#HappySocks

I TRIED, for a very long time, to resist the colourful socks trend.

I preferred the old fashioned way – black trousers, black socks.

The socks rule also meant wearing dark grey socks with charcoal trousers, blue socks with your blue jeans, and so on.

Of course it didn’t mean wearing the exact same shade of grey but they definitely needed to blend well with the rest of the outfit.

To be frank, I was happy there was a “socks rule” because it helped avoid a lot of fashion disasters.

I was genuinely happy to have men wear socks that match their trousers and shoes.

It was for very simple reasons, one of them being matching socks give you a polished and elegant look.

I initially thought colourful socks were quite distracting. They took a lot of class out of an otherwise put together outfit.

They brought that whole viscos vibe that gave the impression you had a poor sense of style.

It wasn’t until I started paying more attention to one guy on social networking site Instagram that I started to appreciate the “happy socks”.

I followed his posts in bright stockings and was convinced this is a trend that could really work for the modern man.

Yes, wearing matching socks is a good rule that keeps most men looking sharp and will always be appropriate for business settings — but for adventurous dressers, it gets dull after a while.

There’s absolutely a place in men’s style for coloured socks that don’t match the trousers.

But it requires a little more care because it’s not a simple, neutral choice.

Why should you be extra careful? If you’re not, you’ll look like Jojo the clown.

This is not a god thing if you’re not trying to entertain a bunch of children at a birthday party!

“Bright” socks can mean a lot of things; bold solid colours, classic patterns like argyle and paisley up to things bordering on novelty items such as cartoons.

Please note – none of these are going to cut it as part of a serious business outfit or for a somber occasion like a funeral. 

These situations are not about you expressing individuality – they’re about you showing respect and fitting in.

But because they’re exceptions to the socks rule, there’re some powerful men out there who’ve worn custom-tailored suits with handmade Italian shoes — and a pair of red or lavender socks.

These guys know what they’re doing. They’re making a bold statement, almost a challenge.

The business suit with coloured socks is a look that says, “Yes, I know the rules, and I’m confident enough and care enough about how I look to break it anyway, because it’s more fun for me.”

But I can’t emphasise it enough, it has to be done right — you can’t just throw them on with anything — there’s usually a way to make it work.

When you have on a simple outfit, it can be livened up drastically with bright socks.

Something basic like jeans or khakis and a shirt can be livened up tremendously and simply with a pair of bright and colorful socks.

Think of it like a pocket square in a blazer, or a tie with a shirt, it adds some pizazz to your simple outfit. It tells me you planned it.

You put some thought into what you’re wearing and the ensemble isn’t an accident.

When you want to go the extra mile with a little color coordination, you can show off some subtly matching socks and really complement the rest of your outfit.

You can also create a coordinated look that takes your style to the next level when you match your socks with items like your pocket square, shirt, sports jacket, or sweater.

By now, you may have figured out that you’ll need more than one pair of colorful socks to go with all your outfits.

If you’ve never worn socks that don’t match your trousers before, start at any decent menswear store.

Most will have at least a few selections of simple, traditional patterns.

Start thinking in terms of the outfits you’re likely to be pairing your socks with — look for colours to complement your favorite shirts and jackets, for example, or some pocket squares that you’ve been wanting to work into outfits.

Start collecting and wear some happy socks once in a while!