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Socks come in as many colors as you can think of. Blue. Brown. Grey. Striped. Dotted. Spotted. Even a little funky- though you should probably skip those. But today, let’s explore a few ways to incorporate yellow dress socks into the modern wardrobe. You might be surprised the further down the list you get!
Blue, as one of the foundational colors of any menswear collection, shouldn’t be surprising as the first choice. Pretty much any shade and hue will work here, but some are a little better than others. A pair of yellow socks adds some fun to an otherwise sober dark navy suit. Slate blue suiting is unexpected, but in a good way. Air Force or RAF blues are okay as well, but wouldn’t be my first choice. If dandy is your thing, yellow hosiery with summer seersucker complements an ancient madder-print bow tie. Speaking of summer, they can also look excellent with a pale-blue linen suit.
On the casual end of the spectrum, yellow dress socks are a refreshing way to change up your denim look.
And, as a lifelong Michigan Wolverine fan and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, it doesn’t hurt that yellow and blue are my team colors.
Grey, as a neutral base, will complement just about anything yellow-ties, socks, and even a pale yellow shirt for those with darker complexions.
As with blue, pretty much any shade of grey will work. But, I do find medium to darker ones work best from a versatility standpoint. A standard charcoal suit comes to life with an ancient madder tie (of which yellow and purple are classic colors), sky blue shirt, and some yellow socks.
The same goes for whites. A brighter white is another neutral, yes. As my tastes have evolved I gravitate more toward off-white/ecru-particularly in denim. It works best for my olive complexion, and it also works far better with yellow, in my opinion.
Warm tones, as you might expect, work very well together. This is, of course, the case with browns, tans, and yellow. Some fourteen years ago, the esteemed menswear writer Simon Crompton praised a pair of yellow hosiery from bringing out the character in brown leather derbies. I’m strongly inclined to agree.
It’s somewhat hard to articulate, but the addition of yellow gives an otherwise ordinary outfit a little extra pizazz.
With brown suiting, though, I would be a little more cautious. Perhaps it’s the scarring of seeing my high school color combination of brown and yellow executed so poorly. I’d avoid a deep chocolate brown suit with yellow. But tan, khaki, and charcoal-brown? Go for it.
Moving in more advanced sartorial combinations, now. Green, as a combination of blue and yellow, is a secondary color. So, it follows we should be able to combine it with other yellow items. This is true, to an extent.
Green comes in dozens of different shades, from a bright kelly green to a muted olive. Unless you’re attending a parade in Boston in March, avoid brighter greens with yellow. Each color attracts significant attention on its own and, when combined, it’s just overboard.
However, olive green and other shades with brown and green undertones can look excellent, particularly with the way we’ve designed our new yellow socks. They’re not too bright and not too pale. Just right.
Outfit combinations here can span the seasons. In summer, lighter olive cotton suiting, with perhaps a knit tie and gingham shirt. Or, in fall, a tweed jacket with green and brown flecks, with some color in the socks.
Burgundy and yellow combinations are graduate-level menswear. Lean toward darker, richer colors instead of a brighter red.
Like with our green section, this works best in fall and winter. Merlot corduroy pants and a medium-grey cashmere sweater- with our color also coming from the socks. Or, for something truly sartorial, try some cream flannels, a brown-olive jacket, deep burgundy cable-knit rollneck, and our yellow socks. Of course, this only really works if the socks are just right. And, as you likely know, our focus at Boardroom is on creating the best dress socks.
Speaking of ‘just right’, I wrote earlier how some yellow socks bring life into well-worn brown shoes. That’s certainly true, for both suede and smooth leather. Brown is perhaps the best color here, but you can definitely do more. As shown below, a navy suit and black oxfords paired with yellow socks can add an interesting yet tasteful pop.
Indeed, building on our burgundy section, some oxfords in this colorway work wonders with a navy suit. The same goes just as well with most greys.
To make a basic t-shirt and jeans more interesting, try them with your standard white sneakers, too!
Ultimately, yellow absolutely has a place in your wardrobe, and dress socks are a great place to start.
Yours in Style,
Tony Gorga
Boardroom Socks
