Here is something I would like input on, and I think it will be a refreshing surprise: men’s socks. I have a few men-people on my list who wear a kind of sock I think of as a trouser sock, but it’s not the super-dressy, ultra-thin kind of trouser sock. It’s more a decorative, comfy kind of trouser sock. Here are the brands I have bought in the past:
(image from Amazon.com)
1. Happy Socks. I find these at Amazon (be careful on Amazon: some of the surprisingly-inexpensive listings have complaints about the socks seeming to be bad-quality knock-offs) and Marshalls and TJ Maxx. I usually spend $3-7 per pair: it varies because sometimes I find them on clearance, and sometimes I’m willing to pay more for a particularly good pattern. I prefer to buy the pairs individually to have more control over pattern choice, but the sets can be really cute too, and they come in very appealing boxes. Here is what I like about Happy Socks: (1) the name of the brand, (2) the colors/patterns, (3) the highish cotton content (78% is what the Amazon listing says, and that’s what it says on a couple of pairs set aside in my Gift Closet).
(image from Target.com)
2. Pair of Thieves. I buy these at Target. They’re $6/pair, but it’s not uncommon to find them on sale for $5 or on clearance for $3. I like the patterns less overall than the patterns of Happy Socks, and also I like the name less. And they have a slightly lower cotton content: the pairs in my Gift Closet vary from 68% to 71%. But I like their packaging and their marketing: I find their performance/fit claims persuasive even without trying them myself, and I find it appealing that they sometimes sell sets of one pair of men’s socks with one pair of matching kid socks. (The kid socks are also sold separately, and I buy them for Edward and Henry when I find them on clearance, and they like the socks, so that also influences me.)
But here is what I am wondering: Are there BETTER options? By “better” I mean “more comfy/luxurious.” What I am specifically looking for is personal recommendations. That is, more “My husband/father/brother LOVES these.” And don’t be shy about PRICE: I am willing to spend MORE per pair and get fewer pairs, when it’s gifts.
PACT socks! Also at Target. Socially responsible men’s hosiery.
I buy them for my high school student for his dress-up needs, such as model UN, so they’re pretty dressy, but this is a kid who wanted to know how to wash his suit, so he is not deep into dressed-up culture, and he likes these socks.
Yess, Pact is excellent. I only know their underwear, but everything they make is organic cotton and super soft. They make baby clothes too if you are looking for gifts in that area.
I keep giggling at “socially responsible men’s hosiery.”
You can’t imagine how gratifying I find your giggles. :)
Ha!
No fun patterns, but I like the mission of one pair purchased=one pair donated. I got a few pairs of basic gray socks for my husband for Christmas, he likes them a lot.
https://bombas.com/
Yes, my husband has some of these too because he saw an ad and liked their mission. I have no idea if he loves them, but he only wears black or tan socks and these are in his regular rotation and have been holding up well.
As somebody who is back in the world of dressing like a grown-up again (but in a somewhat casual workplace), I eagerly await comments on this post.
If you’re willing to consider wildly expensive socks, I’d recommend CHUP. I discovered these a few years ago and bought them (unrequested) as a Christmas present for my brother, who enjoys hiking. I’ve observed since that he wears them often, which leads me to believe that he genuinely likes them. They look fantastic and they wear very well (same pair still in heavy rotation several years later). Very expensive, though. For socks.
PSA – They sell CHUP socks at Nordstrom Rack, if you have one in your area! I got a pair from J. Crew ($35!) and then found the exact same pair at Nordstrom Rack a few months later for $17.
My son who is into crazy sock patterns has found them at Old Navy, Target, and he’s received some from joyofsox.com for gifts that he really likes. We’ve also gotten socks from Loot Crate that are cool if you’re into gaming, pop culture, superhero type stuff.
Are you opposed to wool blends? I love smartwool socks for men and women.
Agree with Juliloquy–Smartwool socks are wonderful! I have some really pretty women’s patterns.
This site is really cool: http://www.theschoolofsock.com/default.asp
They have your normal everyday very cool socks, but then they have Socks for a Cause, where $3 of every sale goes towards the cause that sock represents, like Autism Speaks, Water.org, and some other KC local charities as well. So fun. And if you have any Kansas City Royals fans in your life, the team socks are winners!
I was going to recommend this company too, but I didn’t realize they were no longer called Sock101. My husband loves quirky socks, and he got the Sock of the Month club as a gift, and was very happy. They are very high quality socks.
Braintree bamboo socks if they are available in the us. Great patterns and so soft and stretchy.
My husband loves People Socks. They are wool and not especially beautiful, but they are rugged/manly. He gives them as gifts. These are for people who wear work boots or hiking boots or keen sandals– not people who wear shiny or fancy shoes!
My husband is a fan of Stance socks. They have interesting designs, and they seem to be well-made. They’re on the higher end, price-wise.
I like the tie bar: http://www.thetiebar.com
Came here to say this! The Tie Bar has great sock patterns and the ties are really reasonably priced. For gifts I often do a sock and tie combo of some non-matching, but coordinating patterns.
I buy my socks from a website called Sock Dreams. They offer free shipping on everything, even if you’re only buying one pair, and they have tons of fun options. They often add useful notes about fit, too. Anyway, I took a moment to browse, and this pair caught my eye.
https://www.sockdreams.com/math-crew.html
I’ve bought Happy Socks at Marshalls and I agree that I really like the patterns. But I’ve been disappointed in how they’ve shrunk. Have you noticed that too? Maybe I got some knockoffs.
So these are not fun printed socks, but thorlos makes the most comfortable socks ever. I was up until maybe five years ago a cheap-socks-only kind of gal, but was given a pair as a gift…it took me a while to get over paying more for socks and build up a supply, but now all are wear are thorlos. They are beyond comfortable!!
I used to buy my dad fun trouser socks from a website called foot traffic, and he got tons of compliments (especially on the very-outdated-laptops-and-cellphones socks at his computer-y job!).
https://www.foottraffic.com/prod_detail_list/Mens-Socks-from-Foot-Traffic
These socks are great, US made and raise money to help people worldwide address preventable blindness.
https://www.swapsocks.com/collections/all
:)
Not a men’s specific brand, but thought you’d like to have another fun sock recommendation https://wovenpear.com/collections/shop-women
You know how every now and then you buy a pair of socks that is freakishly well made. Five years later, you think, huh…that sock is still alive. Amazing.
Wool. Wool socks seem to last forever. If you don’t mind some warmth. Foot to Farm has a ton of cuuuuuuute and plain socks, at a high price point. Their hook is that the wool, the farmers, the manufacturing, it’s all American and all ethical.
I have a pair of the women’s in the neutral color (LOVE) and a pair of the little girls in stripy pink (double LOVE). I predict that I’ll have them in five years.
Ha! Sorry, it’s Farm to Feet. Geez.
https://www.farmtofeet.com/
My husband has some Farm to Feet socks and really likes them too.
Cool!
My husband likes a fancy german sock brand called Falke. Available on Zappos, at least. They are PRICEY ($30) so for us it’s a Christmas present sock. But he says they are super comfortable and last forever!
Stance. They wear extremely well in comparison to cheaper pairs which never made it more than one season. Price point is up there but more than worth it to me since they actually last.
I love Blue Q socks. Not for their quality or value, but they have some really fun patterns that crack me up. Some are NSFW (which would probably not matter unless he walks around without shoes at work, but that also makes them NSF younger kids), but you can find some funny pairs that the kids won’t ask the meaning of.
Your post is making me nuts. Because I force all members of my house to wear one kind of sock. Okay, maybe two. You get one normal, black sock option and one athletic option, but they are all the same color and variety (within the sock option) so that there is no more matching socks and whatnot. Your family probably matches their own socks or something smart like that, but omg, buying a pack of all those varieties makes me want to cry.