How Many Pairs Of Socks Should A Man Own? (I Have The Answer)

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If you are reading this, you have too many socks or don’t have enough socks for one week. So the question is, how many pairs of socks should a man own?

I think the way you dress up, your lifestyle, the quality of the socks you buy, and how many times you do your laundry per week (or month) are considerable contributors to finding the perfect answer for how many socks a man should own.

If you believe you have too many socks, you might want to consider if your socks are all the same type or not because different socks have additional roles. In case you feel you never have enough socks, that means you need to buy new ones.

Let’s dig in and find out how many pairs of socks a man should own.

How Many Pairs Of Socks Do You Need?

I agree that each man has their own needs, but I suggest a man should own 24 pairs of socks, ten pairs of casual socks, seven pairs of athletic socks, and seven pairs of formal socks (if you have a corporate job).

Read: How Long Should Socks Last?

Why do you need 24 pairs of socks for one week?

• Ten pairs of casual socks are great to have because you might go on holiday for one week (or more), accidents can happen, and you don’t have time to buy some right now, and they are great for most occasions.
• Seven pairs of athletic socks in case you go to the gym five times per week (keep two saves for any emergencies), or run, play football, etc.
• Seven pairs of formal socks if you have a corporate job or something that requires you to dress formally. If you don’t, you might only need two pairs of corporate socks.

I prefer to have some extra socks for any emergency or if I fail my laundry day. Otherwise, you can be settled with 20 pairs of socks or even 15.

How Many Socks Should I Buy?

A study made in 2017 (I couldn’t find any recent ones) shows the frequency at which men in the United States purchased socks in 2017.

The survey revealed that 42 percent of men in the U.S. purchased socks at least once in six months, and 33 percent of men purchased socks at least once in one year. However, only 12 percent buy socks monthly.

You know, I suggest you have at least 24 pairs of socks, and I gave you my motives why, but let’s go more in deep on the four main reasons you need to consider when buying socks.

Consider Your Lifestyle

You want to consider where you live and what you do with your life when understanding how many pairs of socks you should have.

If you live in a country with very hot weather, you might sweat a lot more and swap your socks more often. (I will just put out there you should change your socks every time you shower).

Read: When To Wear White Socks?

The same happens if you have a very active lifestyle with a job that physically demands a lot from you or you are into sports and exercise often.

The more active you are, the more socks you should have. If you sweat a lot from your feet, you should have socks made from merino wool.

Consider Your Style

It’s essential to consider your fashion style to match your socks with all your outfits. I have certain socks that I only wear with shorts because I bought them for that specific reason. If people can see my socks, you bet they are styled correctly.

If you have an outfit that always asks for black socks, another for a navy pair, and another for green socks, you need to have that into consideration and have different colors on your drawer.

Also, pay some attention to the style of the socks, if it’s ankle socks, long socks, or no-show socks. You don’t want your friends to make fun of your outfit because you have the wrong socks (or don’t have the right ones in your sock drawer).

Consider Your Laundry

Your laundry cycle almost defines how many pairs of socks a man should own because it will decide if you have enough fresh socks or not. I like to wash my clothes once weekly to provide me with new socks every time I need some.

Read: Best Socks For Football

After removing a pair of socks, you should not wear them again till they are washed, ok? Did you ever see what other guys do in the gym locker room? Some remove their sweaty socks, have a shower, and wear the same socks again. It’s disgusting, and you don’t want to do the same, so you need the right amount of socks.

Consider The Quality Of The Socks

Probably the reason you should have less consideration when buying socks, but I want you to have this in your mind.
If you buy a combo of cheap socks, that can be a great deal at the moment, but you might end up with socks you don’t need at the time and also replace them much more often than good quality socks.

Always choose quality over quantity. It’s better to have fifteen quality pairs of socks than thirty low quality. High-quality socks can be more expensive than poor-quality socks, but they are cheaper over time because you buy them much less.

What Socks Should a Man Own?

You should not just ask yourself how many pairs of socks a man should own but also what color, material, and type of socks.

You want to have a few styles of each, a few different colors and materials.

Style

These are some types of socks you should have in your sock drawer.

Color

It would be best to have a mix of colorful socks in your drawer because it all depends on your outfit.

Black, Navy, and White – Even if I am not the biggest fan of white socks (it’s a never in Portugal and a let’s wear everywhere in England), you should have some, since they are perfect for sports. You can’t go wrong with black or navy socks. These three colors are safe choices.

Stripe Socks – I am a big fan of stripe socks, I must say. I love to wear them because I find them less boring than just plain socks. A must on any man’s wardrobe.

Funky Socks – Who doesn’t like to be at home and wear a funny pair of socks? It can be just me, and your partner will love it (or not, but let’s keep the faith).

Material

Cotton – The most popular material. Cotton socks are breathable, making your feet sweat less. Great for sensitive skin.

Wool – They keep your feet warm in cold weather and cool when temperatures soar. Some of the best socks for cold feet are made of wool or merino wool.

Polyester – Since it is a synthetic material, these socks are very resistant and durable. They also keep the color of the socks longer and dry quickly.

It all depends on your needs. For example, you can wear nylon socks for formal wear, acrylic socks to run, or bamboo socks for outdoor activities.

Common Questions

Let’s check some common questions about how many socks you should have.

How Many Socks The Average Person Own?

In this thread on Reddit, the average person owns around 10 to 14 socks. So as you can see, some people say 6 pairs of socks are enough for them, and some have twenty-eight. 

How Many Socks Should a Minimalist Have?

A minimalist should own seven socks. If you do laundry once per week and don’t care what type, color, material, or style of socks you wear, seven do the job for you.

Again, it depends from person to person since minimalism has no rule book. Just because you are minimalist doesn’t mean you can wear the same socks for more than one day.

How Many Pairs Of Socks Should A Man Own?

I believe 24 is the perfect amount to have, even if you will not use all of your socks in one laundry cycle. It’s always good to have a few extra pairs of socks.

It would be best if you put some thought into your choice of socks. Consider your lifestyle, style of fashion, how many times per month you do laundry, and the socks’ quality.

You also want to have a few different types of socks, colors, and materials for different situations.

How many pairs of socks should a man own, in your opinion? How many do you have? Share with me in the comments.