The 20 Best Dress Socks to Elevate Every Formal Fit

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If you think of socks as a nonessential piece of your outfit, you're wrong. Socks are the basis of your look, and the style you wear subtly sets the tone for how you're presenting yourself. Crew socks and ankle socks are great for, like, the gym or a casual occasion, but for a formal affair, they simply won't cut it. What you need peeking out from your loafers or dress shoes are a pair of dress socks.

On the daily, you can probably get away with wearing ankle socks or something chunky to walk the three blocks to get a cheesesteak and fries. But for formal shindigs ranging from weddings to dinners to business meetings, you need something right for the occasion, something elevated. This is basically the defining characteristic of dress socks: a pair that’s more refined than what you'd wear to your local deli. It could be made of silk, cotton, or wool; feature a pattern or come in neutral colors; have a textured surface or not. It just has to be, well, dressier.

If you have plans to head somewhere fancy, or if you need to pair something with a suit and Oxfords, check out some of the best dress socks out there.

Dressed Art Socks

A pair of socks, inspired by Duchamp’s fountain sculpture, that'll definitely put a smile on your face. They're from a brand called Happy Socks, after all.

Ribbed Dress Socks

It really come as no surprise that J.Crew, purveyor of all things classic, offers some of the best, no-fuss dress socks around. This simple style is a perfect pair for jeans and loafers or dress pants and Oxfords alike.

Airport Dress Socks

If you're the type of guy who still values dressing up for flights, just take a look at the name of these streamlined, thermal-regulation socks from Falke. Even when you kick your shoes off (we all do it), you'll still feel cozy.

Danvers Ribbed-Knit Dress Socks

Pantherella's socks are simple, elegant, and won't break the bank. This is basically the trifecta you need. Plus, with a cuffed top, they aren't going to be sliding down your calves all day.

Patterned Dress Socks (3-Pack)

Cole Haan consistently offers well-made dress shoes at a bargain, so it should come as no surprise that the brand offers socks with the same quality and price point—and some damn fine stripes, too.

Cotton Half-Cushioned Crew Socks (10-Pack)

A durable, cushioned set from Amazon's in-house label. Plus, there are 10 pairs in here—enough to get you from one laundry day to the next, with some to spare.

Knee-Ribbed Dress High Socks (4-Pack)

In the socks game, Bombas is a gold medal-contender. From the quality to the price, there's nothing wrong with this MVP. You'll definitely want to stock up. Better yet, get the four-pack.

Personal Edition Dress Socks

Nice Laundry knows how to do professional, injected with a tasteful amount of levity. These three patterned socks will give you options and variety with every wear.

Dress Calf Socks

A black dress sock is a closet staple. Bombas has a classic, calf-length pair that look great with every shoe, for every occasion.

Tiago Cotton Dress Socks

These sit at the perfect height on your calf, and with thin, breathable cotton, you're going to want a pair for every day. Plus, the solid design is super versatile.

Socks

Uniqlo's socks are versatile AF, so you can wear them with sneakers just as easily as you can wear them with Oxfords. With these peeking out from under your pants and atop your shoes, you can feel secure in knowing you look good from head to toe.

Silk Socks (3-Pack)

Silk. Socks. Really doesn't get much better than that. Actually, it does—because these are a three pack!

Pindot Pink Dress Socks

For styling your fun side, even if your suit is—dare I say?—basic. Polka dots are never a bad idea when it comes to making formal dressing a little more exciting.

Flat Knit Logo 4-Pack Dress Socks

Calvin Klein's dress socks are a dream, with the affordable 4-pack that has a tiny logo. With a soft, solid knit, these are going to be the easiest part of getting dressed.

Supersoft Trouser Sock 3-Pack

When it comes to dressing up, PRL has you covered from head to toe. Literally. And what outfit isn't made classier with that horse logo?

Knit Silk Wool Socks

Simple and subtle, with a jacquard monogram logo on ultra-soft cotton silk. And, really—does it get more luxurious than silk Gucci socks? I don't think so.

3-Pack Ribbed Socks

Cos' ribbed socks come in sleek, chic contrast piping that looks great with any loafer or Oxford. Or, hell, if you want to dress up your favorite sneaker, that works, too.

Cashmere Blend Socks

It doesn't get more "quiet luxury" than cashmere socks. And in deep red, Loro Piana's exude elegance—especially when paired with a black Oxford.

Ribbed Cashmere Socks

Like clouds for your feet, TBH. With a subtle ribbed knit, these calf-length socks will be your favorite part of getting dressed.

Bar Stripe Socks

Like Thom Browne's signature shrunken suits, but in sock form. With shiny shoes and pleated pants, these are an absolutely infallible pick.

How To Style Dress Socks

Dress socks are an item you pull out for the finer occasions in life, so of course, what you pair 'em with matters. These aren't just your everyday, plain old socks—they're better. Dressier!

Dress socks pair perfectly with—you guessed it—dress shoes and dress pants. If you wear pants with a break that your socks can peek out of, going for one of an interesting color or print can add dimension to your look. For instance: black pants, pink socks, black shoes. Or, you can go for the timeless black and white combo—black on black looks pretty damn sleek, too.

There's no wrong way to wear dress socks, so start by building your outfit first, throw in your shoe of choice, and top it off with a dress sock that ties the entire look together. Matching the color of your shirt or tie to your socks is a great place to start. It's all in the details.

Why You Can Trust Esquire

We’re not going to say something is great unless it’s actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our fashion and e-commerce teams.

When it comes to dress socks, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting styles that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved, along with styles that the rest of our stylish colleagues here at Esquire endorse for their own wear. We’ve had to go through a lot of trial and error, and these dress socks are the ones that are simply the best.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists!) comes from years of wearing different things, seeing what we love and what we don’t, and going from there. No two tastes are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who and care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.

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