# Socks - I have rules about them **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 13, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138 "2014-12-13T17:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/81 "2014-12-17T08:13:38Z")
I will pass on one trick for mating socks after washing: When you take them off, you safety-pin them together. Socks now mate for life - no more orgies in the sock drawer. Kinda sad, actually… ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/82 "2014-12-17T12:15:09Z")
My only rule is that the colour of my socks must match either that of my t-shirt, shirt or pullover. This may lead to my looking for the appropriate pair of socks for some time every morning. I’m fine with that because _wearing colours that match is very essential to my psychological well-being_. ---
**Author:** ![RID905](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@RID905](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RID905)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/83 "2014-12-18T02:16:12Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > You realize, THREE pair would do a far better job, right? Evil. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RID905](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@RID905](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RID905)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/84 "2014-12-18T02:17:19Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Well, not now. He’s dead, Jim. OMG… Kirk and Bones are here, too !!! ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/85 "2014-12-18T02:42:51Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > My only rule is that the colour of my socks must match either that of my t-shirt, shirt or pullover. > > This may lead to my looking for the appropriate pair of socks for some time every morning. I’m fine with that because _wearing colours that match is very essential to my psychological well-being_. I match the colors of my bookmarks to the covers of the books I’m currently reading. I understand. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/86 "2014-12-18T06:40:43Z")
This thing about each sock always having to go back on the same foot is new to me. My only sock fixation that I can think of is that I dislike wearing almost-but-not-quite-matching socks, but I’d be surprised if that wasn’t typical of most people. I usually wear the lowest cut socks I can find, like ankle socks or lower. So if one sock doesn’t go above the foot at all, and the other one goes a centimeter further up towards the ankle, it’s not good. If one sock is a very thin summer weave, and the other is thick, I don’t like it. If I do inadvertently put on mismatched socks, it’s a very low-grade but continuous nuisance, not unlike when I need to trim my nails but forget to do it for a day or two. (As a guitar player, I might find it more of a problem than most people do.) ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/87 "2014-12-18T06:56:47Z")
I had a boyfriend once who wore nothing but white tube socks. But he could tell his right socks from his left, and was all about how the ribbing matched, and wide elastic v narrow elastic. I tried once to help him out during exam time by doing his laundry but since I failed so miserably at noticing the tiny nuances of his socks I never was "permitted"to do it again. (Ha!) Now in this more of a marriage -ype relationship I try to match up husband’s 4 different brands of black sport socks. I end up with mis-matches because of the cotton content, the ribbing, etc etc. He doesn’t care. I give up. Men, pair your own socks! ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/88 "2014-12-18T18:28:11Z")
I agree with everything in the OP but not the follow-up post about how to fold socks. I tried folding or rolling but I like to be able to throw them into a basket and later a drawer and not have to refold them repeatedly. I really don’t think that teeny bit of extra elastic stretching makes socks die any faster. They are far more likely to get holes or just disappear in the laundry first. I really hate wearing socks in bed, if I try to do it because my feet are cold I somehow manage to take them off in my sleep. I do the same thing with gloves. I’ve tried wearing gloves over hand lotion to combat dry hands and when I wake up both gloves are off, buried in the covers somewhere. Same thing happens with wrist splints, ace bandages, etc. I hope I never break an appendage because I think I will somehow manage to remove the cast in my sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/89 "2014-12-19T19:51:58Z")
I am never without socks unless I absolutely have to. I wear them out of the house, around the house, to bed, any and everywhere. Unless I’m walking from my hotel to the beach you will never see me in flip-flops. I don’t know what it is about me, but I just cannot stand the feeling of being barefoot. My rules about socks: - The tighter the better. I think loose socks are not only terribly uncomfortable, but they look trashy/dirty - I cannot stand it when people’s socks don’t match! I have a bit of a fetish for girls in socks, and when I’m out in public and see socks that don’t match it drives me nuts - Kinda-sorta the same with feet in shoes with no socks. It’s probably the barefoot part of it, but I have no idea how that’s comfortable! -I have house socks (really small and tight) and I have going-out socks (generally higher on the ankle) and I really prefer not to wear house socks out, but sometimes it happens - (see number two) ankle socks FTW, but over-the-knees can be nice too. Also argyle is the king (queen?) of patterns ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138/90 "2014-12-19T23:33:12Z")
I have designated bed socks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-i-have-rules-about-them/707138.md?page=4)