Coordinating: Mismatched Socks!

Heey everyone!

I hope everything went well over the holidays. I'm sorry for taking so long to update; I had hoped to start the year with my first traditional January Wardrobe post, but ran into some technical problems, so this post goes first!

Back in the day mismatched socks were more commonly associated with Punk styles and tacky outfits. With the recent tights craze, Grimoire and Lolita brands have started to release tights with asymmetrical designs, bringing back mismatched legwear in a much more elegant way.

This post is for those who want to try out this trend using socks! You can experiment with things you already own, mix, match and mismatch!

♦ Contrasting

One way of doing this is wearing solid color contrasting socks! This brilliant coord uses the basic black and white. 

It works particularly well because the outfit itself features a lot of black and white side by side, so the socks are an extension of that. 

The red accents and the diamond print give it a circus feel, which suits the mismatched socks perfectly. 

The colors of contrasting socks should complement each other and the outfit as a whole.

Source: http://smilyiris.tumblr.com

♦ Mixing Prints

Mixing prints should be done very carefully so that the outfit doesn't become too busy - unless that's your intention! 

If the dress has a print on it, one of the socks may match that print perfectly, and the other may have a more generic pattern.

Or both socks can have simple, traditional patterns (say, on is polkadots and the other is striped) in the same color scheme. 

Matching/similar colors are key. The only thing to avoid is two different, intricate or very busy prints.

"Source": http://weheartit.com/entry/58518770




♦ Toning Down

If the socks you chose have a strong presence, with a bold print, you may choose to tone it down. 

It is very simple to do and keeps the striking effect, without looking as busy or distracting from the rest of the coord. 

All you have to do is wear one foot with the main design on it, and the other in a plain solid color. 

This should be either the background color of the printed sock or the dominant color of the print itself, so that both socks still match. 

Source: http://ameblo.jp/xxxatsurixxx/image-11394431171-12266054978.html

As you can see, mismatched socks can go with any Lolita sub-style. So don't take yourself too seriously and show a slightly quirky side in your outfits. Remember to coordinate colors and prints so that the legwear doesn't take away from the rest of the clothes.

Lastly, if you're not confident to try your own combinations, a few brands have tights that are discreetly asymmetrical, just enough to be different. If I'm not mistaken, Bodyline sells pre-mismatched socks and there are plenty of tattoo tights with designs only on one side.

What are your thoughts on mismatched socks? Love them or hate them?

Thank you for reading, hope you liked it.
See you next time!