Sans socks?

Designer Thom Brown donning the sans sock. On a side note, he has a collaborative collection, Black Fleece, with Brooks Brothers.  Find it on Michigan Avenue.

We’ve decided it’s proper to match your socks with your suit if you’re a CPA. We’ve humored the idea of wearing a pair that contrasts with your pant. Now let’s consider the recession-based scenario of you not being able to afford socks. Or maybe you just plain don’t want to wear them. Or maybe you just don’t know any better.

Certainly the sans socks practice is perfectly acceptable for footwear in the field of drivers, boat shoes, or sandals. In fact, if you do wear socks with the aforementioned shoes I would argue that you don’t deserve to wear shoes at all. Yet clunky lace-up oxfords, monk straps, and even basic wingtips have recently been featured in high profile magazines paired with the fashionable no-sock.

The look seems to be most recently popularized by designer Thom Browne, yet a discerning eye may have even spotted it years ago at the old Ralph Laruen location on Oak Street. If you’d like to be “wearing” it this season, here are a few helpful hints to pull it off:

It’s like white: That’s right, it’s seasonal. Don’t even consider trying it during the winter in Chicago. If you do, you deserve the frost bite.

Shorten the slacks: I’m not saying take it to the Thom Browne extreme and cut them above the ankle below the knee, but seriously consider reducing you’re full-break to, at the very minimum, a medium-break (your tailor will know what I’m talking about). However, I would suggest a mere whisper of a break (very slight). That way you can subtly expose a little ankle without overdoing it. After all, isn’t that the point?

Don’t go commando: (not that commando) Wear a very low cut ankle sock. Try a sports store such as Nike Town or Fleet Feet in Piper's Alley and you’re sure to come up with something good. Going completely barefoot won’t only be uncomfortable, but it may also damage the shoe depending on the quality of the leather. If you must go au naturale, promise me you’ll at least use a shoe tree afterwards.

What do you think of the sans socks trend? Is it treading towards trendy or derelict?