Where to find good socks

Let them wear cashmere. That’s the message in chilly France, where President Emmanuel Macron has switched out his customary shirt and tie in favour of a rollneck sweater, apparently at the suggestion of his finance minister, Bruno Le Maire. In September, Le Maire told France Inter Radio that, in line with plans to reduce France’s energy consumption by 10 per cent by 2024, beginning with the lowering of thermostats in government offices, “you will no longer see me with a tie but with a turtleneck. And I think it will be very good, it will allow us to save energy.”

Don’t forget the socks, I found myself thinking. While some might scoff at appropriating the uniform of the Left Bank intellectual to conform to the new mood of “sobriété énergétique” (energy sobriety), with others such as prime minister Élisabeth Borne resorting to holding official meetings in her puffer jacket, a really good pair of chaussettes is an essential piece of keeping-warm kit.

Fortunately for aesthetes, socks are having a high-fashion moment, too, having been rolled out with ladylike ensembles on the Dior, Hermès and Chanel catwalks for autumn. The Paris Fashion Week pavements this past October were chock-full of show attendees forgoing invisible sockettes or sheer tights in favour of ankle socks with their penny loafers and pointed-toe pumps.

Having been something to conceal, socks are now a Sunday-best accessory. As the former British Vogue fashion director Lucinda Chambers (rarely seen without a colourful pair of Maria La Rosa socks teamed with high-heeled sandals or platform sneakers) points out: “An ankle sock just makes me feel a bit cooler and a bit more individual than a pair of tights. It’s a small investment that packs a punch.”

But where to get good socks, if your budget doesn’t stretch to Chanel’s £700 thigh-high cashmere iterations? Socks might seem like an afterthought, thrown in the trolley along with the weekly groceries, but it’s worth spending a bit more cash — say upwards of £15 for a well-made pair — and more thought on what can frequently act as a polished punctuation mark on a straightforward outfit. Trust me, as you slip on your cosy, durable, breathable socks — and may I recommend Falke’s “cosy wool” ankle style in chocolate brown (£18, falke.com) — you’ll wonder why for years you’ve neglected one of the wardrobe staples you spend the most amount of time wearing. That said, not all socks are created equal. Here is a handy guide.

The Insta-worthy sock

Jenni Lee founded her cool-girl sock brand Comme Si in New York in 2019, frustrated by the lack of high-quality options for women. “Yes, it’s a practical item of clothing. But there is no better luxury than putting on a nice pair of socks,” she enthuses. Comme Si’s cashmere, silk, merino wool and cotton styles are made on traditional knitting machines in Italian factories where, until Lee showed up, they were only making old-fashioned dress socks for men. She’s borrowed that old-school aesthetic — most of Comme Si’s designs are ribbed, and in tastefully muted colours that work well with boyish brogues, loafers and sneakers.

The after-dark sock

Italian accessories label Maria La Rosa began in the 1990s with a line of woven handbags, then expanded into handmade Italian socks at the behest of a buyer from Barneys New York. The socks were an instant hit and became the bulk of the business; over the years the company has supplied Victoria Beckham and Louis Vuitton, among others. A favourite with stylists, who love their jolly colourways and interesting trims, Maria La Rosa’s best-selling sock is currently a silk style with a metallic foil coating that shimmers dramatically.

The everyday sock

In a country that is semi-religious about socks, 54-year-old Japanese sock company Tabio is the undisputed leader, with hundreds of styles made in traditional methods. “The fabric is good quality and they have cute designs. I know a lot of stylists who stock up on them when they’re in Tokyo,” says Tokyo-based stylist Reina Ogawa Clarke. One of its signature shapes is the Banner, which features a sleek silk upper and cotton footbed for better cushioning, but it skews fun too, with argyle, daisy-print and bow-adorned styles.

The chunky sock

For super-chunky, remote-work-appropriate socks, try Mauna Kea’s ribbed cotton-hemp style. They’re not cheap at £18 a pair, but Toast’s head of design Laura Shippey insists the attention to detail is worth it. “Both Nishiguchi Kutsushita and Mauna Kea work with vintage knitting machines that give their socks the characteristic texture. They produce socks of exceptional quality with an emphasis on comfort and longevity,” she says. Your other options? The Japanese outdoor apparel company Montbell’s trekking socks, which stylist Ogawa Clarke insists will last for ages, and Wright & Doyle’s alpaca walking socks, which are made in England and favoured by British designer Erica Toogood.

The plant-based sock

Those looking for socks free of animal fibres will be hard-pressed to find pairs that don’t contain a small percentage of polyester or recycled polyester to aid with springiness. Then there’s weighing up the relative merits of water-intensive cotton versus less water-intensive bamboo. Hemp has a low impact on the environment, water-wise, as well as natural odour-resistant properties; Patagonia’s hemp-blend socks, which are a mix of hemp, recycled cotton and recycled polyester, also tick the vegan box. Or you can opt for Arket’s ribbed recycled cashmere socks, made of a blend of recycled wool, recycled polyamide, viscose from sustainable forestry, and elastane, in a tasteful shade of oatmeal.

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