Socks are the easiest place to add some personality to what you’re wearing without committing to anything dramatic. A stripe in particular sits right at the useful intersection of considered and effortless. It reads like you thought about it, but not too hard. The problem is that most striped socks are either too thin to survive the year properly or too loud to wear anywhere serious. We’ve been looking specifically for the ones that thread that needle. Midweight cotton and wool options that have a bit of structure to them, stripes that are confident without being cartoonish, and colours that work with the kinds of outfits most men are actually putting together. The detail matters too. A well finished toe seam and a proper elasticated cuff make the difference between a sock that stays where it’s supposed to and one that doesn’t. These are the striped socks that earn a permanent place in the drawer.