Althouse: "There’s something quite youthful about socks with shorts, especially when pulled up...."

June 6, 2017

"There’s something quite youthful about socks with shorts, especially when pulled up...."

"It’s one of those things you’re not supposed to do.... As a stylist, I’m always looking for something that presents this rebellious undertone."

Pulled up black socks with shorts, cool, now, because it's so bad.

38 comments:

pacwest said...: I'm back in style! Cool.; 6/6/17, 7:35 PM
Achilles said...: Socks + shorts = fail.

If you are wearing flip flops or sandals shorts are acceptable but only in appropriate social situations.

I used to wear shorts a lot more but I found some pants at Cosco that stretch a bit in critical areas and only cost 20$ a pair. They are a revelation. I wear pants most of the time now.; 6/6/17, 7:37 PM
Scott said...: Jonah Hill looks like he lost some weight.; 6/6/17, 7:38 PM
traditionalguy said...: No, no. Don't do it. It's a trick. Fake News by fashion psychopaths who hate men.; 6/6/17, 7:38 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: I spend much of summer walking around my house in boxers, does this violate Althouse's no shorts rule?; 6/6/17, 7:40 PM
Earnest Prole said...: If bad is the new cool then it's time for some Strange New Trump Respect.; 6/6/17, 7:41 PM
Ann Althouse said...: ARM is asking me to picture him in his underwear and offer an opinion.; 6/6/17, 7:41 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Ann Althouse said...
ARM is asking me to picture him in his underwear and offer an opinion.

Maybe you do it in a non-visual way, based on first principles.; 6/6/17, 7:44 PM
tcrosse said...: My wife has discovered my boxer shorts as nightwear, along with a t-shirt, suitable here in the desert Southwest in summertime. She was surprised to find how comfortable they are, which I've know for years. In the US Navy they issued us boxers, and I've never looked back.; 6/6/17, 7:45 PM
Bill, Republic of Texas said...: I'm wearing pulled up black socks with my onesie!; 6/6/17, 7:53 PM
Little Miss Deplorable said...: I've spent many years as a married man wearing shorts with socks and "Mandals" as my kids like to call them.

I especially like to drive on long trips dressed like that, as it let's my feet breath while not getting chilly.

About two years ago we drove down to California and arrived late at night. We pulled into a gas station and got some gas. There I stood, middle of the night, dressed in shorts and socks and mandals. And this couple pulls up next to me and they have just married all over their car. And he is dressed quite nice, because of the occasion, obviously.

He looks at me and I smile and I say, "After your married 15 years, you can dress like this too." and he laughs and says, "I'm pretty sure I'll never dress like that."

So for the last few years I've been thinking, "Hey, maybe I'm the only idiot who dresses like this." and then just last week my 13 year old son says, "Dad, can I have some mandals too?" so I took him to walmart and got him some mandals.

Now he walks around with shorts, black socks and mandals on.

My boy!; 6/6/17, 7:55 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Let's do an IQ test; 6/6/17, 7:55 PM
rhhardin said...: Stephen Potter (Gamesmanship) recommends black socks with tennis whites.; 6/6/17, 7:56 PM
mishu said...: Too German. Only time to wear socks with shorts is when you have hiking boots or trainers on.; 6/6/17, 8:05 PM
JackWayne said...: Funny, because pipes with white socks and half-pipe shoes was the real deal in the late 80's early 90's. The lesson is to wear what you like and ignore the mavens.; 6/6/17, 8:11 PM
320Busdriver said...: The kids started this a few years ago. But it has tight tolerances which are nothinhg like the dweebs in the nyt pics. Only acceptable for training or working out at the gym. Only athletic shorts. Preferably Nike elite crews that go no higher than mid calf. You should be lifting weight to rock this look. It can work.; 6/6/17, 8:20 PM
n.n said...: Generational rebels with a cause looking for a style that they can call their own.; 6/6/17, 8:24 PM
FullMoon said...: Shorts, socks, no shoes. Give 'em something to talk about when you leave.; 6/6/17, 8:25 PM
Mary Beth said...: "You have to have a bit of an attitude to pull it off". Sure, if by "attitude" he means be young and good-looking.; 6/6/17, 8:31 PM
LYNNDH said...: One hot summer when the AC was shut off in my windowless building (a BIG building, not just an office) I went to work in Dress Shorts, Short Sleeve Shirt, Tie, Black Knee High Dress Socks and Black Dress Shoes. Some higher ups were not happy but didn't say anything to me directly. I wear shorts all the time and my wife thinks I have great legs. By the way I am 70.; 6/6/17, 8:34 PM
Henry said...: Based on my 15-year-old son, 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, the next youthful cool thing that grownups will adopt is mismatched socks. They completely don't care if their socks don't match.; 6/6/17, 8:52 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Young people can pull off the long dark socks with shorts. Anyone over 30, forget about it. Stick to white ankle socks or low-cuts. Better yet, see what the local high-school football coach is rocking during August two-a-days. Their hot weather, masculine style sense is irreproachable.; 6/6/17, 8:54 PM
Heartless Aztec said...: Only an in-lander would ever do that. The epitome of what New Jersey members of our tribe (surfers) call "shoobies" or the Hawaiians call "donkeys".; 6/6/17, 9:10 PM
Henry said...: Linda Ronstadt in Roller Skates

Athletic socks with stripes are on their way.; 6/6/17, 9:55 PM
Sam L. said...: Lacy Shorts For MEN: https://heatst.com/culture-wars/those-who-dare-to-criticize-ugly-lace-shorts-for-men-are-being-slammed-as-intolerant/

tcrosse, I got boxers in the AF. They rode up. Never wore them again after leaving Lackland.; 6/6/17, 10:06 PM
David said...: If this were a café post, I would point out that Outstanding Cheesehead Steve Stricker shot 67-65 today in Memphis to qualify for the U.S. Open which will be played in Erin Hills this month. The USGA had denied his request for a special exemption, so he polished up his game, qualified decisively and will be a big hit. He is also going to be playing in the Senior Open in Wisconsin this month.

Outstanding Cheesehead golfer he is. And a good guy.; 6/6/17, 10:09 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Here's some shorts with socks for you, Althouse:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zu5j9Rk8VUo/TaTwVmSIueI/AAAAAAAAAGc/QqO3IpE14zY/s1600/whitesoxshorts_display_image.jpg; 6/6/17, 10:13 PM
Alex said...: Jonah Hill has no quads. Dude has to learn squats, deadlifts.; 6/6/17, 10:16 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Be thankful the White Sox shorts experiment didn't catch on, Ann, because you probably wouldn't have become a baseball fan if it did.

Besides ruining the most attractive of all sports uniforms, shorts are hardly practical wear for baseball players. Sure, they're not as hot as regular baseball pants, but imagine sliding into a base with your bare skin scraping the dirt.; 6/6/17, 10:22 PM
Mary Beth said...: Henry said...

Linda Ronstadt in Roller Skates

Athletic socks with stripes are on their way.

6/6/17, 9:55 PM

They're already here.; 6/6/17, 10:26 PM
Seeing Red said...: Looking like an old white man on vacation is rebellious?

Lolololol; 6/6/17, 10:34 PM
Jon Ericson said...: These stupid posts aren't helping.; 6/7/17, 12:35 AM
Jon Ericson said...: Anything.; 6/7/17, 12:42 AM
lonetown said...: They are talking about me!; 6/7/17, 5:12 AM
Wilbur said...: The black socks look takes me back 40 years, to whatever place I was living then, I'd go to the local park where the best caliber b-ball was played.

There was ALWAYS a 6-2, skinny brother there with cut-off jeans, black socks, a wife-beater undershirt, street shoes and glasses taped together in the middle, named Julius or Edgar or the like. He could jump over the moon but couldn't play worth a damn. The shoes didn't help.

It was like a franchise, one granted to every community.; 6/7/17, 5:16 AM
Robert Cook said...: "Young people can pull off the long dark socks with shorts."

No. No one can make this look less than hideous.; 6/7/17, 7:09 AM
Craig Howard said...: Does one wear pulled-up black socks with lace shorts, too?; 6/7/17, 7:45 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: You're not supposed to war your underwear on the outside of your pants either. Does the pea-brained stylist think that should be done too, just to appear "rebellious" and different?

What a maroon!; 6/7/17, 9:16 AM