Socks

RSSO said:
Why I'm reading this tread, don't need socks don't care about them... enablers attacking me
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I must admit this is the first thread since the interweb was born, that I have a case of slackjaw about, In all my 58 years I have not taken much notice about the underclothing I sweat into 365 days a year.

I take reasonable time and effort over every other part of my daily attire, I am at heart a Jeans and check shirt guy, so its mostly Levi's that will fit over my extraordinary calf's, and usually Hilfiger, Levi, or Gant shirts, and one Hugo boss suit, that I make sure I still fit into every time there's a wedding.

But undies !!!, I live by the rule of, if I don't know I'm wearing them, without having to think about it, then they are doing the job perfectly, I can't be alone in this, can I ??.
 
Nothing like a new pair of socks, the fit and feel. I hate it when they get old and don't fit so well. That said at every opportunity I take my socks off. During the summer I never wear them. I don't think I wore a pair from April to September this year. I'm always bare foot indoors, rarely even wearing slippers.
 
I'm a huge fan of a good pair of socks. They are one of few proper hand crafted fashion items that are still within price reach of most people.

Forget your M&S etc, a proper fair of over the calf, hand linked toe, cotton or wool socks is the only choice for a true gent :)

This is historically because the last thing you should ever reveal when sitting down, is a flash of leg. Something that happens far too often with ordinary high street socks! Added to this the fact that over the calf socks stay put all day and aren't circling round your ankle like an MP's pants and with hand linked toes offer almost unrivalled comfort.

I go with a few brands.

-gammarelli - these guys make the socks for the Vatican, amazing pure Marino wool items of sheer comfort. Not so many colour choices (red, black and purple obviously) but so very well made

- Mazarin - very French, delicate, light and great in the summer,mostly cottons and very fine gauge at that. Not long lasting though as a result. With frequent use, expect about a year out of them

- bresciani - very premium, probably the best made out of this first three. Very interesting designs and very comfortable. Also very long lasting.

On the more affordable side:

-pantherella - uk made, fairly well constructed if not particularly fine or precise. They are good for every day wear.

-falke- as above just decent full length socks made from long isle cotton

And at the budget end, but a nice new find for me.

- viccel - recently found these chaps, made in turkey, and yes, they aren't all that delicate or finely crafted, but they are comfortable. Look superb, a very solid and sturdy and the colours are vivid and long lasting. At nearer £6 a pair they are by far the cheapest I have, but are becoming my favourites for every day wear on comfort grounds.

Hope this helps someone! Socks are a delight when done well and give a feeling of luxury that's hard to beat
 
There is so much "Enabling" on this forum, I feel like Im missing a trick now - those are some lovely socks. I probably wont get to sample these socks though.
I dont wear underwear of any type ( vests / pants) and a couple of months ago was left with nerve damage to my leg which makes wearing socks painful, so I stopped - and oddly I dont miss them at all now.
The way Im going it wont be long before I give up wearing clothes totally, though that does leave me with the problem of whee do I put my mobile phone....
 
I just buy any socks around, generally looking for as high a cotton content as possible. But my problem with socks is that they all seem to shrink over time. Do others have this problem? And how do I stop it? I wash on 40C and dry on hot.
 
SoapAlchemist said:
I just buy any socks around, generally looking for as high a cotton content as possible. But my problem with socks is that they all seem to shrink over time. Do others have this problem? And how do I stop it? I wash on 40C and dry on hot.
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^^^ There's your answer :) Try drying at lower temperature, or even better, let them air dry in a warm place (like an airing cupboard). Alternatively, start with larger size socks than you normally wear.
 
^ I'd recommend a separate spin dryer too, they get much more water out than the average washing machine.

Another here who's previously just stuck with M&S, so this thread has been a bit of an enabler. Perhaps better Tilburys won't leave that mid-calf ridge either..
 
For every day wear I tend to go for M&S cotton sports socks in dark colours (navy, black, grey) as they come in large sizes that my size 12 feet require. On sporty days in summer their white cotton ankle socks also work well with trainers.

In winter I really enjoy Smartwool hiking socks. I first used them when I worked in Colorado and they keep your feet warm and comfortable even on the coldest days. I must look into Darn Tough socks though that have been mentioned earlier in this thread.
 
FrankieG said:
^^^ There's your answer :) Try drying at lower temperature, or even better, let them air dry in a warm place (like an airing cupboard). Alternatively, start with larger size socks than you normally wear.
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I guess that's what I'll have to do then. Was just hoping there was a magic sock out there that wouldn't require special treatment.
 
SoapAlchemist said:
I just buy any socks around, generally looking for as high a cotton content as possible. But my problem with socks is that they all seem to shrink over time. Do others have this problem? And how do I stop it? I wash on 40C and dry on hot.
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I too had this problem with my wool and cotton socks, but I now wash them in cold water (30C) and air dry them on a drying rack. This procedure has stopped the shrinkage.
 
I've got one of those bags for delicates, so will put the socks in there from now on, and then add to a 30C wash. I have a towel rail in front of the kitchen radiator, so will dry them there. I feel inspired to buy new socks now, in hopes they won't end up suitable for a small child after a few washes.
 
Special treatment? Bung 'em in a cool wash, spin, hang 'em up to dry. Job jobbed.

Not so sure about compressing socks in a bag - let 'em float free, I say!

There is something specially British about a woman asking a bunch of men about washing socks in a shaving forum and the discussion running to three pages. Sexist, I know, but still ...
 
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