Dress shoes sans socks and proper trouser length?

[Acmemfg]

The "no socks" look is far from new. The standard uniform in high school (1965-1969) was khakis, oxford cloth button down shirt (preferably Gant) in pastel blue or pink, cordovan Bass Weejuns...either penny or tassel loafer, your choice on that one. A 1 1/4" alligator belt (real if you were a rich kid..British tan bridle leather would be acceptable too if you were somewhat of a hoi polloi and your family didn't own 500 acres of citrus groves or daddy wasn't a doctor) was the final touch. Splash of English Leather helped too...

Shirts could vary in color somewhat. Dark navy blue was OK, as was authentic (not a colorfast knockoff copy) Madras.
Life in the 60's...it had its moments for sure.

 

[FarmerTan]

That's a tough look to pull off, you need to be in a casual environment to make it work. Important business meeting no, drinks at the boat club after work yes.

+1

 

[FarmerTan]

Never no socks with dress shoes!

+1

 

[rockclimber]

This trend is on its way out but was popular last year and put into mainstream media by Nick Cannon on America's Got Talent. I have never rocked the look myself and have only seen one person doing it (our 26 year old computer guy) and I hate to say it but he pulled it off pretty well. Get your suit pants around 2.5" shorter than par and go for it!

 

[noelekal]

Trendy yet tastelessly ill-dressed.

 

[Parjay]

Oh no, is Derek an ouch??!!

Ouch, I am sorry to hear that. I must have really lucked out/dodged a bullet since I had no problems going sockless with these top siders from day one.

Tim

 

[noelekal]

To each his own.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ski...=1280&bih=896#tbm=isch&q=+suits+without+socks

 

[Rushman2112]

The locals here seem to eschew socks with any sort of shoe or trouser, even when going to the office. Strange given how sweaty it gets here.

 

[mikelz777]

Isn't wearing dress shoes without socks a douchey Hollywood/LA thing?

 

[BuddinK]

Cant do it myself, I can only go sockless with sandals, and since I moved from Key West, not much need for sandals. I did have to buy a boat load of new socks though.

 

[musicman1951]

I have seen this look before, but I would never adopt it myself.

It seems to be a thing that is limited to model-posing by the photographer. I've never seen anyone in real life dressing like this.

As for trouser length, there is a standard that has been in use for a hundred years or more. The length of the trouser should be hemmed so that the pants leg "breaks" at the right point, and the trouser touches the shoe about 2 inches in front of the ankle. Any tailor knows how to measure you and the trousers to create this look.

+1

As a long time subscriber to Esquire, I generally find these photo shoots to look like young men in their younger brother's too-small clothing (at pretty incredible pricing on average). But I'm an old guy, so take that for what it's worth.

I do have 4 or 5 pair of casual summer shoes that were purchased specifically to wear without socks. I would never wear them to work.

 

[Doc4]

Tim, congrats on your newfound interest & opportunity in good dressing.

I'm sure you will (like all others who journey down that road ... I speak from experience ) go through many new interests and opinions on what is "good" to wear, and what is and isn't stylish. One thing I will suggest is:

fashion =/= style.

("style" = what looks good decade after decade; "fashion" = what is "hot" right now. They occasionally overlap, but often don't. Think "venn diagram", if you will.)

After a while, you will come to realise that magasines like

... Esquire and GQ.

are basically

Trendy yet tastelessly ill-dressed.

more often than not. GQ has one page dedicated to actual style ... the Style Guy. Read him. Otherwise, it's pretty hit-n-miss, with a lot more misses, and a lot of perpetual shifting of what's "in". You are far better off getting a book on style ... a book is intended to be written once and be "fixed information", so the author can focus on long-term advice, while a mag needs to find "fresh" material 10-12 times a year, so they have to perpetually flog the "new, hot look".



IMHO the "sockless" look only works well with sandals and the most casual of non-leather shoes (canvas beach shoes and the like). Anything else, and you are in "this looks like it will end up really, really stinky" territory. That just sends the wrong mental image.

 

[Doc4]

... more often than not. GQ has one page dedicated to actual style ... the Style Guy. Read him.

Shows how well I keep up with the current events.



It appears that the Style Guy of whom I spoke, Glenn O'Brien, left in unhappy circumstances over a year ago. I was sitting in the barber shop this morning awaiting my chance to get my ears lowered, and picked up a year-old GQ to find the Style Guy gone and replaced with some hipster wannabe.

http://www.racked.com/2015/8/20/9184135/glenn-o-brien-gq-style-guy

Oh well.

 

[tsellati]

Shows how well I keep up with the current events.



It appears that the Style Guy of whom I spoke, Glenn O'Brien, left in unhappy circumstances over a year ago. I was sitting in the barber shop this morning awaiting my chance to get my ears lowered, and picked up a year-old GQ to find the Style Guy gone and replaced with some hipster wannabe.

http://www.racked.com/2015/8/20/9184135/glenn-o-brien-gq-style-guy

Oh well.

I am sorry to hear this section is gone. I am only two issues in to a year-long subscription my wife bought me for father's day.

Tim

 

[TobyC]

Sockless is classless, and just lazy! Looks trashy to me.

 

[davent]

I thought what is considered 'in', in a fashion magazines (or any other subject) was determined by advertiser dollars.

dave

 

[Dadbar]

I often go to work with sockless Topsiders, too. But only July and August.

Today I'm wearing sandals......no socks....but only because it's casual Friday