The Boardroom Guide to the Best Long Socks for Men

Socks: They cover your feet, sure. But have you ever put much thought into exactly what sort of socks might help you dress your best, and really refine your own personal style?

The best long socks for men will do all of that and more — and both mid-calf and over-the-calf dress socks are our specialty here at Boardroom Socks. So in this quick guide, we’ll introduce you to the basics of dressing your best in long socks, including a closer look at finding a truly high quality pair.

Why Wear Long Socks?

Our long dress socks have three main benefits:

1. They look great, no matter whether you go for classic black or navy or a more colorful pair of men’s dress socks.
2. They’ll stay up throughout the day, and not fall down around your ankles like lower cut socks.
3. They’re darned comfortable — and we have options for both summer-appropriate and colder weather long socks (more on that in a moment).

What to Look for In Long Socks

What length does a sock need to be to qualify as a “long sock”? That seems to be up for debate. Knee high (over the calf) are always long socks, but some folks don’t consider mid-calf socks to be quite long enough for their tastes.

So if you’re looking for dedicated long socks, over the calf is the way to go. But from there, you’ll need to look for at least two more things: High quality materials, and the right selection of colors and patterns for your tastes.

Long Sock Materials

The materials that your long socks are made of will determine a good 80 percent of how comfortable and durable they are (with that last 20 percent or so coming from the care and attention to detail put into making them). Which is to say: When you choose a material for your socks, go for the best one you can find.

We put an awful lot of effort into sourcing the best cotton and merino wool around for all of our dress socks, and have a lot of faith that you’ll love either material. But they do have their differences, as we explore in this guide to the best material for dress socks. In summary:

• Choose cotton for your long socks if you want a soft, lightweight sock that’s great for hot summer days.
• Choose merino wool for your long socks if you want warmer, cold weather socks that do a great job of managing odor and sweat.

Long Sock Colors and Patterns

All work and only black dress socks will make Jack a pretty dull boy, though. And outside of the most formal events or uptight offices, you’ll find that it’s a-okay to mix up your sock style with fun colors and patterns.

And really, once you get the hang of matching your dress socks, shoes, and pants, you can go wild with colors and patterns (within reason).

So check out our entire range of over the calf dress sock colors, including classics like black, brown, and navy as well as bright and intriguing colors like red, burgundy, and purple. And if you’re ready to really mix things up, our range of patterned over the calf dress socks will give you access to dots, knots, stripes, or our most popular: American flags.

How to Wear Long Socks

The basic rule of dress socks is this: No matter what length you choose to wear, they shouldn’t leave any bare skin showing under the cuff of your trousers.

Long socks are the easiest way to make sure you don’t commit a fashion faux pas. But if you’re considering wearing a mid-calf sock for comfort or style reasons, take a look through our guide to dress sock length to get all the info you need on choosing the right sock for you.

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Further Reading

No matter which type of sock you choose, we hope you find the most comfortable and stylish pair for your style.

If you’re curious to know more about Boardroom Socks — including how and why we make our socks right here in the USA — check out this article to learn about the heart and soul we put into each pair of Boardroom Socks. And if you ever have any burning sock-related questions, feel free to drop us a line via our contact form!