Quarter Socks Are the $5 Style Hack That Make You Look Taller

By Gerald Ortiz

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Nailing a great outfit is all about the proportions, and when your get-up mostly hinges on a pair of shorts, finding the right inseam length shouldn't be the only consideration. If it's 90+ degrees outside and you're not wearing much else, the correct short-to-socks ratio takes on a new importance.

The calf-grazing crew-length sock is a forever classic, but, truth be told, it's not for everyone. As a not-tall guy with shorter legs and larger calves, crew socks tend to put my proportions out of wack in ways that don't reflect my aspirational height. Style-focused folks like me and you agonize over the length of our button-up shirts and blue jeans, so why wouldn't our awareness of proportions extend to our socks? Enter the oft-forgotten quarter sock.

Jockey Essentials quarter socks (8-pack)

Amazon

Uniqlo pile half socks

Uniqlo

Quarter socks are kind of like the Nutribullet of hosiery. At first, you're like “why would I need such a small blender when the larger, more capable Vitamix exists?” And then you realize that a Vitamix blender is actually too big for a single person and that the Nutribullet solves all of your bachelor cooking needs. (Et voila: A delicious chimichurri for one!)

Like a new blender, quarter socks can be confusing at first, but only because most people don't know that they exist. Not quite as long as crew socks yet obviously longer than ankle socks, they sit midway between your calf and ankle, and they're a great solve if you're wearing shorts that hit just above—or even below—the knee. (For the short shorts wearers among us, you're probably better off with a regular pair of crew socks—or forgoing socks altogether.) Quarter socks, however, offer more versatility. They can pair well with low-top sneakers, granola-y mules, preppy loafers, or even some classic Oxfords in a high-low approach.

Bombas Hybrid ribbed quarter socks

Bombas

Lands' End cotton rib quarter socks

Lands' End

The liminal space that quarter socks occupy also means that brands can't seem to agree on what to call them. Some brands label them as half socks, others carelessly lump them into the ankle sock category (wrong). But perhaps the most specific and accurate moniker among them is the 3/8 sock. No matter what you call them, though, the effect is still the same: proportions that make you look just a bit taller.