Socks for Christmas? Yes or No?

Socks as a gift for Christmas? It's become fashionable to scoff; but why? Socks are an essential part of the wardrobe, providing colour and style (as well as preventing blisters and odorous shoes). 

The more traditional among us will wear socks blending with our trousers - according to some stylists it lengthens the leg - an unlikely claim. Much better is to express your personality by showing a flash of colour between trousers and shoes. And this is the key. Socks' bad name as a Christmas gift came about because they became the last resort of the chronically unimaginative - and with no thought behind them of course they become boring gifts. And yet a little thought, matching sock to recipient, makes socks an ideal and interesting gift.

And socks are sexy, of course. David Gandy's favourite socks are supplied by The London Sock Co whose selection is outstanding, stylish and very tasteful.

Think about the personality and choose accordingly. Be bold, give socks for Christmas. With thanks to The London Sock Co for supporting Grey Fox Blog. 

Friday Favourites: Archer & Peyton socks, Spoke trousers

Archer & Peyton socks

I've mentioned Archer & Peyton before. Produced in Italy in a wide range of colours and designs, they are well-made and comfortable and among my favourites.

Contact Archer & Peyton for more information and to buy.

Spoke

An update on another brand I've mentioned before. Spoke have returned their manufacture to the UK. Their speciality is not only matching size to waist and leg but also to build/body shape. 

I've tried a pair of their 'Bulletproof' chinos which fit perfectly. The fabric, quality and cut are very good. Highly-recommended from Spoke.

Friday Favourites: Trakke bags, The Sock Council Argyle socks

Trakke Bags

I've written about Trakke Bags here before and said how impressed I was by this small Scottish business's design and manufacture. They've just released their latest collaboration, with textile designers Timorous Beasties. In order to create the desired effect, they developed a way of digitally printing waxed cotton, something that they tell me hasn't been done before, as far as they're aware!

For bags for cyclists, adventurers and city slickers, see Trakke's website

The Sock Council

I'm a fan of Argyle patterns. The Sock Council sells rather splendid Argyle pattern socks in an attractive range of colours. 'Nuff said really. Go to their website (below) to find out more.

See The Sock Council website.

Grey Fox's Friday Favourites: socks, hair, boxer shorts, Private White VC

This is the first of an occasional Friday round-up of news and of products I've tried and approved of. If you'd like to contribute your selected tips, news or recommendations about favourite products, please e-mail me.

Archer & Peyton socks

I'm a bit of a sucker for a nice pair of socks, particularly if they come brightly-coloured. I've had to struggle hard to manipulate this image to show the lovely apple-green of these socks from Archer & Peyton, whose products are beautifully-made in Italy. Lovely colour, lovely socks.

Visit Archer & Peyton's website for a range of patterned and colourful socks, with style advice, limited editions, information and a shop to buy your choice of hosiery.

White Hot hair products

I reviewed these products for grey and white hair a while ago. I recently realised how much I'd come to rely on them when I ran out of their shooshing creme, which so effectively keeps my longer Fox locks on place. An urgent message and replacements were rushed to me by the lovely people at White Hot.

I've been using a number of their products, from shampoo to conditioner, and they've been ideal for my grey hair as it becomes whiter, keeping it lustrous and healthy-looking. Highly recommended.

For men and women, they can be ordered from the White Hot Hair website.

British Boxers introduce stretch trunks, made in England

Another brand I've talked about before, British Boxers have added stretch trunks to their range. For those of us who prefer their assets to be held more securely than looser conventional shorts, these provide the very comfortable answer. I'm planning a feature on this brand soon.

Meanwhile, you can buy the stretch trunks online at British Boxers (new website due soon) or at Susannah Hall Tailors.

Private White VC news

It's been a busy time at Private White VC. They've welcomed The Princess Royal at their Manchester factory, refurbished their shop in Lamb's Conduit Street in London, had a successful time at Goodwood Revival and are about to open a second London store. Their AW14 collection contains some mouth-watering products, including gorgeous knitwear and the rather nice cashmere Ashley blazer.

It's good to see their collection developing each year and to see a proud British menswear producer achieving the recognition they deserve.

The Princess Royal pays homage to Brutus, head of Private White VC

Pantherella - world-beating socks made in Leicester

I've now been lucky enough to visit several UK clothing factories in the last few months. It's been a privilege to see British manufacture doing so well and good to hear that those I visited report an increasingly optimistic view of the future. 

Recently I took the train to Leicester to see Pantherella, a family-owned company that's been making socks for over 75 years. 

What marks their socks out as special is the quality of the manufacture, distinguished by a hand-linked toe seam and a combination of technology and hand-made methods. This traditional method leaves an exceptionally, almost invisibly smooth, secret join. It also makes them very durable. I'm a heavy user of socks; often getting through a pair after a few wears. My Pantherella socks have, as yet, shown no signs of wear and are very comfortable

As with so many British companies, the main market is abroad, the US being the largest. What struck me was the range of patterns and colours and the care that goes into making each sock - they are certainly not knocked off at the rate of several a second, as might expect be expected. It was fascinating to see some socks being linked by hand by nimble-fingered, skilled workers with a real pride in what they do.

We MUST learn to appreciate these skills in the UK and support the companies who manufacture here so ethically and sustainably.

Here are a few facts Pantherella:

• One sock takes 15 minutes to make
• 1.1 million socks are produced a year
• There are 1373 options per season
• 72 socks are hand linked a day
• The factory still uses Bentley Komet British machines from the 1950s, alongside modern, cutting edge technology machines
• Pantherella last year bought 10 new machines worth £30 000 each
• Longest running staff member- 51 years
• One goat takes a full year to produce the cashmere for just 3 pairs of socks

And Pantherella isn't resting on its laurels - there's room for innovation even in the sock market. I particularly liked their new Footlet. The answer to those of us who like to wear boat shoes, trainers or (heaven forbid; if you must) brogues without socks, you can now avoid sweaty, smelly feet by using this short, technical sock. As much thought and development has gone into it, it's more than just a socklet, with a non-slip back, breathable upper part and antibacterial finish. Ideal for spring and summer wear.

The Pantherella Footlet from below and diagram explaining its construction

For more information on Pantherella and their products, please click here.

 

Marwood's Mustard Mohair socks - ideal Christmas gifts

A whole blog post on one pair of socks? Yes. These gorgeous mustard socks from Marwood, made from mohair, must be the ideal Christmas pair of socks. 

Mohair comes from angora goats bred on a family farm in Devon. The farmers own the goats, do the yarns themselves then send them to another place in England to get knitted, they then receive them back in their natural colour. The socks are then hand dyed. 

Mohair is durable and has good insulating properties, staying cool in summer and warm in winter. For more information see Marwood's website here.

Look out for an interview next week with Marwood's creative director, Becky French.

A reader asks - What footwear to wear with shorts?

Dear Mr Fox,

I've recently discovered your blog and am thoroughly enjoying your posts, as is my 47 year old (slightly grey haired) husband.

I have a question for your on his behalf please (as unlike me, he doesn't spend half his waking life reading blogs.) The question is, what would you suggest as a suitable but stylish footwear choice for wearing with shorts? It's a really tricky one. Sandals without socks is a solution when on holiday or in the garden, but isn't really suitable for going into town. He has tried the slip-on shoes without socks look, which was a disaster! His current stop gap solution is to wear socks with Converse trainers, which is fine, but very casual.

Image The Sartorialist

I'm not sure if you've got anything on this subject planned for future posts? If not, any suggestions you can offer will be very gratefully received.

Thank you so much for your time.
Jane M.

Grey Fox replies -

Dear Jane M.,

Thank you for your question, which exercises the minds of many men in those brief days when the weather is warm enough for shorts. Here are my thoughts - take them we you will.

Converse, or similar white or blue canvas deck shoes, are certainly a good option, as their casual and comfortable style goes well with shorts - but there are several alternatives.

Leather deck or sailing shoes are an obvious choice - they come in a wide variety of colours and are comfortable and cool to wear. I've just bought a pair of Rockport deck shoes which are beautifully soft and comfortable.

Suede shoes, as in desert boots or lightweight brogues, look good with shorts. Suede is breathable, cool, comfortably soft and works well in warm weather.

From top left - Converse, Sperry Top-Sider, Alvaro leather sandals, Castaner espadrilles, Swims deck shoes, J.Crew Kenton suede brogue. All images (except Sperry) courtesy of Mr Porter.

I avoid trainers on comfort grounds. They are sweaty and smelly in warm weather and are best kept for the sports for which they were designed. Crocs and flip flops sometimes get a bad press and you may like to restrict their use to the beach.

Sandals are fine (without socks) and can be stylish and comfortable around town if the right pair is chosen. Espadrilles are ideal, but won't last long pounding the pavements.

You mention socks - I wear them with shoes and shorts. In general, I prefer them to be light in colour (white, khaki or a pale yellow or cream) and unpatterned (and certainly not black or dark-coloured). In general they should be short, but I see no reason why long socks shouldn't be adopted by the bolder man seeking to recreate the early twentieth century military/explorer look, with khaki socks and matching shorts. My prediction is that this look will hit the fashion shows within a couple of years, so I suggest you pre-empt it now. You read it first on Grey Fox.

I've chosen some images for this post which may help your selection of shoes - good luck in your search.

All this reminds me that I'm overdue to write about the thorny issue of shorts - so I'll do that soon.

Image The Sartorialist

Image The Sartorialist

Image The Sartorialist

Two pairs of Two Socks socks

Now we tend to think that a sock is a sock is a sock. But think for a short while. Some socks are never comfortable - they rumple up and are harsh-textured. Some stretch out of shape at the least encouragement. Some are just vile colours or designs (cartoon character socks especially). Some wear through after being worn a handful of times. Some, however, are soft, just the right thickness, fit well, durable and are tastefully-coloured and designed.

The latter description fits the two pairs of socks I've just received from Two Socks, a new sock-making outfit in which socks are designed in London and made by a family-owned business in Turkey of the best combed cotton they could find.

You'll see from Two Socks' website that there is something for everyone in terms of sock thickness, colour, design and pattern. Prices are £7.50 to £8.00 a pair - excellent value given the range of choice and the quality.

I've been wearing mine for a couple of weeks now (they have been washed, don't worry) and they have remained soft, comfortable and well-shaped. What more could a fellow ask of his socks?

Highly recommended!

Marko John's socks - British-made with care

I was recently sent for review a lovely orange pair of socks by Marko John's. Unlike most of the socks we buy, these are made in Britain by a family-owned business that's been around since 1895. This seems to have been long enough for them to have built up the expertise needed to make a colourful and comfortable sock.

Made of 90% cotton, 10% man-made fibres, the socks are woven into a cylindrical shape and, at each change of colour, the weaving is stopped and tied off before the new colour is tied in. While this takes longer, it apparently results in stronger socks. Seamless toes add to the comfort. Each sock is individually checked and trimmed by hand before it is packed for delivery. Having worn them a couple of times now, I can confirm how comfortable they are.

Given the care and comfort built into them, they are reasonably-priced. Being British-made means that you have no excuse not to buy them - colours and patterns to suit every taste! I love mine.

Marko John's socks

These socks were sent to Grey Fox for review. As ever, I have reviewed them impartially in accordance to the principles set out above under the Sponsor tab.

Historical Fair Isle socks - inspiration in vintage hosiery

These hand-knitted socks were worn by British biologist and photographer, George Rayner, in Antarctica between 1927 and 1939 (I hope he took them off occasionally during that time). 

Image from Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.

And what can be found now in Fair Isle style?

People Tree

Chup

Corgi

Scott Nichol

Men making socks successful in middle age

I'm going back to the socks debate, which has raged among my loyal readers (many thanks both of you) here and here. Browsing through the Sartorialist I found these shots which illustrate some of the points discussed by those who kindly commented on my post.

To recap; firstly, you get used to wearing your trousers (pants) short. Secondly, using sock colour to highlight colour elsewhere (such as in a sweater) works. I love the red Argyle pattern socks complementing the red jumper.

As ever, the Sartorialist's pictures provide me with ideas and inspiration.

Rolled chinos, contrasting socks

To show that I listen to my readers' kind suggestions, I've taken a photo of rolled up pink chinos with contrasting bright blue socks, as suggested following my post here.

I'm still not convinced it's me, but that's searching for style.

Socks appeal for Spring - breaking all the rules

Sartorial experts would have us wearing socks that match our trousers (or pants if you're American; but that gets confusing for those on this side of the pond who don't see the need to match socks and underwear). The reason apparently is that it makes out legs look longer. I don't follow the logic of this advice as you will usually only see a man's socks when he is sitting down; a time when it's hard to judge leg length.

Anyway, rules are made to be broken. I was clearing all the odd socks out of my drawer when I thought I'd try a few colour combinations with my pink, blue and khaki chinos. The blue ones are a very old pair that have survived many years of patching and probably deserve a post of their own one day. Without doing this intentionally most of these combinations are based on complementary colours (at opposite ends of a colour wheel - see below), although others are more harmonious combinations (like blue and purple). If you have an idle moment you can experiment by playing around with your socks, trousers and a colour wheel!