What socks work best with a blue suit?

The safe answer is navy

If you want to stop reading here, wear navy socks. Navy with a blue suit is clean, considered and works for almost any occasion, from the office to a wedding. It matches the suit without drawing attention, which is exactly what you want most of the time.

Match your socks to the suit, not the shoes

As a rule, match your socks to your trousers rather than your shoes. With a blue suit that means blue socks, in a shade close to the suit. It keeps the leg line unbroken and looks smarter than breaking it up with a contrasting colour. This holds whether your shoes are brown or black.

With brown shoes

Brown shoes and a blue suit is a strong, slightly less formal combination. Navy socks are the safe choice. You can also go for a burgundy or dark green sock here, which picks up the warmth of the brown shoe and still looks deliberate. Avoid black socks with this look, they fight the brown.

With black shoes

Black shoes make the blue suit more formal. Navy or a very dark blue sock is right. Black socks also work cleanly with black shoes if you prefer to match the shoe. Keep it simple, this is not the outfit for a bold sock.

When you can have some fun

A blue suit takes a patterned or brighter sock well, more so than a grey or black suit. A subtle pattern, a flash of burgundy, a fine stripe, all fine for a day at the office or a less formal event. The trick is to keep it considered rather than loud. One point of interest is plenty.

Weddings and formal events

For a wedding or a formal event where you will be sitting, crossing your legs and standing for photographs, length matters. An over-the-calf sock stays up all day and means no bare shin on show when you sit down. It is a small detail that makes a real difference over a long day.

Fabric and comfort

A suit usually means a long day in leather shoes, so comfort counts. Bamboo socks are worth considering, soft, breathable and good with moisture, which keeps feet comfortable from morning through to the evening.

The short version

Navy socks are the answer nine times out of ten. Match the socks to the suit, not the shoes. Burgundy or green works well with brown shoes, keep it dark with black shoes, and save the bare shin by wearing over-the-calf socks to weddings.