Do You Wear Socks With Leggings?

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You can pair leggings with your dresses, shorts, and skirts. You can even use them as pants on some occasions. This also goes to show that you can wear them with different shoe options. Some people wonder whether or not they should wear socks with leggings.

Do You Wear Socks With Leggings?

Wearing socks with leggings is considered to be fashionable, especially if you properly pair the right socks with your leggings. When it comes to wearing leggings, an athleisure piece that is so popular for its comfort and versatility, you really can pair anything with it, including socks.

Woman in gray velvet long sleeves and black leggings wearing black socks holding a smartphone while sitting on a brown couch

You are definitely free to wear socks with leggings. This might be for reasons including the look you are going for, your personal preference, or even your comfort.

Pros and Cons of Wearing Socks With Leggings

Trying to decide whether or not you should wear socks when you’re already wearing leggings? Here are some things you might want to consider:

Pros and Cons of Wearing Socks With Leggings

ProsCons
WarmthBulky
Enhance appearanceSweaty
Prevent involuntary roll upAwkward look with too long leggings
Provide padding

Pros of Socks with Leggings

  • Socks will provide you with extra warmth and layer under your leggings and shoes. This is especially needed during winter or in places with colder temperatures. After all, leggings are also added underneath shorts, dresses, or skirts to add more warmth and comfort.
  • If styled correctly, socks will not only help you stay warm but they also help in making your overall outfit look more chic, hipster, and sleek.
  • Sometimes, you may be annoyed with your leggings that involuntary go up to your calf as you move or walk. When this happens, socks can be the solution to this issue. Just a simple tuck of your leggings into your socks will solve the issue for you.
  • If you are wearing leggings and boots, having socks on will provide more insulation and padding around the boots.

Cons of Leggings and Socks Together

  • Wearing socks will add bulkiness to your feet (and potentially your legs, depending on how long your socks are).
  • If you are wearing long socks with leggings, your calves can get sweaty and you’ll have to clean your socks more frequently.
  • If your leggings are not perfectly fit and are too long for you, it may be awkward and bulky to add another layer of socks.

Ways to Wear Socks with Leggings

Some people think wearing socks is not a necessity when you’re already wearing leggings. Other people usually skip the socks when they are wearing their classic black leggings with athleisure shoes. This is to avoid showing off another layer on their ankles which affects the whole look.

Needless to say, other people still prefer wearing socks with their leggings. If you are one of them, you can try doing the following to make sure you still look good.

Wear Regular-Sized Socks

You may opt to just wear regular size socks that are similar in color to your leggings and tuck them in it if you’re aiming for a more sophisticated look.

Woman in a blue leggings wearing gray socks sitting on a brown couch outside the house

Wear Knee-High Socks

To add more warmth especially in colder seasons, others also prefer wearing knee-high socks. Just make sure they are in contrast and match with your leggings. This means that if your socks are already printed, opt for a pair of leggings that are plain and neutral-colored.

Just like pairing leggings with any other type of clothing, you would want to keep it simple and not go too overboard with the prints and patterns. This helps a lot in keeping your overall look chic and sophisticated.

Wear Socks Under Your Thigh-High Boots

Thigh-high boots look good on leggings as well. If you have these boots or are planning to wear them, especially during the winter season, it would still be your advantage to wear any socks. Not only will it actually not show, but it will also provide you with additional warmth.

Wear Invisible Socks or Foot Socks

When you’re wearing your ballet flats or tennis shoes, you can easily go with invisible socks or foot socks that do not go beyond your ankle.

Wear Bright or Funny Socks

Other people just have those days when they feel like breaking the rules and standing out with their fashion sense. In any case, if you’re feeling the same way, know that it’s okay to try new things once in a while.

Funny socks are those bold, bright-colored socks with playful and vibrant designs. You can try these on top of your leggings, too.

What To Wear & NOT Wear With Leggings / Fashionable Leisure, Casual & Dressy Outfits With Leggings

Frequently Asked Questions

Should You Wear Socks Under or Over the Leggings?

Normally, you should wear socks over the leggings because most socks are thicker and may appear bumpy when you wear them under the leggings.

However, you can wear them under leggings if the socks are smooth and don’t bunch up or the leggings are loose.

Is Wearing Leggings and Socks Formal?

Generally, wearing leggings and socks is not formal. Although plain color leggings and socks might look formal, and you may be tempted to wear them at the workplace, consider knowing the dress code requirements first.

However, you can wear leggings and socks under long dresses paired with leather boots.

Which Shoes to Wear With Leggings and Socks?

The best shoes to wear with leggings and socks are classic boots. Whether the boots come in leather, suede, or patent materials, they pair well with leggings, especially when you want to remain warm during winter.

However, boots might get uncomfortable during summer, and open-toe shoes might be a better option.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, wearing socks with leggings is definitely up to you, what style you’re aiming for, or how comfortable you want to be. As presented in this article, you really have many different ways to style and pair socks with leggings so feel free to try this outfit combination sometime.