A Question For The Fashion Police
 

We are travelling with another couple in two weeks. In talking with them last night, I commented that if a man is going to wear sandels it should be without socks. There was some disagreement. Who is right?

If one wears socks with sandals, they must be black knee-highs in order to make the proper fashion statement. Short socks may be worn with long pants, but the socks must be patterned.

Speaking of socks, anyone seen Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? They all agreed the madeover guy should wear his dressy leather shoes (not docksiders mind you) with jeans and NO socks! Yikes! I learn something new every day! (Now how will I ever convince my husband that this is de rigeur?)

But if he wears black socks with his shorts, his legs must be the proper shade of dead white! It helps if he has really hairy legs also.

OK ok ok, cd. Hope you know sarcasm when you read it. Anonymous is known for it; Scarlett aspires also.

A lot depends on where you're traveling. European men wear socks with sandals all the time, and in big Eastern cities, college towns, or some expensive beach resort areas where there is some overlap with European tastes, you can get away with it. Elsewhere, you either have to not care what people think or skip the socks.

Finally, there's always going to be a purely practical aspect to the choice. People tend not to wear white socks with sandals -- they get dirty! If it's too hot, socks may not be as comfortable as no socks; if you get blisters, socks are a cushion.

If you care what people think, take the socks and look around when you get to your destination to see what the convention there is.

If you are going to Bermuda, it's a whole other thing and Anonymous's black knee socks might come in handy after all.

No sock with sandals. Please.

Oh goody! I just love these kinds of threads!
I recently gave a male cousin (who approached me as the fashion guru of the family) the following sandals/socks advice.
No one other than children under 4 or adults over 85 can get away with white socks and sandals, so forget about that one.
For manly-man sandals such as Teva, they can be worn with neutral non-patterned natural-fabric socks.
For any type of dress (non-fabric) huarache or sandal, they should be worn sans socks.

Yikes, I misspelled sandals. So glad the spelling police arn't out! ;-)
Diana, Can you go into more detail about this:
"For manly-man sandals such as Teva, they can be worn with neutral non-patterned natural-fabric socks."

Sandals, black knee-high socks, Sansabelt shorts hiked up to just under the armpits-- that's the hallmark of a stylin' senior citizen, sitting in beachfront diners railing against today's lazy, good-for-nothing young people!! I know it just drives the ladies wild.... OK, maybe just Anna Nicole Smith.

Actually, in the winter here in California, I see a LOT of people wearing white gym socks with sandals or "slides"-- their li'l tootsies get cold, you know. Not me-- Vans, no socks, thank you very much.

Now as for the dress shoes without socks thing from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"-- I dunno; I think it's five gay guys mocking the cluelessness of the poor straight schlub, turning him into a fashion VICTIM, not fashion PLATE. I can tell you that no one, besides maybe a mid-level and higher TV producer with a ponytail, incipient mid-life crisis and bimbo mistress, would wear dress shoes and no socks around here. Although you may see it waiting for Valet, lunchtimes at the Ivy. Eewwwww....

I wear neither sandals sans socks nor sandals with socks.
I think sandals are dorky.
But that's just me.

(And I'm real leery about that wearing-dress-shoes-with-no-socks-with-jeans thing.)

By the way-- what is this year's black?

A little-known inner secret of the Ivies is that upon admission you must sign an agreement not to wear socks with your loafers, unless there's snow on the ground.

In New England, its no socks with your sandals or with casual shoes such as boat shoes or Timberlands when worn with shorts or jeans/very casual pants. I've seen no socks with dress shoes but thought is was someone trying too hard to be cool.

If you are in Santa Cruz, wear white sports socks with berkenstocks and a pair of baggy shorts and you will fit right in.

soccr, I prefer to think of it as WIT rather than sarcasm :)

Great rule anonymous. :D hahaha Nail hit squarely on the head.

I saw the show Joan and loved it. DH was groaning some, I'm sure sympathizing with this poor clueless artist surround by that group. Me, though, I hope I can find it again....but what is this about it being on Bravo and not network as it was the other night? How can it miss...it did clothing fashion, hair styling and color, and decorating all to one innocent and very clueless victim...one of those will have to pique the interest of a fair number of viewers. It was a pretty major improvement all around wasn't it? I couldn't believe the state of his apartment. My gawd!!! I thought my son was king of crud but he was only 11 or so wehn he insisted on living like that! lol

Oh yes. Topic. No socks with sandals, boat shoes, loafers,...:D...unless they have tassels! (teehee--just kidding)

I was just about to post that about you, Scarlett! I love your posts and you are certainly NOT sarcastic :))

I thought only English people wore socks with their sandals! Me, I'm jealous of any man who can wear sandals. My husband's feet are so big and wide that if he wore ANY sandals, with or without socks, he'd be laughed out of town. His feet are not his crowning glory and he keeps them encased for public showings. Maybe that's why he makes such a quick dash into the water at the beach!

Oh... and to respond to the question... no hosiery whatsoever with open-toed footwear.

Just my .02.

- M

Typically no socks with sandals BUT it is okay to white athletic socks with soccer sandals. Now mind you, you would only be wearing this in extremely casual places as soccer sandals (think adidas) are not exactly fancy attire.

There's such thing as "soccer sandals"? Wouldn't that hurt your toe when you kick the ball? :-?