Loose socks

Does anyone else have like 18 socks that have no pair? For almost my whole life I’ve wanted to throw out all of my socks and buy about 30 pairs that are exactly the same so when I lose one I just have to wait until I lose another one and things are back to normal.

Has anyone tried this and does it work?

Or maybe I just need to learn how to keep track of my socks…

I only buy Tilley socks (except for sport socks - I’m not picky about those). Tilley socks are the most comfortable, they never slip or lose their shape, and they are very good for hot countries - foot rot is never a problem. Best socks in the world. They’re expensive ($16 Canadian) a pair, but they come with a three year guarantee.

I have been buying all the same brand and color socks for about 10 years. This works to solve some of the problems. Unfortunately, dye lots change and companies change the style so some problems still exist. For example, I bought all the black Docker brand socks in one store. After a few washings some color variation started showing up. Still, it was alot easier to discard worn out socks and in a pinch, a slight color variation could be tolerated. I also do the same for white sport socks and seem to tend toward the Costco socks that come packed 6 per package. I usually buy at least a dozen at a time. My sock drawer still has the occasional orphan but not so many as before.

Here are some points of sock management which I am using successfully in Taiwan. As a preface I should say that we only buy inexpensive socks.

THE SOCK BOX

I use a medium size cardboard box for sock management – this is the “sock box”. (I have used glue, paste, and additional cardboard to install a perfectly flat bottom, and to make the sides more sturdy.) All the clean socks go in the box. The person who wants to put on socks then reaches in the box and finds two socks to his/her liking. Thus, I have eliminated the problem of “pairing up the socks” after washing – even though my Taiwanese wife considers this to be a lazy method of sock management.

Actually, I have some sort of toenail disease, so I wash my socks separately, and have my own “sock box,” which I keep in my room.

UNPAIRED SOCKS MANAGEMENT

Here is my wife’s solution to this problem of “lost socks” and “unpaired socks”, and I do think it is worthy of note.

We have another sock box which is used exclusively for unpaired socks. This is the “Miscellaneous Sock Box”. This is placed in the storage room. Whenever anyone finds socks which appear to be without mates, these are put in the Miscellaneous Sock Box. Also, occasionally we pick up miscellaneous socks from relatives.

If mates are found, then these are placed back in the regular Sock Box.

As a family, we go travelling occasionally, or take relaxing vacations. Before travelling, the socks in the Miscellaneous Sock Box are laid out and put together in pairs. Anything goes. If you have two socks of a general green color, these may be matched together. If you have two socks of a general blue color, these may be matched together. Otherwise, it is quite possible that you can match a yellow sock with a red one or whatever. A brown sock may be matched with a checked black-and-white sock . . . . . .

These become our travelling socks. Each pair is worn one day and then discarded. This way, we usually don’t have to wash socks when on the road, and this adds to the enjoyment of our vacation.

This thread is the material of a Christopher Guest movie! :unamused:

When I saw the title, I thought this thread was about the former US Secretary of Agriculture. :laughing:

When I saw this thread I thought it was about Japanese schoolgirls. However, the sock issue is interesting too. I will post once I get over my initial disappointment.

Could you describe this in lurid detail?

It must say a lot about a person according to how they organize their socks. :laughing:
Flaws with all the same socks: most fabrics fade, so you’ll need to buy them at same time and use them on strict rotation. Unless you buy all white, in which case you’ll look like a hick. Or buy all cheap nylon, and you’ll look like a Mainland Chinese businessman (especially if you leave the tag on the arm of your suit), or Fred Smith.

hey if you are wearing pants, then it’s ok to wear mismatched socks.

if there are two socks on the floor, and they don’t smell and have similar colours, then they are a pair of clean socks.

for white socks, buy GOLDTOES.

But now I’m finding my US/Canada cotton socks are way too thick for Taiwan weather. Too much sweating and I’m starting to get some kind of foot skin problem near the toes.

Sharing is good. :laughing:

Could you describe this in lurid detail?

It must say a lot about a person according to how they organize their socks. :laughing:
Flaws with all the same socks: most fabrics fade, so you’ll need to buy them at same time and use them on strict rotation. Unless you buy all white, in which case you’ll look like a hick. Or buy all cheap nylon, and you’ll look like a Mainland Chinese businessman (especially if you leave the tag on the arm of your suit), or Fred Smith.[/quote]
Yes. When I was a Suit, I thought I had the problem licked with an inventory of identical black socks. However, as they fade and wear out the natural tendancy is to favour the blacker and less holey socks. This of course exacerbates the problem, and my socks are all differing shades of gray, and in varying states of decomposition. Needless to say the Taiwanese system of bleaching clothes in cold water doesn’t help.

When I win the lottery, the first item on the list is a Meile or Zanussi washing machine. The second is an air conditioner the size of two elephants. The third… (cont. p94)

Miltown, I think there’s an e-business opportunity in this for you, eSock, matching buyers and sellers of odd unmatched socks.

Richard has scared the wits out of me!

I’ve done this for a while now, having gotten the idea from a bio bit on Einstein – supposedly, he had a drawer full of identical socks, and so he never had to waste time matching them or deciding on which ones to wear.

I typically get two different kinds, though – the white “athletic” socks and black dress socks. Not perfect, but then again, it’s cheaper in the long run since I use (and wear out) the cheap white ones much more than the black dress socks.

That was a very funny post Richard. Especially the bit about picking up miscellaneous socks from relatives.
Thing I can’t understand is why on earth anyone would need more than two socks?

Hell yes.

I always get the 6 pairs for 100NT from the nightmarket. All black. That’s 12 socks. Have to loose 11 before there’s no pairs and even then they more or less match the last lot.

Brian

Damn! I’ve been buying 5 pairs for $100NT from the old lady next to Jazz Photo Lab on Ba-De. And they’re all black too. :laughing:

I just go to M&S when I hit blighty and buy two year’s worth of socks and skivvies. Don’t really care too much about colour since I usually wear boots anyway or else the old trusty Chacos.

Sandman,

Boots in this heat! Okay, closet fascist or closet cowboy? What kind of boots? Are you still caught up in a late 70s punk Clash-cum-Sid Vicious gonna give you kickin’ mentality? Or you just like the feel of leather?

(Forgot to ask before; regarding a pic you posted on the snake thread, who was the woman holding the critter?)

Lumberjack, engineer, or Blunnies ducky! And that’s no lady – that’s my wife (the snake’s a carpet python, in case you were wondering).

Thanks Sandman,
Gorgeous animal. Lovely slender form and silky smooth skin. Wife’s not too shabby either. I’ll post some of my snake pics (the best Taiwan snake pics I’ve seen) when I figure out how to post the mothers.