (or more) single-breasted jackets: buy yourself a 2- or 3-button jacket.

Double-breasted jackets: with these, the bottom button is optional, with all other buttons buttoned.

When should your jacket be buttoned? As often as possible, but always while standing. Your jacket was designed to be buttoned and, if properly tailored, is more flattering (i.e., slimming) when buttoned. Some single-breasted jackets will not present as well if buttoned while sitting, though, so you may want to unbutton it to sit. (Double-breasted jackets generally look better buttoned at all times, including while sitting.)

Addendum [8/15]: a wise reader writes to suggest we mention the royal origins behind the bottom-button rule. The Art of Manliness has a good description:

Historically, in the early years of the suit as everyday menswear, it appears there were no formal buttoning rules. Look to trade magazines and illustrations from the earlier part of the 20^th century, and one sees jackets with between one and five buttons, each buttoned in a manner that suited the personality of the wearer or the cut of the garment.

But much of this changed with a king who was too fat to button his jacket. Or at least, that’s what legend says.

According to the lore of menswear, in the early 1900s King Edward VII started the trend of leaving the bottom button of a suit undone.

Apparently, he grew so rotund that he was unable to fasten the bottom button of his waistcoat and jacket. To not offend the king, those associated with him started doing the same. The custom then gradually spread the world round (as England was still largely an imperial power with great influence across the globe).

For today's purposes, the most important reason to follow these rules is that nearly all modern men's jackets are designed with the intent that the bottom button will remain unbuttoned. Thus, buttoning the bottom button will likely negatively affect the lines and drape of the jacket and may cause unsightly bunching.

Button-downs and suits.

Since our last post recommended the blue OCBD as the first building block for the Midwestern guy looking to upgrade his style, it seems appropriate to address perhaps the most well-known alleged rule relating to button-downs*: that they aren't properly worn with a suit.

The interesting thing about this rule is that, evidently, no one bothered to pass it along to Brooks Brothers, who are the generally-accepted foremost men's clothiers in the USA. The same can be said of J.Press, another of the upper-echelon American men's retailers.

It is true that the Europeans look with horror upon the button-down with a suit (and often even with a tie), but in America the button-down has regularly been worn with suits and ties, at least in the Ivy League tradition.

That being said, the idea that a button-down is inappropriate with a suit has gained significant traction in the USA. Thus, we would highly recommend against pairing a normal OCBD with a suit. At the least, go with the finer pinpoint oxford button-down. To play it safe, a straight or spread collar is always suit-appropriate (because they are more formal in the shirt hierarchy than a button-down), so why not invest in at least a couple of those to wear with your suit...remembering your collar stays, of course.    

* We should clarify here that the term "button-down" is properly used to describe a shirt with collars that button at their tips. Some folks use the term when referring to any shirt that buttons in the front, but the proper term for that use is, logically, "button-front."

Wearing white.

Tom has the White Stuff.

It's getting warmer as May approaches, so what better time to address one of the better-known Rules? Perhaps you already have a light-colored linen jacket or even a seersucker suit hanging in the closet, or maybe you're considering acquiring one for the rash of summer weddings. So when can you start using it?

Ask folks in different parts of the country when you can start wearing white suits, jackets, or shoes, and you'll get different answers. Up in New England, they'll tell you the rule is Memorial Day to Labor Day. Down South you'll hear it's proper from Easter until Labor Day-ish. Since we're in the Midwest, why not split the difference?

Let's remember this rule developed because these types of white clothing items were worn in the summer months for their cooling properties (besides the sunlight-reflecting properties of white materials, they also tend to be lighter and more breathable than winter-weight materials). Things start to warm up around here as May approaches, and since it splits the difference between Easter and Memorial Day as the Midwest splits North and South, May 1 serves as a good rule of thumb. The first warm spell following (say, 80+ degrees) would be a good opportunity to break out that white or natural linen jacket.

Let the origins of the rule also serve as your guide when it comes to summer wedding wear. Barring explicit instructions from the couple to the contrary, any outdoor summer wedding or reception, day or night, should be an appropriate venue for wearing your seersucker or linen.* After all, you'll be subject to the sun during the day or to the summer heat and humidity once the sun goes down. Indoor weddings and receptions during the day also tolerate lighter wear, as you'll be outside traveling to and between venues, and likely during portions of the events themselves. However, a late-afternoon-to-evening indoor wedding with indoor reception following often calls for a summer-weight darker wool suit, or perhaps a darker poplin suit.

Speaking of poplin, a khaki, tan, or olive cotton suit can be a great alternative for summer wear if you're not quite adventurous enough to go seersucker or white linen. Because it's not white, you can also get away with wearing such a suit earlier in the spring and later into the fall. Style Blogger had a recent post highlighting some good options, including cotton, linen, and seersucker suits, for summer weddings.    



* The rule you may have heard relating to only the bride wearing white is applicable only to female guests. However, you should still be mindful of what the other guests are likely to be wearing. Courtesy dictates that you not dress in a manner so unlike the other guests that you draw attention away from the bride on her special day. On the other hand, weddings are one of the best remaining opportunities in our casual society to celebrate through your style, and well-dressed guests contribute to a classy celebration. So if the other male guests are likely to be wearing jackets but not linen or seersucker, go ahead and wear yours, but maybe tone it down a bit by wearing brown shoes and belt and a blue shirt, and forgoing the bow tie for a conservatively-patterned-and-colored regular tie. If it's a casual outdoor wedding, try wearing your jacket with a knit tie and jeans. As long as you stay within a half-step of formality of several other guests, you'll be fine. 

Learning the rules.

This is the obligatory rules introductory post. You've heard of the "rules": when to wear white, which buttons to button, how to match your tie, etc. Chances are, part of the reason you're at this site is to find help with some of these rules.

If you've read much of anything about writing style or personal style, you've no doubt run across items not just about the rules, but also about how to break them. It's okay to break the rules as long as you know you're doing it and you've got a reason. But you have to know the rules first.

The importance of the rules will vary depending on your environment and the particular rule at issue. Some rules developed due to practicality and therefore may have practical consequences if they are not followed. For other rules, any practicality was lost long ago and now they persist due only to tradition. The breech of some rules will be easily noticed by many people and will reflect on you personally; it is left to you to decide whether the message it sends is one you intend, or whether you care at all. Other rules may be easily ignored with little or no consequence. Of course, there are regional variations to some rules, and because we are a site focused on the Midwest, our discussion of rules will be centered on the interpretation most recognized by or suited to this region.