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A white crew sock is a “cornerstone of tennis and sport style”, says Amanda Greeley, founder of Spence, a new, retro-inspired tennis brand based in Charleston, South Carolina. But the accessory has been gaining traction off the court, too.
Case in point? In June, Comme Si, the luxury American women’s sock and loungewear brand, launched a premium performance line of socks for specific sports, including a white ribbed sock for tennis, that is already popular — I’ve lost count of the number of people who have mentioned them to me (£27, commesi.com). It’s been a while since the latest must-buy accessory was something so ordinary and generally accessible.
Comme Si and other specialist brands, such as Deiji Studios and Le Bon Shoppe, have given the white sports sock a hip twist with colourful, design-led offerings. Beams, Merz b Schwanen and Kapital each have socks that have become a trophy buy for guys — Kapital’s £35 pair have a smiley face knitted into the heel (mrporter.com). They’re often worn with backless shoes: a knowing wink to those walking behind.
The white sports sock’s fashionability has ascended thanks to the normalisation of fitness in day-to-day lives. People wear activewear both in and out of the gym, and the “hot girl walk” (a TikTok phenomenon where women wear activewear, white crew socks and white New Balance trainers on four-mile walks) has become both an exercise movement and a fashion trend.
Inspiration abounds. Princess Diana bike shorts, sweatshirts and mid-calf white socks have been much copied as an off-duty outfit formula, while Greeley has images of tennis stars Steffi Graf and Arthur Ashe on her moodboard — she likes scrunched-down socks like Ashe’s, worn with a white shoe. Today, millennials and Gen Z are also frequently pairing sporty white socks with smart leather or suede penny loafers by Paraboot or GH Bass — a New-Age Ivy League look.
A white sports sock can bring an air of easy nonchalance to outfits and, styled right, can look cool worn with smarter pieces for dinner. For men, think tailored shorts and a short-sleeved shirt; for women, think slinkier slip skirts or mini dresses.
The sock itself matters, too. Avoid wearing inexpensive, cotton socks with a flat weave, which generally always look cheap and “lack a defined toe and heel”, advises Katie Yoon, co-founder of Le Bon Shoppe, a Los Angeles-based essentials brand best known for its collegiate-stripe socks in pretty colours. Cheap cotton socks also stretch out when washed and slip down inside your shoes when worn. In other words, they’ll look bad but feel worse.
People often buy cheap socks and frequently replace them, which can be “convincing when there’s plenty on Amazon”, says Greeley. Instead, she recommends Druthers’ organic cotton everyday crew (£21, druthersnyc.com) and Falke’s run socks (£16, falke.com) for their long-lasting wear.
How to know if a pair is good beyond its price tag? Look for styles woven with elastane, which gives them a grip and fibre rigidity. Stylistically, opt for textured pairs as an easy way to elevate your look. Ribbed socks always look smart, especially in finer cotton or merino, but it’s a rule that can apply to chunkier, gym-style socks too (Carhartt’s are £10 a pair, huhstore.com). Make sure the tube isn’t too tight on your leg, and wear slightly looser styles scrunched down slightly for an extra style trick, like Arthur Ashe.
Make sure the thickness of the sock is balanced with the shoe; proportions matter here, too. Avoid super-chunky socks with slim-soled shoes, for example. They’ll not only look weird, but could stretch your shoes out. Also, pay attention to the height of the sock and ensure it works with the hemline of your outfit. Above the ankle but below the calf is a fail-safe length, but jorts-wearers can lean into the ’90s look and get away with a slightly longer sock.
Quality versions are more thoughtfully designed, which means they’ll go the distance. Le Bon Shoppe’s chunkier styles feature a breathable knitted mesh across the arch so they fit more easily into the shoe (£13.50, lifestoryshop.com); RAD’s have a lightly padded toe for abrasion resistance inside gym shoes (£30 for three, uk.rad-global.com); Comme Si’s are made using Egyptian cotton and merino wool. Greeley, who is on her fourth round of prototyping her own pair, says: “There’s a lot more to socks than people realise.”
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