The socks that will make any outfit instantly stylish
Red is the colour of the moment – and not just because it’s Christmas. Sorry, Peach Fuzz – that’s Pantone’s colour choice for 2024 – the people want what they want, and that’s not a hue so unflattering it’s only worn under duress from a bridezilla intent on looking better than her maid of honour.
In contrast, a great red is very easy to wear. Anyone fond of a statement lip can attest to the fact that there’s a shade to suit every skin tone. Not that you need to bother finding out, because the coolest way to wear red this winter is in the form of a pair of socks.
We have the catwalks to thank for the trend. Even the brands most committed to a neutral palette – The Row, Max Mara, Toteme – have dipped into the world of colour this season, and their hue of choice? Red, red and red.
Why socks? Perhaps because it’s winter, perhaps because they’re an affordable luxury. Perhaps because they deliver just the right amount of quirkiness to an otherwise ordinary outfit. It became a favourite street-style trick off the catwalk too in recent months – seen on Zeena Shah, Monica Ainley de La Villardière and Lucy Williams. Equally, it’s a style beloved by King Charles.
“Wearing red tights or socks not only shows that you’ve got your finger on the fashion pulse, but also packs a punch in an affordable way,” says fashion editor and author Erica Davies. “That has universal appeal – and while some people might not fancy wearing red anywhere else, worn on your feet feels a little less confronting.”
Shoe designer Camilla Elphick added socks – including a ruby glitter pair (£25 for two pairs, camillaelphick.com) – to her offering this season because she wanted a way to wear her signature Lover flats through the winter months.
“Out of all the socks, the sparkly red set is selling the best,” she says. “I was very inspired by [the Man Repeller blogger] Leandra Medine. Earlier this year, she got a pair of Lover flats and started styling them with socks. Once we started selling them, I started seeing them on our other customers.
“[Norwegian influencer] Marianne Theodorsen has been wearing her red Lover flats with yellow socks; we also have a slightly older customer who is a stylist, very cool, and she loves wearing the sparkly socks with our platforms. People are having fun. I’ve been wearing [red socks] with Lover flats, a pair of jeans and a jumper, and it just looks ‘of the moment’.”
Getting your hands on a pair of red socks is another matter, however, because they’re rapidly selling out (although Elphick’s are still in stock at the time of writing). At John Lewis, online searches for “red socks” are up by 43 per cent in comparison with last month.
“I have been looking for red socks for the past month, but every time I find the perfect pair, they have sold out,” says Davies, who has her heart set on Rock+Ruby’s sold-out cherry red Betsy socks.
One colleague recommends browsing men’s socks if you wear a larger size, which she says are generally less fussy in design, better quality – and thus far, mostly still in stock. Her go-to is Uniqlo.
If you’re still unconvinced by the sock as a fashion statement, red or otherwise, there’s another advantage worth noting during this especially social time of year: “I always wear them if I know I’m going to a dinner party and might be asked the dreaded question, ‘Can you take your shoes off?’” says Elphick.
“I don’t want to be wearing white cotton socks… [glitter socks] just make you feel a bit more elegant, somehow.”
Try these
Organic cotton socks, £18, Genevieve Sweeney; Cotton lisle Danvers socks, £16, Pantherella; Women’s ruby glitter socks, £25 for two pairs, Camilla Elphick
Men’s cotton-blend socks, £3.90, Uniqlo; Cotton socks, £9, Colorful Standard