People are fighting about socks. Crew-sock-loyal Gen Z is claiming they can guess your age by how low or high you wear your socks. Millennials are racing to either justify their ankle-baring allegiance or to bid their ankle (and no-show) socks a schmaltzy adieu. As with any social media trend the “debate” has been blown out of proportion. But it’s also moot, because ankle socks and crew socks are both the wrong answer.
I am over 40 and an elder millennial, so following my generation’s apparent style preferences would mean wearing low-cut ankle socks, probably with a pair of skinny jeans. And yet I’m confident the ideal sock height is actually somewhere in between ankle and crew: high enough to be seen above most shoes and short boots, but not so tall as to visually cut your lower legs in half.
I’ve seen these perfect-height socks called half-socks, half-crew socks, short crew socks, mini-crew socks, and quarter socks. Nike sells a version of them but confusingly labels them ankle socks, which they are not. Perfect socks should be tall enough to cover the ball of your ankle but then stop about an inch above the joint.
I’ll call them half-crew socks, and the reason they’re the best is that they look good with everything from white sneakers and sandals to ballet flats and Blundstones. I like the way half-crews frame the ankles and footwear below, rather than drawing attention to that nondescript, middle-of-the shin area. They are just the right height so as to never droop, slouch, or interact weirdly with the bottom of your pants the way taller crew or tube socks do. But they also make more of a statement than ankle socks that hit exactly at the ankle joint or below. Ankle socks are indecisive, especially without a decorative pom-pom on the back to ground them. As recently seen on Jennifer Lawrence, they often look like a mistake, like a tiny sliver of your boxers hanging down below your shorts.
For the record, I am not a fan of no-show socks, either, mostly because I think hiding socks inside my shoes is silly and because they so rarely stay put. At least when they’re worn correctly, nobody has to look at them — but no-shows aren’t stylish. They’re more like wearing a Band-Aid on a toe that’s prone to blisters.
The half-crew, though, is neat and tidy, a simple but effective way to show off your personal style. To explain what I mean, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites.
Bombas ribbed quarter socks are perfect socks. The height is spot-on and they’re a tiny bit thicker than other socks, so they don’t droop. Plus, even in the summer, they don’t feel too hot.
Muji’s Right Angle short socks are my second-favorite pair of everyday socks. These are thinner than the Bombas, and the mini-stripe pattern is easy to wear with almost anything.
When I want a little ruffle, I reach for these lettuce-edge socks, usually in white, brown, or navy.
For fashion socks that you can wear with heels or loafers or mary janes, I like the the short crew socks from Hansel From Basel.
This pair of Tabio silk short crew socks comes recommended by Strategist writer Erin Schwartz, who agrees with me that half-crew-height socks are the best-height socks.
Hue makes excellent socks that are also nice and cheap. I bought my first pack of these mini-crew socks on sale about six months ago, and they have since become a recurring character in my wardrobe.
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