Remember how it used to be when walking down the street? How you’d pass strangers and look at them briefly (maybe even in the eye!), rather than wildly veering away from them like a drunk driver, all the way to the very edge of the sidewalk to approximate a 6-foot distance?
Me too. I miss that. Mostly because I got some of the most useful intel about what’s trending in men’s style by just...looking at people on the street, on the subway, in bars (bars!) and more. All the outside-of-my-apartment places, really.
And while it’s been a minute, I distinctly remember warmer days last month when I started noticing guys sport a trend that I am VERY into and hope you adopt at home, now, and out in the world, later.
Tall socks with short(ish) shorts.
Mmm mm MMM. Now, I’ll admit that I’ve had a thing for guys wearing calf-length socks since college, when I harbored a very intense crush on a surfer-type (who’d grown up in the middle of Pennsylvania, but that’s neither here nor there, I suppose). So sure, okay, I’m biased.
But now, the look is back and dare I say better than ever thanks to the trend’s accompanying shorts edging up guys’ legs. Gone are the baggy cargo-pocketed monstrosities of my youth, replaced by 7” inseams and a whole lotta leg to look at.
If you’re convinced by my Stay At Home-induced fashion horniness, then please check out a few tall socks and short(ish!) short combos to wear when all this is over.
**
All Over Short | $68 | Olivers Apparel
Solid Calf Sock | $12 | Bombas
When it comes to nailing this trend, look for shorts that hit at mid- to lower calf. Not too long, not too short.
These performance shorts from Olivers Apparel will one day go in the Style Girlfriend hall of fame for their high marks in both form and function. Seriously, we recommend them all the time and everyone loves them. Pair them with a calf-height sock in a solid color, like these from Bombas, for an easy, cool outfit to wear this spring and summer.
**
Stretch Washed Chino Shorts | $78 | Bonobos
New Tour Sock | $12 | Stance
Don’t think the tall sock trend should be confined to performance shorts pairings. Try a pair of tall socks with your most comfortable chino shorts and a short-sleeve button up shirt for a look that’s put together but still v v chill.
With canvas sneakers (think: low-top Vans, maybe?), you’ll be ready for a painfully hip music festival or just a Saturday afternoon bar crawl. Really, any outdoor activity I can barely imagine as a reality anymore.
**
7” Bolt Shorts | $68 | Fourlaps
Tie Dye Socks | $18 | Polo Ralph Lauren
Ready to take your tall sock game up a notch? Try this tie dye pair from Polo Ralph Lauren.
Are they obnoxious? A little, I guess! But who’s even seeing them now? Nobody. Your wife. Your dog. Who cares? And by the time you get comfortable wearing them, it might (might!) be time to go outside again, by which point you’ll feel totally cool taking on the outside world wearing the socks-equivalent of Jimmy Hendrix playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock.