Watch one middle school bus unload, and you鈥檒l notice crew socks as far as the eye can see and nary an ankle sock in sight. Crew socks are making a comeback, and kids are pairing them with slides, Jordans, and any other shoe you can think of. For all of their ribbing against millennials and Zillennials like me, I鈥檝e got one thing to say to Gen Z 鈥� in honor of Regina George herself, you can try to make crew socks happen, but they鈥檙e never going to happen. At least, not again.
Crew Socks vs. Ankle Socks: Why Size Matters
If you haven鈥檛 heard about the latest fashion choice that Gen Z is dogging on their ancient millennial ancestors for, it鈥檚 wearing ankle socks. This is hilarious coming from the group of people that are single-handedly bringing back every bad Y2K fashion style I was convinced was cool as a tween. All that aside, let鈥檚 bring you up to speed on what crew socks vs. ankle socks are.
Crew socks usually range about 8-11 inches tall and hit just at the start of the calf muscle. Ankle socks either rest just above the ankle bone or snugly underneath it.
5 Reasons Ankle Socks Are Superior
Ankle socks are superior, and I鈥檓 not afraid to say it. But for all you skeptics, I鈥檝e got several reasons why they鈥檙e lightyears ahead of crew socks in every way.
They Don't Add Extra Bulk
I don鈥檛 know about Gen Z, but I grew up in the ultra-skinny jean generation. Though I鈥檓 so glad to have those days behind me, there are a ton of other form-fitting clothes whose styles are disrupted by crew socks.
Stretch fabrics show every lump and bump on your crew socks, and wider-leg pants can鈥檛 be tucked into them comfortably. At the same time, you can say goodbye to Capri-length pants because pairing them with crew socks will give you the patented Party City Founding Father鈥檚 costume in real time.
They Don鈥檛 Leave Marks on Your Skin
Ankle socks cinch around the base of your ankle, and because of the structure of your foot, they don鈥檛 need a ton of elastic to stay in place. Meanwhile, crew socks are usually ribbed to create the tension needed to stay in place.
My fellow bra wearers know how a long day of wearing a tight-fitting item can leave indentations and marks on your skin. Leave crew socks on for a few hours, and you鈥檒l have wait a few more after you take them off for the neat indented rows to disappear. Quick day-to-night outfit changes aren鈥檛 on the crew sock menu.
Speaking of marks, you don鈥檛 see crew-sock proponents calling to bring back sock garters, despite them being a mainstay of the crew-sock ensemble. Hmmm.聽
They Don鈥檛 Give You Awkward Tan Lines
Personally, I rock the most impressive two-strap Birkenstock tan line all year round. But one tan line that鈥檚 not as easy to cover up is a crew sock tan line. Crew socks hit just over the bottom of your calf muscle. And if you tan relatively easily, then you know it only takes a few weeks of wearing something consistently enough to start to tan around it.
Ankle sock tan lines are much easier to hide in your everyday outfits. So, if you still want to be a die-hard crew sock fan, I suggest investing in a lot of self-tanner.
Related: How to Whiten Socks: 7 Clever Hacks for a Brilliant Clean
They Trap Less Heat In
Unless you鈥檙e fighting against ticks on a backwoods trail, there鈥檚 no reason to suffer sweaty feet and legs. Crew socks 鈥� while often white 鈥� lock in way more moisture and heat than ankle socks do. Ankle socks let your legs breathe, while crew socks build up more sweat. I don鈥檛 know about you, but I feel like I shouldn鈥檛 be able to ring out my socks like a washcloth.
They Make You Look Taller
As someone with a long torso and shorter legs, the last thing I want is to make my legs look even shorter than they are. With ankle socks, you can elongate your frame and give a visual boost to whatever leg length you鈥檙e working with.
Meanwhile, crew socks cut you off mid-calf, serving to visually shorten your legs. Much like how Bermuda shorts make your thighs look like they go on for days, crew socks take away from your visual height by messing with your proportions.
How to Wear Ankle Socks in a Youthful Way
Let鈥檚 face it 鈥� no one looks at a pair of socks and thinks, 鈥淥ooh I just know these are going to look so flattering on me.鈥� But, if you know how to properly pair ankle socks, they鈥檒l do more work for your look than crew socks ever could.
Stick With Low Ankle Socks to Elongate Your Lines
Ankle socks are one of those weird articles of clothing that don鈥檛 have a super strict size guide. Companies will label both socks that hit well below the ankle bone and right above it ankle socks. If you want to really elongate your lines, choose lower ankle socks that dip beneath the ankle bone and just tease the top of the foot. You can grab a for less than $15.
Wear Cushioned Ankle Socks With Boots
If you can鈥檛 wear ankle socks with your above-ankle boots, the problem isn鈥檛 your socks. It鈥檚 your boots. If your boots are made out of comfortable material, then you should have no irritation from wearing them without socks that reach the top of the boot.
But if there鈥檚 some friction along the ankle bone, wear cushioned ankle socks like , to create a barrier between the boot and your ankle.
Break Out Compression Ankle Socks at the Gym
Compression socks are helpful if you have circulation problems or want to improve circulation when working out. Forgoing crew socks doesn鈥檛 mean you have to give up on compression entirely. There are a ton of ankle socks with built-in compression tabs. For example, you can get a for around $25 on Amazon.
Give People a Peek Into Your Interests With Fun Ankle Socks
As a proud ankle sock wearer, I can promise you that the only ankle socks I own have something fun on them. From Bioworld鈥檚 Universal Monsters pack to their , I鈥檝e got quirky ankle socks for days. Where you can鈥檛 usually wear outlandishly patterned crew socks to corporate or service jobs, you can rebel against the dress standards with a mostly hidden fandom ankle sock.
Nineties kids like me will enjoy Bioworld鈥檚 , while others might want something sweet with these .
Ankle Socks Still Reign Supreme
There鈥檚 a place and time for every kind of sock. While that time is few and far between for crew socks, it鈥檚 never-ending for our beloved ankle socks. And if you鈥檙e still holding out for crew socks, I鈥檇 like to take a moment of silence for your sweaty and compressed calves. May they one day know the freedom that ankle socks provide.
