Striped Socks

A stripe borrows colours from the rest of your outfit. A navy thread picks up your trousers, a burgundy band echoes a scarf, and a flash of orange gives a plain coat a reason to exist. That's why striped socks rarely clash, even when you got dressed in the dark before the first train.

They also work in both directions. Horizontal bands sit neatly above a shoe and read as classic, while vertical pinstripes run from cuff to toe and feel a little sharper. Either way, the ankle becomes the bit of the outfit people notice when you cross your legs.

Start with how much you want the stripes to show, then pick the height that suits your shoes. A Monday in loafers and a Sunday in trainers ask for quite different pairs.

Fine Striped Socks for Office Days: Thin bands of beige, brown, navy and red, or black with ultra-thin red pinstripes, keep things quiet under your tailoring. From across the room, they look like plain socks to everyone but you. Up close, they're the detail a colleague asks about at lunch.

Bold Striped Socks for Weekend Plans: Colour-block bands in navy, red and white, or a dark purple base with orange and blue, are made for your rolled jeans and a slow lap of the market. Fading stripes that melt from green to purple soften your denim jacket.

Vertical Striped Socks for Boots and Cropped Trousers: Pinstripes from cuff to toe make your leg look longer under a cropped hem. A knee-high grey version with black-and-white lines sits just below the knee, so it works with boots and a skirt on a cold morning. For more classic-length designs, explore our crew socks.

Striped Trainer Socks for Warmer Days: Lower pairs keep just a stripe band at the cuff, or a few lines of navy, light blue and beige above the shoe. They suit shorts, summer trainers, and beach trips. If you live in trainers, our trainer socks carry more styles at that height.

Story-Led Striped Socks for Everyday Wear: Some stripes mean more than colour. The Pride Stripe Sock uses colours from the Progress Pride Flag designed by Daniel Quasar, and there's a kids' version too. Peanuts fans will also find Snoopy framed by bands of black, blue, and yellow, a gentle way to wear a childhood favourite to work.

Can't pick just one stripe? You don't have to, because multipacks combine several styles, from dark multicoloured bands to vertical stripes in light blue, navy, and olive. A striped gift set in cool blues or energetic greens makes an easy birthday present, and a wool blend option is perfect for colder days. To mix stripes with other everyday colours, browse our adult socks. For dots alongside your stripes, browse the Dots & Stripes collection for more pattern options.

Pick one colour from the stripe and repeat it elsewhere, such as in your trousers, scarf, or cap. Keep the rest of your outfit simple so the stripes can shine. Thin stripes suit tailoring, while bold bands work best with denim and trainers.

Yes. Fine horizontal stripes and thin pinstripes look almost plain from a distance, so they sit comfortably under your suits and smart trousers. Choose muted colours such as navy, beige or burgundy if your workplace leans formal, and save the brighter bands for Fridays.

Horizontal stripes run around the leg in bands, giving a classic, sporty look. Vertical stripes run from cuff to toe, so they look sharper and make the leg seem a touch longer. Both come in crew height, and one vertical design also comes knee-high.