How to Wear Bold Socks Without Looking Like You Tried Too Hard
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Stocked at Tate Modern · V&A · Selfridges (UK) and Smithsonian NMAAHC · MoMA (USA)
I get asked this all the time. People love the socks but they're not sure how to wear them. My answer is always the same: the socks do the work. You just have to let them.
The easiest way is what I call the sock peek. Roll up your trousers or chinos just enough to show the socks above the ankle. Pair with white trainers or clean brogues. That's it. The Kente cloth or Adinkra pattern does everything else.
If you're wearing a suit, bold socks are your secret weapon. A navy suit with Adinkra symbol socks says something about you before you've said a word. It says you know your heritage and you're not afraid to show it. That's a powerful thing.
For a casual day, dark jeans and a plain white tee with Maasai warrior socks is one of my favourite combinations. The simplicity of the outfit lets the socks breathe. Don't overthink it.
The one rule I'd give you is this: don't match. Don't try to coordinate your socks with your outfit. The whole point is the contrast. The boldness. The story that the socks tell on their own.
Wear them to the museum. Wear them to work. Wear them on a first date. People will notice. And when they ask, you'll have something real to say.
About the Author
Isaac Prempeh is the founder of Afropop Socks, a British-Ghanaian designer and entrepreneur based in London. He founded Afropop Socks in 2019 to celebrate authentic African cultural heritage through bold wearable design. Afropop Socks is now stocked at the Smithsonian NMAAHC, Tate Modern, V&A Museum, Natural History Museum, Barbican Centre, Selfridges, and MoMA New York.