When you wear a suit, you need to look your best, as this also affects your well-being and self-confidence. Each part of the outfit should fit into the whole. So you’re probably wondering, do dress socks have to match the suit, the shoes, or the tie?
Socks are an extension of the suit, and they must match the color of the trousers you are wearing. Dress socks can be the same color as the trousers or a darker shade. The dress socks should not match the color of the shirt, shoes, and tie, as all these parts of the outfit should match the suit.
Next, I’ll show you why dress socks don’t need to match your shirt, tie, and shoes. And how to match these pieces to the outfit as a whole.
What should your socks match in a suit?
Dress socks must match the trousers when wearing a suit. Choose the same shade or at least the same color of dress socks to look good in a suit. The color can also be darker than the dress, but the socks are not recommended to be too light compared to the suit trousers.
One color of socks can be suitable for several colors of suit. Dress socks in black or charcoal and can fit black, grey, and navy blue suits. Below is a picture showing which socks go best with which suit. If you are interested in which color of socks can go with which suit, please click on this link to read the full article.
In fact, for 3 different outfits, you can only have socks of one color (e.g., black). I wrote more about how many pairs of dress socks a man should have in a separate post, which you can read by clicking on this link.
Can socks match your shirt?
Dress socks do not have to match the color of the shirt. It is more important that the color of the socks matches the trousers and that the shirt matches the trousers and blazer. There is nothing wrong if the socks and shirt color match. But the choice of the shirt alone should not influence the choice of the dress socks because the socks must match the trousers.
Always match your shirt to your suit by wearing a shirt with a lighter shade with your suit. Here are some examples:
- Navy blue suit and light blue shirt,
- Navy blue suit and white shirt,
- Black suit and white shirt,
- Grey suit and white shirt.
Are your socks supposed to match your tie?
Dress socks do not have to match the color of the tie. It’s more important that the color of the socks matches the trousers and that the tie matches the suit. There is nothing wrong if the color of the socks and the tie match. But the choice of the tie alone should not influence the choice of the dress socks because the socks must match the trousers.
Always match your tie to your suit by wearing a tie with a similar tone to your suit. Here are some examples:
- Navy blue suit, light blue shirt, and blue tie,
- Navy blue suit, white shirt, and brown tie,
- Black suit, white shirt, and red tie,
- Grey suit, white shirt, and blue tie.
Can you wear black socks with brown shoes?
You can wear black dress socks with brown shoes, as brown shoes go with black trousers. The dress socks and dress shoes must match the color of the trousers. So if the socks and shoes color goes with the trousers, then the socks and shoes also go together.
Brown dress shoes go well with black and grey suits, but the shade of brown is essential. With a black suit, brown dress shoes should be a darker shade, whereas, with a grey dress, they can be lighter if you are going to wear a light grey suit. The main rule to stick to is that the shoes and the suit should be in the same color tone.
Some men wear dress shoes, and it looks like they don’t wear any dress socks. Read this article if you want to find out if you can wear dress shoes without socks. And I also recommend you to read 7 reasons why you always MUST wear dress socks with dress shoes.
Brown shoes also go well with other sock colors. See the picture below to see which dress socks you can wear with brown shoes.
Can you wear grey socks with brown shoes?
You can wear grey dress socks with brown shoes, as brown shoes go with black trousers. The dress socks and dress shoes must match the color of the trousers. So if the socks and shoes color goes with the trousers, then the socks and shoes also go together.
The main rule is not to match dress socks and dress shoes. However, socks and shoes should be combined with a suit. Because the socks are an extension of the trousers and the shoes complete the whole look of the suit.
If you don’t want to wear colored socks, you can choose black or grey socks with colored patterns or stripes. Such socks are still very stylish and will improve your look. For some ideas on how to choose the right socks with patterns and stripes, read the post by clicking on this link.
