How Many Pairs of Socks Do I Need?
Most people seem to have drawers stuffed to the brim (or overflowing) with socks and underwear, not because they need that many, but simply because they somehow have accumulated them. When these drawers are organized and laid out properly, it can be great to see and have so many options, but when you likely do laundry once a week and gravitate toward the same styles, patterns or features every time anyway, you’ll likely see that you have way more than you need and some that you don’t even wear.
All that said, socks are an overlooked and undervalued staple in our wardrobes, and you want a good selection! Socks are an everyday essential that keep you comfortable and pain-free in shoes and on unsuitable surfaces, help you get cozy when it’s time to relax, have a positive impact on certain health conditions and reinforce your personal style. (So many benefits, who would’ve thought!) So, what should the sockpile in your closet really look like?
make sure every pair of socks does something for you
Beyond just being socks to cover your feet, your socks should offer you functional or fashionable benefits of some sort if they want to make it into your wardrobe. Whether it be their comfort level, their ability to keep your temperature regulated and reduce sweating, to help improve your circulation or that they perfectly showcase your style! Your socks should help you put your best foot forward. From here, don’t be afraid to embrace specialty and novelty features, like wide calves on knee high socks for additional comfort, seamless toes for extended wear, funny socks to showcase your personality and break the ice every time you wear them and good materials to reduce issues like sweating, odor and infection.
Showcase Your Humor with a Pair of Funny Socks!how many socks do you need?
How many socks you need will depend on a lot of factors, but knowing how to organize socks in a way you can see and access them easily will make this process significantly easier. By having your closet organized, not only can you see all of your options easier, but you can see what options you don’t have and need, too. No matter what state your closet is in, though, try to note:
- are you always out of socks before laundry day? If your laundry day comes once a week, start by making sure you have enough pairs of socks to last you for these seven days until laundry day rolls around again.
- do you change your socks frequently throughout the day? If you exercise regularly, are a heavy sweater or work in a field where you have to change socks frequently, then you will need to account for this. Make sure that along with your everyday socks, you also have a suitable pair (ideally athletic socks or socks made of fabrics designed to combat sweaty feet, like bamboo socks) to wear in these instances. Syncing this up with your laundry cycle, it will mean enough socks to last for a week, based on how many times a day you change them.
- are socks essential to your comfy time? While you don’t want to overload on comfortable socks you only get to wear at home, you do definitely want a pair or two! Keep them clean and only wear them when you’re cozied up, and you should be able to avoid needing to wash them every single time.
- do health conditions regulate your sock choices? Struggling with certain health issues may require special socks. If this is the case, you’ll want to make sure that you have yourself covered for at least two weeks.
- do you want to express yourself more? Sometimes you need a fresh pair of socks desperately and settle for a bulk pack of black socks from some big-box store. We get it. But after the desperation recedes, you’re left with, well, a bunch of plain, boring socks. These are essential for formal or business-focused events, but having a couple pairs of crazy socks in your wardrobe is highly recommended!
what if you have too many socks?
A lack of socks is an easy problem to fix, and a fun one at that! But what about if you have too many socks? We must say that speaking from experience, we find it extremely hard to ever have too many socks. Nonetheless, accumulating too many socks is not an uncommon issue, but it can become an overbearing one.
Consider using your “extra” socks for clever and helpful things like rags, ice packs or even keeping board game pieces together. Craft with extra socks and create can koozies, armbands or pet accessories. If you’re hoping to make more of a difference than a creation, consider donating your extra pairs of socks to someone who could use them, needs them and would love them.
starting on the right foot
Generally people will find themselves in need of around seven pairs of casual daily socks, four to 10 pairs of athletic, extra absorbent and breathable socks, two to four pairs of cozy socks and four to seven pairs of fashion-focused or expressive socks. Though these numbers can differ drastically, especially based on one’s love for unique and crazy socks and their love to showcase them and constantly look for new pairs to wear.