It’s your date night. You have carefully curated your outfit and have put on the best of your cologne to make you appear enticing as possible. You have groomed yourself clean and you are ready to steal the show. But that whole setup and confidence is immediately brought down with one piece of clothing. Your sock! A loose or sagging sock has the ability to make your outfit go down from a Ten to a Six as fast as it sags. Whatever you do, your socks sag down your ankles and reveal the unsightly ankle hair below the hem of your suit pants after 5 minutes of wear.
What should a fashionable man do? Accept sagging socks in the hopes that no one notices your gorilla ankles?
This is one of the most common issues in the fashion world that men face, but rest assured there are ways to prevent it. Continue reading to find out more!
Should you be buying new socks?
Simply put, better socks stay up longer. A sagging sock occurs when the elastic wears out, which occurs quickly in low-quality socks. They only have one or two elastic bands that run through the top of the sock, so they die quickly, either by breaking or simply wearing out.
To be honest, that $2 set of 10 tube socks may appear to be a steal, but consider how long they will last. If they keep slipping down your ankles, you’ll have to spend more money to replace them.
By purchasing higher-quality socks, you can ensure that their elasticity will last much longer. In the long run, you’ll save money and time by not having to replace your socks on a monthly basis!
Don’t get me wrong: even the most expensive socks will wear out! Buying new socks is unavoidable, but investing in high-quality socks allows you to go longer between purchases and save money over time.
What Sock Types Stay Up?
In case you weren’t aware, different types of socks serve different purposes!
There is a significant difference, for example, between full-calf and mid-calf socks.
Many men make the mistake of wearing mid-calf socks that stop (you guessed it!) halfway up the calf when wearing dress shoes. While you may be able to get away with it when your socks are brand new, after a few uses, those mid-calf socks will begin to reveal your legs when you sit down in dress pants.You’re on your way to work on your first day at a new job. You’re dressed to the nines and feel like a million bucks, but your socks keep falling short.
Wearing full-calf socks is a far superior option. These rise all the way up your calves, so they stay up longer and don’t show off your ankle fuzz when you sit.
The issue with the half-length socks is simply in their design.
Because of the shape of your calves, wearing them is similar to a larger man wearing a belt rather than suspenders. Whatever the socks grip, they’re holding something up on a downhill slope.
Calf-length socks are superior because they have a larger area of traction or grip and hold your leg above where your calf begins to thin again. In short, their length means that the bulk of your calves holds them up rather than forcing them down.
What Is the Difference Between Sock Garters and Shirt Stays?
The purpose of elastic shirt stays is to keep your shirt tucked in nicely and tightly. They come in a variety of forms, and some have no effect on men’s socks.
There is, however, a shirt stay style that runs all the way down the leg and clips onto the top of the socks. If you want to keep your socks up, this is the style to go for.
The tension created by the elastic that runs between your shirt and socks keeps your socks up and your shirt down.
What about men who don’t tuck their shirts?
I’m sorry to say it, but shirt stays aren’t going to help you. Shirt stays must be connected to a tucked-in shirt in order to create enough tension to keep your socks up.
Sock garters are another option that should meet the needs of most guys who want to keep their socks from sagging.
Sock garters may appear dated, but they work on the same principle as shirt stays: elastic clips onto the top of the socks to keep them up using the power of tension.
However, unlike shirt stays, sock garters are only intended to be worn on socks. The elastic strips connect to a brace that wraps around the top of the wearer’s calf rather than a tucked-in shirt.
This brace will not slip down your leg because the top of your calf is thinner than the middle, keeping your socks tight and high all day.
I understand that some of you may not be able to afford new socks or fancy garters and stays.
While I believe that buying new socks is the best solution for sagging socks, there are some things you can do at home to extend the life of the elastic in your socks.
I won’t lie to you: do-it-yourself fixes will not last a lifetime. They can, however, be an excellent way to extend the life of your socks while saving for your next sock purchase.
How to Repair Socks with an Elastic Band
In the short term, the simplest (and possibly most effective) way to fix sagging socks is to use a few elastic bands to give your socks a better grip.
Use elastic bands that comfortably fit around the width of your calves. Too-tight bands can cut off blood circulation and cause a variety of problems.
Simply put on your socks and pull them up to the desired height, then place 2-3 well-fitting elastic bands on your sock (about 2 cm from the top), and fold down the fabric to cover up the band.
It’s a quick fix that’s also quite effective.
What exactly are soccer sock ties?
Full-calf sports socks are worn over shin guards by soccer players.
As a result, soccer sock ties are commonly worn by players to keep their socks up. After all, sock elastic alone isn’t going to keep their socks in place for 90 minutes on the pitch.
These can be purchased online for as little as $1 and serve a very useful purpose.
Consider them a safer alternative to the elastic band method. The same method applies; simply wrap them around the top of your sock and fold the top down to conceal them.
Sewing New Elastic Into Old Socks
There is a more permanent fix you can apply to your socks at home if you are handy with a needle and thread (or have a spouse or girlfriend who can help).
If you insist on keeping your current socks, you can upgrade them by sewing a new elastic into the top.
Simply purchase some elastic from a sewing supply store, fabric store, or tailor supply store and sew a piece all around the top of each sock.
This can be accomplished in two ways:
Sew an elastic strip beneath your sock fabric (similar to the elastic band method), then fold the fabric down over the elastic and sew it in place.
Sew elasticized fabric (such as jersey or lycra) around the top of your socks to grip your calves. This will revitalise the grip of your socks, but it does necessitate advanced sewing knowledge.