Men's Style Tips: How to wear yellow socks
For those looking to add some sunshine, confidence and style to their day-to-day dressing, it is hard to go wrong with yellow socks. Bold and bright, yellow may feel like a sartorial statement reserved for the bold among us, but in reality, yellow in all its guises can be a surprisingly understated way to lift a whole host of more traditional colours. From saffron to mustard, daffodil to mango, pick the perfect pair of yellow socks and you will stand out for only the right reasons. Step aside, Malvolio (wee Shakespeare reference for you, chaps) – yellow socks are serious style business.
Why yellow socks?
Each colour holds its own powers to influence style and mood. We go into more detail about the colour theory behind yellow in general in another article on The Footnotes (which you can read here), but as a quick snapshot, yellow is all about positivity, enjoyment and emotional warmth. In fact, it has been proven to stimulate creativity and intellectual engagement; ie: yellow actually energises our brains. Wearing yellow socks can inspire not just ourselves, but those around us to be more optimistic and engaged. A rather nice thought, no? From a styling perspective, yellow socks are also surprisingly easy to pair with any number of our favourite staple shades. It looks brilliant with blues, great with greys and is a natural partner with black. It also complements red, greens and more neutral tones. An all-rounder.
Colour block with your socks
Colour blocking is a really simple way to inject a bit of bright into your look. With yellow it looks confident and cool. The easiest way to do this for a great off-duty vibe is by matching your jumper and your socks, and then pairing with your favourite jeans and trainers. Simply Sartorial socks in Saffron are an LSC classic – a pair of socks that sits at the top of our best sellers every year. You could also opt for more of a mustard yellow pair of socks, with our Simply Merino socks in Dijon. The yellows don’t need to be an exact match, in fact it feels more modern to mix up the tones a bit.
Can I wear other brighter colours with yellow socks?
Oh yes. The natural tendency with yellow may be to stick to pairing it with neutrals and low-key shades like cream, grey and black, but the real beauty of yellow is that as a powerful primary colour, it complements a whole host of other colours. And because yellow socks are never going to be an overpowering punch of this bright hue, they enable you to play with colour combinations in your outfit. Yellow and purple, for example, look great together. As do yellow and its fellow primary colours, red and blue. You can even play with colour combos in your socks – celebrity stylist Michael Fisher’s Block Collection features golden yellow with fuchsia pink in his Nugget socks, as well as bright yellow and forest green in Summer Moss socks.
How about patterned yellow socks?
Yellow is a really playful base colour for a patterned sock. From the subtle and polished grey and yellow herringbone in our Bond St. Herringbone in yellow, to the more punchy and offbeat sophistication of the contemporary Prince of Wales check of Ottaway Style in Mustard or cool Jermyn St. Houndstooth in Saffron, patterned yellow socks are a really elegant way to add a bit of personality and colour. This is particularly fun when it comes to your wardrobe at work, a place where it can feel more tricky to be interesting or stylish without being unprofessional. Your navy blue suit? Made for a pair of patterned yellow socks, trust us. A casual look can also be transformed by yellow patterned socks. They can add some texture and depth, as well as show some flair.
Yellow socks in the winter
In the colder months, when our colour palettes turn towards warm and earthy tones, saffron and mustard yellow socks are always a winner. These shades look effortless with olive and khaki greens, rich burgundy and plum, stones and elegant browns. Our organic cotton boot socks in Saffron are made for wearing with your favourite boots – chukka, Chelsea, or hiking – thanks to their chunkier knit, but they are also great paired with derby shoes or trainers. In terms of winter yarns, merino wool socks are the ideal choice for keeping your feet warm and comfortable. Our Simply Merino socks in Dijon are a very versatile choice – made for smart outfits as well as more casual looks. Need something warm, stylish but still ready to handle the muddy dog walks? Our merino wool Welly Socks in Mustard – always a winner.
At London Sock Company, we’ve always been passionate about the power of colour and what an impact a great pair of socks can have on not just your style, but your state of mind. You could say that Colour Makes Us Click. Yellow socks are one of the many colours of socks that are easy to wear but can completely lift your mood and your look at the same time.
