Jefferson Hack (April 2005 - April 2010)
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I wish more men would look like this, his style looks so effortless.
songbirdsel
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He is just far too cool!
www.telegraph.co.uk
Most men pay no attention to what they wear on their ankles – which is a mistake, says Jefferson Hack, as good socks can put a spring in your step
I admit it: I'm a recent convert to the cult of sockism. OK, I blame the shoe bomber. Having to take my shoes off every time I pass through an airport security check was the turning point. Now every time I fly (at least once a month), I have to wear a new pair of socks.
When you next stand in line, shoeless, you'll notice the dire state of men's socks. The footwear of teenagers and kids is mostly fine; it's adult males - and in particular businessmen - who are the worst offenders. With one black sock and one blue, they seem to take no interest in what they put on their feet.
Pick holes in my theory as to why this is so - it's either a psychosexual trauma related to wearing school uniform, or a symptom of Anglicised repression - but the fact remains: these men need help.
On a trip to Milan, I was converted to Loro Piana (020 7499 9300,loropiana.com), an Italian cashmere brand with three stores in London and a concession in Harrods, whose handmade socks are so soft and breathable that I walked through security and on to the plane without stopping to put my shoes back on.
The pair I bought were a beautiful green and brown two-tone with a hint of metallic bronze. I didn't want them to draw too much attention at the airport scanner, but just enough to show off the thread across the toes denoting hand linking, a traditional process by which the ends of the sock are sewn on manually by a master tailor, rather than by a machine. With this small gesture, I stood apart from those less socially sock aware.
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To treat your feet is not just a case of spending more on quality and brand names - it's about instinct and verve. Take Humphrey Bogart. For him, the sock was a punctuation mark, a signature underlining a sense of style and personality. His woollen sports jacket would play off against his hand-knitted Art-Deco-inspired socks. It's a classic-with-a-twist combination.
A modern-day connoisseur of socks - and the high priest of sockism - is Paul Smith. For years, he has been giving classic a twist in his menswear collections, but with hosiery he has long gone all out with a plethora of patterns, colour combinations, spots, stripes and check variations. This season, for his autumn menswear show, bright flashes of yellow and aquamarine wink out from beneath sombre black and dark blue suiting. Socks, says Sir Paul, can be the making of a man: "Pairing a traditional suit with patterned socks with a bold stripe or print can make the wearer feel that much more special."
When it comes to a gentleman's wardrobe, the debate centres on whether one should match one's socks with the shoe or with the trousers. The overriding rule from aficionados such as Alan Flusser, author of Style and the Man, is that if you're going to match, then always go with the trouser. And when choosing socks for formal wear, he makes this logical but often overlooked point: "For those swathed head to toe in regulation black, black hose should be avoided at all times. Hose noir transforms the ankle into a black hole, diminishing that which it could beautify."
Fine silk hose have been worn for decades as formal wear, and semi-sheer, almost translucent ones at YSL (33 Old Bond Street, London W1, 020 7493 1800, ysl.com) are the answer to the black-hole phenomenon. Or get galactic with chic gunmetal grey or racing-green stripe versions. They have the requisite lustre to complement the shine of a finely soled shoe, as well as the grosgrain stripe on a tux trouserleg.
When it comes to serious dressing up, the rule is the more formal the occasion, the more sheer the hose. Prada (16-18 Old Bond Street, London W1, 020 7647 5000, prada.com) has recently introduced postmodern colour combinations of yellow/brown and burgundy/green in plaid checks to add some funk to fine-gauge hose.
My rule, however, is don't match anything. Who cares? Step out like you love life and don't give a flying Falke. Which reminds me that the sportswear specialist Falke (38 South Molton Street, London W1, 020 7493 8449, falke.co.za) also makes unostentatious yet very elegant socks. The luxury collection is a nirvana for the practising sockist. The most unattractive thing a man can do in bed is keep his socks on, but if you were wearing the silver/grey three-ply cashmere or pure Japanese silk versions you might be forgiven.
With his trademark nod and wink, Tom Ford (tomford.com) is turning hosiery into a playful conversation starter by having sexy sailor tattoos hand-embroidered on to his black evening socks. They make the perfect finishing touch for the bachelor or raconteur.
With all this choice in hosiery, I don't understand why I didn't convert to sockism earlier. Now I buy pairs I am not sure I'll ever wear. I keep them wrapped in the crinkly paper that good pairs come in, and leave in place the stitch that attaches the two toes together to remind me they still need to be worn.
Anyone who might be in need of further sock therapy, please seek help from Pantherella (pantherella.co.uk). A purveyor of fine English socks, its Black Label collection uses merino wool and cotton lisle in fantastic colour and pattern combinations - and it's manufactured in the UK. This is the sock equivalent of flying by private plane. Converting to sockism might not beat global terrorism, but it will make flying a first-class experience for your feet.
Most men pay no attention to what they wear on their ankles – which is a mistake, says Jefferson Hack, as good socks can put a spring in your step
I admit it: I'm a recent convert to the cult of sockism. OK, I blame the shoe bomber. Having to take my shoes off every time I pass through an airport security check was the turning point. Now every time I fly (at least once a month), I have to wear a new pair of socks.
When you next stand in line, shoeless, you'll notice the dire state of men's socks. The footwear of teenagers and kids is mostly fine; it's adult males - and in particular businessmen - who are the worst offenders. With one black sock and one blue, they seem to take no interest in what they put on their feet.
Pick holes in my theory as to why this is so - it's either a psychosexual trauma related to wearing school uniform, or a symptom of Anglicised repression - but the fact remains: these men need help.
On a trip to Milan, I was converted to Loro Piana (020 7499 9300,loropiana.com), an Italian cashmere brand with three stores in London and a concession in Harrods, whose handmade socks are so soft and breathable that I walked through security and on to the plane without stopping to put my shoes back on.
The pair I bought were a beautiful green and brown two-tone with a hint of metallic bronze. I didn't want them to draw too much attention at the airport scanner, but just enough to show off the thread across the toes denoting hand linking, a traditional process by which the ends of the sock are sewn on manually by a master tailor, rather than by a machine. With this small gesture, I stood apart from those less socially sock aware.
advertisement
To treat your feet is not just a case of spending more on quality and brand names - it's about instinct and verve. Take Humphrey Bogart. For him, the sock was a punctuation mark, a signature underlining a sense of style and personality. His woollen sports jacket would play off against his hand-knitted Art-Deco-inspired socks. It's a classic-with-a-twist combination.
A modern-day connoisseur of socks - and the high priest of sockism - is Paul Smith. For years, he has been giving classic a twist in his menswear collections, but with hosiery he has long gone all out with a plethora of patterns, colour combinations, spots, stripes and check variations. This season, for his autumn menswear show, bright flashes of yellow and aquamarine wink out from beneath sombre black and dark blue suiting. Socks, says Sir Paul, can be the making of a man: "Pairing a traditional suit with patterned socks with a bold stripe or print can make the wearer feel that much more special."
When it comes to a gentleman's wardrobe, the debate centres on whether one should match one's socks with the shoe or with the trousers. The overriding rule from aficionados such as Alan Flusser, author of Style and the Man, is that if you're going to match, then always go with the trouser. And when choosing socks for formal wear, he makes this logical but often overlooked point: "For those swathed head to toe in regulation black, black hose should be avoided at all times. Hose noir transforms the ankle into a black hole, diminishing that which it could beautify."
Fine silk hose have been worn for decades as formal wear, and semi-sheer, almost translucent ones at YSL (33 Old Bond Street, London W1, 020 7493 1800, ysl.com) are the answer to the black-hole phenomenon. Or get galactic with chic gunmetal grey or racing-green stripe versions. They have the requisite lustre to complement the shine of a finely soled shoe, as well as the grosgrain stripe on a tux trouserleg.
When it comes to serious dressing up, the rule is the more formal the occasion, the more sheer the hose. Prada (16-18 Old Bond Street, London W1, 020 7647 5000, prada.com) has recently introduced postmodern colour combinations of yellow/brown and burgundy/green in plaid checks to add some funk to fine-gauge hose.
My rule, however, is don't match anything. Who cares? Step out like you love life and don't give a flying Falke. Which reminds me that the sportswear specialist Falke (38 South Molton Street, London W1, 020 7493 8449, falke.co.za) also makes unostentatious yet very elegant socks. The luxury collection is a nirvana for the practising sockist. The most unattractive thing a man can do in bed is keep his socks on, but if you were wearing the silver/grey three-ply cashmere or pure Japanese silk versions you might be forgiven.
With his trademark nod and wink, Tom Ford (tomford.com) is turning hosiery into a playful conversation starter by having sexy sailor tattoos hand-embroidered on to his black evening socks. They make the perfect finishing touch for the bachelor or raconteur.
With all this choice in hosiery, I don't understand why I didn't convert to sockism earlier. Now I buy pairs I am not sure I'll ever wear. I keep them wrapped in the crinkly paper that good pairs come in, and leave in place the stitch that attaches the two toes together to remind me they still need to be worn.
Anyone who might be in need of further sock therapy, please seek help from Pantherella (pantherella.co.uk). A purveyor of fine English socks, its Black Label collection uses merino wool and cotton lisle in fantastic colour and pattern combinations - and it's manufactured in the UK. This is the sock equivalent of flying by private plane. Converting to sockism might not beat global terrorism, but it will make flying a first-class experience for your feet.
^Finally, a photo of him from New York, thanks! Like the scark he's holding, it it tie-dye?
About the t-shirt, I had the exact same thought when saw him in it before. It's funny as I think those Bella Freud t-shirts got especially popular when Kate was seen wearing one.
About the t-shirt, I had the exact same thought when saw him in it before. It's funny as I think those Bella Freud t-shirts got especially popular when Kate was seen wearing one.
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