How to Fold and Organize Your Socks

Think about it. How much time, per week, on average, do you spend just looking for things? Maybe it’s an old email or receipt. Maybe it’s something in the pantry you thought you had-and, now, in the middle of the recipe, you realize you don’t have it.

While having a four year old has shifted many, many priorities in my life, I still value time above just about everything else. Every minute I spend looking for something is time I can’t spend being productive. Organizing the little things in your life add up to something much greater. Yes, there have been books (and, for the Marie Kondo fans, TV shows as well) written on tidying up. But, let’s talk about something more specific-how to organize your sock drawer.

Why Organize Your Socks?

Organizing something like your sock drawer is a refreshing exercise for a few reasons. First, it takes place in a contained space. Second, socks are (relatively) uniform in shape and size. They’re easy to fold, easy to roll, and easy to store. Third, it helps you keep track of your investment. We at Boardroom know good hosiery feels better, lasts longer, and is a better value than something cheap or mass-produced. There are few things more annoying in menswear than losing a sock!

The Best Way to Fold Your Socks

Rolling socks over themselves, by the elastic, and shoving them into a drawer isn’t a great idea for three reasons. Folding using the elastic stretches it out and can, ultimately, impact the fit over time. Loose elastic=sliding socks! Second, doing it that way actually takes up more space. Poor utilization of space results in a cramped drawer. This means pairs get pushed to the back, and you ultimately end up with clutter and–you guessed it–lost socks! There has to be a better way. We’ve got a simple, five-step process to keep your drawer neat and protect your socks.

1. Lay your socks out on a flat surface- one on top of the other
2. Point the toe toward you, and the heel pointing up
3. Fold the cuffs of the socks toward the toe, about ⅓ of the length
4. Repeat this, but bring the toes back toward the cuff, ⅓ of the way
5. Tuck the toes into the elastic band and the top of the folded cuff.

Ways to Organize Your Sock Drawer

There are easily a dozen ways to do it, but we’ll cover a few here.

Material

Socks come in a number of different fabrics, but the two most common are cotton and wool. Keeping all your pima cotton ones in one section and merino wool in another then subdividing accordingly is definitely a way to do it.

Pattern

Socks come in a variety of patterns: stripes or small dots, for example. While we don’t recommend wearing funky or exceptionally loud ‘statement’ socks on the regular, certain occasions (Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween) may warrant breaking them out. Placing all the stripes in one area, all the dots/small patterns in another, solids in a third, and then the special occasion ones in a fourth makes it easy to pull a pair to coordinate with that day’s outfit.

Color

While blue, brown, black, and grey are the foundations of menswear (and my sock drawer), having socks in a range of colors keeps style fun. Organize the basics on one side of the drawer, and get progressively bolder moving to the other. Group by warm and cool colors. Or, go for the full rainbow. The choice is yours!

Length

While we do prefer over-the-calf socks for dress and business occasions, mid-calf and no-show socks have a place in the lineup, too. While this may take a little more effort to set up, especially if you have the same pair in both mid-calf and OTC, it can save some time in the end as you’re pulling outfits for the day.

It's the Little Things

In a 2014 commencement address since viewed by millions around the world, Admiral William McRaven spoke of the importance of making your bed every morning. In his words, if you make your bed, that’s one task you’ve completed for the day. The act of completing that task encourages you to do other tasks. Those tasks add up to many tasks. Ultimately, you’re more productive as a result.

The simple act of organizing your sock drawer is a meditation on productivity. If you reach into your drawer and you know where something is, it’s easier to put on. It’s then easier to find outfits that coordinate. Coordination of outfits leads to a better look. If you look good, you feel better. If you feel better, you have more energy. The more energy you have, the more productive you can be for your coworkers, your neighbors, friends, family, and yourself.

All because you chose to put on a good pair of socks.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Yours in Style,

Tony Gorga
Boardroom Socks

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