On Little Joys, Or, Socks
It's the little things.
Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Day! Hello from me, still in Massachusetts. I closed a show last week, and moved straight on to a second, at the same theater. It’s a very Groundhog Day sort of feeling, let me tell you! Old cast mates leave, new ones come in, some, like me, stay the same. Same rehearsal room, different show. Same director, different part.
I always feel a bit weird after a show closes. So much work! So much of your guts go into the thing! It’s LIVE ART, which is what makes it so special, but it also means that, when it’s over, it can feel as though it happened in an echo chamber. We did that, right? Did the tree fall? Did it make a sound? I trust in the magic timeline of the Universe—that most things end when they are supposed to—but that doesn’t keep me from feeling a kind of gratitude/overwhelm/relief/“what now?” anxiety sandwich. Yum! The joys of freelancing! Pair that with the truly frightening current state of the world, and throw in the wild and exciting news that the strike has ended!, and let’s just say that this week the tumble dry setting of my brain is on high.
ALL THAT is to say, for me, when life gets spinny and an actual escape or unplug is not possible, I turn to little luxuries. Lovely little things that bring me back to the ground, or that remind me that every day can have something sweet in it (look at me, I’m a regular Mister Rogers!). Cozy clothes. Good candles. Comfort foods. Sometimes I give myself little presents that won’t break the bank—like journals and nice pens, or flowers, or a good lipstick (this is my absolute favorite red by Violette, which I bought online two years ago when I had COVID). And of course, because it’s me, I make outfits. I dress for joy, and for comfort, and hopefully to make myself feel a little bit more like myself. In my life where everything is changing all the time, sometimes I gotta cling to the fact that I am still here, and I am still me.
And one way I do this is with socks.
If socks are a lovely little thing, they are a lovely little thing with a lot of power. Tell me, if you’ve been out in the rain, what is better than coming home and putting on a fresh, dry pair of socks?! And, alternatively, is anything more annoying than walking around secretly knowing you have a hole in your sock? La la, everything is normal, except for, sorry, person I am talking to, 30% of my attention is on my one, sad, sockless toe? You’re picturing it right? It’s visceral, yes?
In remembering the value pack of socks from my youth, I am having an inkling that socks have come a long way. Gotten softer, maybe a little thinner, with the right amount of stretch? Dare I say, they’ve gotten hip? There are some good colors out there people! Which, honestly, is kind of huge when you’re getting dressed. Want to include the infamous “pop of color”? You can do it with a sock. Want to add a little cheeky vibe, or some color contrast to your ‘fit? Both achievable with a sock. In fact, if the idea of trying to be cheeky with an outfit makes you feel nervous, I think adding some color with a visible sock can be a great way to experiment with a new color palette on a small scale. And, if you're not a color girl, it’s possible to mix up your neutrals just a little bit with a very small, more palatable dose of color—using a sock.
TO BRING IT HOME, when I’m feeling crazy but I still have to get dressed, A Little Color = A Little Joy. And that little bit of color might be hidden in my sock drawer. I’d like to make the case for all of this below, with some outfits I wore IRL with punchy little color palettes, thanks to the addition of a sweet pair of socks.
First! I must be clear that the shape of the sock I am proselytizing about is the below model, sometimes called a “crew” or a “calf” sock:
I just don’t have the same fervor for an ankle or no-show sock. They’re FINE, I wear them when the time calls for them, but they are not visible, so not relevant to this fashion conversation we’re having. And also, they are not cozy? You will not find me walking around my house in sweats and a no-show sock. Lol.
I think a good primer on sock dressing (lol lol have I gone off the deep end?) should highlight two of the easiest use cases:
1.) For monochrome dressing—using the color of the sock to match another clothing item, and thus pull everything together, OR,
2.) For contrast dressing—using the color of the sock to purposely funk the whole thing up, aka add some visual interest.
Some examples in the way of MONOCHROME SOCK DRESSING:
I honestly loved this. Matching my sweatshirt to my socks made me LOL in a good way, and I also enjoyed that it sort of looked like I escaped from, I don’t know, a baseball team?
Sorry that both of these matching moments are sort of sporty! But the blue of the socks sort of calls in the biker shorts in a way that I <3. This sweater has become my entire personality in the last six months, and I like that it makes the look less predictable “athleisure” than an oversized sweatshirt would, and so a bit more interesting. The red lip is pulling some weight here too.
Okay I know this OUTFIT isn’t monochrome, but I think the whole reason the socks worked here is because they are a close-enough match to the jeans. They were a quieter color add, and they let the whole gold/brown-turtleneck-plus-bright-red-sweater-vest be the star of the show.
Some examples in the way of CONTRAST SOCK DRESSING:
These burnt orange socks were in the same color family as the brown cardi and the leopard print belt but also…not. This outfit would be way more delish (and the socks would really shine!) with BROWN loafers…I’m working on it (WINK).
Contrast also happens when the socks are kind of silly, and so keep an outfit from taking itself too seriously.
The styling of the sock can also initiate a kind of VIBE SHIFT. Maybe a sock/shoe combo is preppy, or sweet, and so offers some friction in an outfit that is more tough, edgy, or femme.
Sadly, I have no photographic evidence of the outfit that went with this pairing, but I wore the above combo with a casual, oversized button down. The size and structure of the shirt gave good contrast to the sweet lil sock/shoe combo (plus I was unprepared for how f$cking cold it was in the rehearsal room on this out-of-town gig in the middle of August, so the socks were an emergency measure).
I love black and navy. The navy sock here breaks up all the black, but it’s subtle—for my color-averse girlfriends! In this case, the sock really softens (literally and visually) an otherwise sort of serious look.
Here the contrast comes from the unexpectedness of a sheer sock with an open-toed sandal. These are actually little fishnet socks—saucy! A good transitional hack, and it extends the fashion math/wear count of my summer heels.
And finally, sometimes a sock can do both! Here is a version that both matches and gives contrast, made possible with some help from my fave red lippy:
A little ketchup, a little mustard, a little joy on a gray day. And, for maximum joy, we add some grub:
Hoping I have sold you on the joys of socks? But regardless, sending you as much joy as this massive chicken sandwich brought to me! LOVE YOU BABES.
Costume Change is a styling newsletter (vs. a shopping newsletter). Many posts will not include clothing “credits”— but I’m happy to share info in the comments about specific items, just HMU.
Any links to clothing/shoes, etc. that do appear in my writing are purely my honest to goodness recommendations. If we (ever) enter spon-con territory, those recs will be clearly marked as such. Thanks for reading, and reminder to keep those comments kind!