An article about socks, you ask? In case you think we’ve completely lost our minds, let us assure you of our sanity. So, why would we dedicate an entire article to something as mundane as socks? Well, simply put, too many men are spoiling perfectly reasonable outfits by wearing the wrong kind of socks.

While there’s not a ton of rules to follow when it comes to socks, there are actually a few that are key to making sure you’re able to pull off your otherwise carefully put together ensembles. Certain socks are only for particular occasions, for example, and certain colors of socks should only be worn with specific outfits. To make sure you’re not sabotaging your style, have a glance at the list below and make an effort to rectify any deviant sock tendencies you may have.

White socks are only for sports

Probably one of the most violated rules of fashion — wearing white socks outside of sporting activities — is all too common. Just the other day, in fact, I saw a carefully groomed man wearing a decent quality black suit with black dress shoes, but when he sat down two inches of white socks poked out of his shoes and totally destroyed his look by making him appear somewhat ridiculous.

If you’re going to the gym, white socks are fine. They’re also fine, and actually even look better than black socks, if you’re playing sports outdoors or going for a run. Apart from activities where you’re going to generate a lot of sweat, however, white socks are a big no-no. Even with jeans you should wear black socks, so section off your sock drawer and keep your white socks close to your workout clothes and well away from your dress-up wardrobe.

Dress shoes require dress socks

If you’re going to wear dress shoes, you can’t wear athletic socks — no matter what their color. For example, it’s simply not enough that your socks be black. The reason for this rule is the following: Athletic socks are often bulkier than dress socks since they’re usually made of heavier cotton or other materials, so they tend to bunch out over dress shoes. Plus, athletic socks are frequently ribbed and the contrast of cheap, ribbed socks against smooth, high-quality dress shoes looks odd. Instead, wear dress socks with dress shoes. They’ll be easier to slip in to your shoes and the finer, thinner material will mean that any attention focused on your foot area will remain centered on your swish shoes instead of your socks.

Match your socks with your pants, not your shoes

When wearing dress pants or casual pants, apart from jeans, the color of your socks should be dictated by the color of your pants and not by the shade of your shoes. Black pants should obviously go with black socks, and brown pants with brown socks. The same goes for blue and gray pants. Choose your socks carefully for pants in other hues. Try out a few pairs of socks if you must in order to determine which socks match best with your pants. If you’re in doubt, a darker color usually works better.

The reason it’s important to match socks with your pants is that when you have to take your shoes off or you sit down and your socks are exposed, socks that coordinate with your pants make your outfit appear more fluid.

On the other hand, socks that don’t match your pants will break up an otherwise awesome ensemble.

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