Sometimes finding the right pair of socks for pants and shoes can be problematic. There are many important factors to look for when matching socks like the right colours, shape, occasion and patterns.

It may sound complicated but luckily, it turns out that it is not so difficult. We prepared four simple tips to follow that will make your outfit look better.

Let’s start with the basics. Is it better to match socks with shoes or pants? The golden rule for better clothing is to match the colour of your socks with your pants, not your shoes. There is one exception from this rule, but you will learn about it in tip number 3. Article sponsored by Overparty.pl.

1. Match your socks with pants not shoes

Although this tip sounds quite simple, it appears to be problematic for men. It turns out that most men’s socks are in colours such as black, brown or navy exactly like the most men’s pants.

Wearing the same colour pants and socks doesn’t look good because it doesn’t contrast to the rest of your outfit. Instead, try to look for opposite colours like orange socks and green pants.

That combination really attracts the eyes and make you look fashionable.

outfit idea for men with brown pants and funny socks
Modern outfit idea for men with brown pants and funny socks

We will come back to the colours in a moment but there is one more thing you need to know about matching socks to your pants which is different kinds of pants.

It is important to metion, we shouldn’t wear all types of socks with any type of pants. To look classy, wear short or no-show light socks with jeans.

jeans outfit with white socks
Classic jeans outfit with white socks and shoes for women

For a more formal or corporate outfit with suit pants, we recommend quarter or calf socks in colours such as: red, brown, black, yellow and blue.

wearing red socks in formal outfit
Red socks look really great with formal outfits

Many people don’t care about socks in their outfit, this is a huge mistake! If you want to improve your daily outfit read and remember this 4 little tips.

Socks matching tips to remember:

  • Don’t wear white ankle socks with suit pants
  • Never dress black socks to white shoes
  • Avoid short socks with suit pants
  • Use solid colours and funny socks to more formal outfits
elegant outfit mistakes
Choosing the right pair of socks to a formal outfit
Remember: white ankle socks are great for tennis, gym or other sports activities, but they do not look good with other types of pants. If you want to change your everyday outfit and look good, choose other colours.

Of course, there are still many more kinds of pants and writing about each would take us forever.

Instead, we recommend the most universal colourful mid-calf socks from Kumplo. They are great with the most pants like jeans, tracksuit, chords, slim fit trousers or even suit.

abstract-socks-front
a pair of universal mid-calf socks from Kumplo

They may not look the best in shorts or leggings so keep that in mind.

Exceptions to this rule

If you still want to match your socks with any shoes there is an exception. You can do it with any kind of funny socks.

For example at this photo, McDonald’s Socks fits great with white shoes and white pants. They are the most visible here and play the most important part of this outfit.

mcdonalds socks
We got a great contrast between the socks and pants in the McDonald’s socks session.

If you have cool colourful socks there is always good to exhibit them more than the rest of your outfit. They will be visible even from far away.

funny socks outfit idea
Crocodile socks from Kumplo with green pants.

Dressing novelty socks is breaking practically all the rules that we follow in matching casual socks with an outfit. We will show you more interesting examples of matching funny socks later in this guide.

2. Contrast your socks with pants

Let’s back to the colours. They are really important in matching socks to your pants and makes your outfit looks more attractive. At first, you should consider wearing solid colours socks in your outfit. Why? They are universal and don’t require much thinking before dressing.

Colours like brown, green, purple and white are perfect for beginners who want to look better.

green socks outfit
Green socks are great with black pants.

It’s easier to match solid colours socks to different types of pants than matching socks with dots or other abstract patterns. Solid colours socks are also great for many occasions like birthdays or date.

It’s worth it to have some high-quality pairs of socks in your chest of drawers then. Find ideal pair for yourself at Kumplo.

kumplo pug socks outfit idea
Pug socks from Kumplo with dark blue pants and brown shoes.

How to find the right colour

Finding the right colours doesn’t have to be difficult. As you know it’s all about finding the contrast colours between the pants and your socks.

You can also watch how celebrities dress, they are usually using professional help to look better so you can use them as a free example.

prince harry in funny socks
Prince Harry in funny socks.

To help you start these colour sets are always go great together:

  • Brown with cream
  • Brown with black
  • Red and black
  • Yellow and blue
  • Blue with white
  • Purple with light blue
  • Orange with green
orange socks outfit
Perfect looking orange socks outfit.

We also found a great colour finder for graphic designers which may be also helpful for beginners in finding contrast colours for your pants and socks.

finding fashionable colours
Find colour inspiration sets at Adobe or share your projects.

Hopefully, now you know how to find the right colour socks for your outfit, share this guide when somebody asks you “What colour socks do you wear with brown shoes”.

3. Wearing funny socks

Things go completely different with novelty socks. They are mostly 2 or 3 colours socks with different shapes so it would be hard to match them with the rules mentioned before.

It doesn’t mean they aren’t fashionable or can’t look elegant they are just different. Some people will like it and some will never look at them.

how to wear funny socks
Egg socks from Kumplo with black pants.

They were designed to break those rules and set new trends in the boring world of causal socks. Wearing funny socks is about eye-catching. That means you don’t have to match them with pants or shoes and they should be the most important in your outfit.

Let’s experiment and create your own innovative outfit ideas. Tag us on Instagram to let more people see your photo!

socks matching ideas
Crocodile socks from Kumplo with green pants.

Who wear funny socks?

Wearing funny socks is a new fashion that has just come to the UK and USA. Many celebrities prefer this style of dress because it is simple and allows others to show their character. People such as Prince Harry, Justin Bieber, Zac Efron, Jessica Alba who want to be associated with a relaxed approach to the world can often be seen in this type of socks.

celebrities in funny socks
“Breaking Bad” actor Aaron Paul in rainbow socks.

Why people loved funny socks?

Wearing them is very comfortable because you don’t have to think too much whether they fit your current creation. This trend has become particularly popular among office workers who want to look fashionable but don’t necessarily have time to think about things like choosing socks.

colourful socks with an elegant outfit
Elegant outfit idea with yellow socks with blue dots.

But that’s not all, funny socks have also gained popularity among other groups due to their diversity or universal use. Many people received their first pair as a birthday or Christmas present, and this is where their story began.

4. Match socks with accessories

Socks are interesting accessories to highlight your outfit and add a new glow to it. It is worth it combining them to other accessories like a watchband, tie, wallet, scarf and gloves.

lemon socks outfit idea
Purple outfit idea using lemon socks from Kumplo

This girl went a step further and matched her socks with the oranges from the local groceries store. Now you got the point how it should look like!

socks outfit ideas
Funny outfit idea with matching socks to oranges from a local grocery store.

If you feel good with classic formal outfits we recomend you this combination. A beautiful checkered scarf with a red accent and a brown briefcase is a perfect combination with red socks. The whole outfit looks professional and classy.

matching socks to accessories
Elegant outfit idea using red socks.

It looks really good when you match accessories with the same solid colour.

Another interesting idea is to wear mismatched socks. So, for example, you take one sock from one set and another from a different one. It looks good when the socks come from the same collection as our food socks.

mismatched socks
In wearing mismatched socks it’s all about dressing 2 different socks from one collection.

Quick summary of socks fashion tips

  • Serious designs on socks are slowly going out of fashion so avoid them
  • Wear contrasting socks to stand out from the crowd and add style to your outfit.
  • Dress the socks with colors according to the accessories you wear.
  • Choose between a subdued outfit and funny socks or traditional socks and a crazy outfit.
  • Always wear the right kind of footwear for your socks so you don’t run the risk of chafing or illness.
  • Choose only high-quality cotton socks to keep your feet fresh through their breathability.
  • Dress pants with a different color to your socks so they can contrast.
  • Dress crazy socks according to the occasion and purpose.
  • Only wear white, black or brown socks for slightly more serious outfits.
  • Dress as you like comfortably because you should feel it.

Final thoughts

We believe that the useful tips we’ve described will help you match socks to your outfit and make you look better. If you find this guide as useful please share it or leave us a comment. If you need help with novelty socks contact us on Facebook or Instagram.

PS: To help you find the best funny socks we prepared special category page with filters such us, colour picker, pattern selection, and plenty order by possibilities. You should check that.

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