The thinking shopper

Alex Bilmes on the joy of socks

Dip your toe in, says Alex Bilmes, and expand your sock horizons beyond navy, brown or grey

It’s not an oxymoron on the level of ‘friendly fire’ or ‘social media’, but still there’s something not quite right about the phrase ‘fun socks’: an actual category of clothing, believe it or not, according to the online fashion shops. It doesn’t ring true, does it? Socks (as you may know already) are pieces of cloth designed to envelop your feet, so that your shoes feel comfortable. Where’s the fun in that?

I’ve always been a sceptic when it comes to comedy in fashion: who wants to be laughed at for their clothes? For their wit, yes, but not their underwear. When it comes to dressing one’s feet, I’ve very much stuck to the idea that a chap’s socks should match his trousers. For most of us that means grey or navy, occasionally brown.

The man who tries to advertise his iconoclasm by wearing allegedly humorous bright red or yellow socks under a sober suit or otherwise conventional outfit has always struck me as a sad figure, desperate to telegraph a groovy nonconformism that he can’t really claim. Like, who are you kidding, grandad?

Lately, amidst the gloom, I’ve changed my mind. I think fun socks are, well, fun. They are cheering and appealing, especially if, like me, your default outfit is blue trousers, brown shoes and a grey sweater. Why not brighten things up a bit with a dash of colour?

The style snob’s fun sock of choice comes from an LA brand, The Elder Statesman, maker of fantastically expensive, excessively cute knitwear. Their Yosemite Mélange Cashmere Socks start at a mere £155 – which is no doubt great fun, if you’re a Silicon Valley billionaire.

The Elder Statesman socks are thick, chunky, ribbed. They tend to be worn with trendy trainers. A slightly less pricey alternative is Thunders Love – designed in Spain, made in Portugal – which makes excellent thick cotton-blend socks for £22.

My own fun socks come from Corgi, the Welsh brand, where prices start around £15. Of course, the master of colour and wit is Paul Smith. His cotton-blend socks, in a dazzling array of stripes and shades and patterns, go for £19, or £50 for a pack of three. Falke makes colourful cotton-blend socks for around a tenner. The excellent London Sock Company offers more colours than a tube of Smarties. They do a multicolour six-pack for £72. And if you’re feeling really of-the-moment, Stüssy offers hyper-trendy tiedye socks for £17. Too much fun? Not a bit of it. I have a pair in green and another in orange. Alex Bilmes is editor-in-chief of Esquire

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