Socks: The Dapper Classics Review

Socks: The Dapper Classics Review

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There is fervor around many things Made In America.  But socks?  And damn good ones?  I have heard nothing of.  Enter Dapper Classics.

If you’ve been following my rantings for some time now you will know of my affinity for over the calf socks.  They really are the only type of sock that should be worn with a suit or jacket.  Primarily because they do not slip down your leg and they keep your skin covered when the pant leg goes up, such as when sitting.  Well, the good man behind Dapper Classics, Harry Rich, shares my enthusiasm.

Harry, like many Americans is a fan of American manufacturing, when he started his venture after graduating law school he wanted to keep production here in the States.  Which is not always easy to do, not so much because of cost constraints, but because the capacity and knowledge for many types of craft and manufacturing is no longer present here in this great country.  However, Harry was able to find a sock producer that in the south that has been making socks for three generations.  Pretty American if you ask me.  Dapper Classics uses a 188 needle machine to weave its socks.  To be honest, I do not know much about sock production, but I know enough to know that that is on the higher end of the quality spectrum.  All of the socks are a cotton/nylon blend.  Which allows for the socks to maintain the feel of cotton and the elasticity of nylon.

I choose four different designs from Harry’s collection, each retails for $20.  I opted to get one colorway from each of their designs; pindot, polka dot and stripe.  I figured a solid is a solid and it need not investigation.  Plus, dots and lines are far more exiting.  My favorite pair are the pink and green polka dots, I shouldn’t need to explain why given my preppy roots.  The colors of all of the socks are quite strong and go well together.  The navy blue is quite a dark navy (yes, there are different shades of navy), which contrasts well with the lighter colors such as pink and lavender.  Speaking of, the pink of the pink pindot on navy sock is quite weak, to be honest, I cannot always tell that it is pink.  Sometimes it looks like a off white or lavender.  However, Dapper Classics is aware of this problem and is working with its supplier to resolve the issue.  To be honest, this is the only issue that I have with nay of the four pairs of Dapper Classic socks.

As I noted previously, all of Dapper Classics socks are made from mercerized cotton, which makes them more for spring and summer wear with a suit and casual wear at any time.  The socks are pretty thin, which is great for warmer weather.  But not too thin as to feel cheap or unsubstantial.  On a personal note, I feel as if cotton socks are out of place in the coldest depths of winter with a suit or anytime with flannel trousers.  Harry has noted that he is looking into finding a quality wool sock producer in the States, so let’s hope he is able to find one.

So now, to answer the big question, how do the socks wear?  When Harry first emailed me he boasted that his socks were at the quality level of some of the more talked about brands amongst certain menswear enthusiast circles like Marcoliani and Pantherella but at a price significantly less ($20 compared to $30-50).  A damn bold claim.  Well, Harry products live up to his word.  I have been wearing and washing the socks regularly for a few months now and they have yet to show any signs of wear.  However, in the instance that something worthy of noting arises, I will update my thoughts accordingly.

In short, I think highly of Dapper Classics.  The socks are of solid quality and styling.  My only wish is that the selection was greater and that they had wool socks in the spread.  But the company is young and I have faith that it will continue to develop its offerings.  Given all of this, I give a strong recommendation for Dapper Classics if you are in the market for cotton socks.  Sounds off with your questions, comments and thoughts below.

Regards,

Justin L Jeffers

Note:  FYGblog did receive free product in the course of conducting this review.

 

8 COMMENTS

  1. These Dapper Classics socks certainly look good Justin, and it sounds like they are wearing well so far. I have been wearing the Marcoliano and Pantherella mid calf in wool summer and winter for a lot of years now and find them great. My preference is probably the Marcolianos in the plain colours of which they have a good selection. I prefer to wear wool as it is warm in winter and breaths well in summer to avoid the clammy feeling that cotton socks get when ones feet perspire. I would definitely consider the Dapper Classics if they decide to produce a wool range in the future.

  2. Thanks for this review! Over the calf dress socks with patterns and colors are, oddly, one of the hardest things to find at a reasonable price.

  3. Was excited for these socks from reviews and advertisements. Thus far, three pair have been true over the calf (and stayed up well)…..the other three were barely midcalf (should have been OTC and did not stay up)…reminds me of Gold toe quality. Will go back to Nordstrom’s.

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