A common misconception amongst men of the ready-to-wear age, and something of a phobia in both it’s lack of logic and it’s ability to elicit violent responses, is the little flash of sock that is sometimes visible between trouser cuff and shoe.
A gents trouser should fall to his shoe, and rest lightly on top of it. Too much length leaves a trouser cuff to pool around the ankle, creating a visual break in the line of the trouser and shortening the leg. Likewise a trouser cut too short to reach the shoe gets to flapping around like a bell, again shortening the line of leg on all but the heaviest and narrowest cuffs.
That a trouser should reach the heel of your shoe is another of those half truths we are taught as children - the real indicator of trouser length to the shoe is the size of the opening. A very wide cuff can fall almost to the floor before it breaks over the shoe, while a narrow cuff may not make it past the highest lace. If you simply must prohibit any showing of sock, cut your trousers wide in the English style. If you’d rather a lean line and long leg, allow it to taper, but cut it and cuff it the moment it meets your shoe. With a fine pair of socks and a well polished shoe, you’ll have nothing at all to fear.

2 months ago  /  216 notes