A Girl And Her Wardrobe

47 Comments

• kerry replied 9 years ago

  Well, hell, I wore socks with birks in university (it was a pretty leftie/hippie school :) ) and never looked anything like this! I love it. So I say, yes!!

• Jaime replied 9 years ago

  I can guess this will be a poison eye for some, but to be honest I sort of love it. Tricky to pull off perhaps but it works here. Low contrast socks like hers might make it easier. Will you try?

• Deborah replied 9 years ago

  Thanks for chiming in Kerry:)

  Shevia, I am tempted but wondering if it might be more suited to "the young"?

• Janet replied 9 years ago

  I feel like an old saying this, but I never could get behind the socks with sandals look, so I'd have to say nay to this. I know there are some ladies here like Anna who can rock socks with sandals and other unexpected shoes, but it feels seasonally confused and frumpy to me, and I have a weird aversion to seeing the toes of people's socks.

  In that photo, to my eye, the Birks with the lacy skirt are already juxtaposition enough. I feel like the socks are calling too much attention to themselves. It a bit of the normcore thing at work too, I suppose.

  That said, it's currently a fashion-forward look, so if you like it, now's the time to indulge in it!

• viva replied 9 years ago

  I feel like that would be extremely hard to pull off well IRL, especially with those big chunky socks, although it might look sort of cool on a fashion blogger or in a fashion editorial. Maybe more refined socks. Possibly. But even still.

• ruthe replied 9 years ago

  When I first looked at this picture I did a double take...lace on skirt and birks and socks, but she pulls it off in my mind. I don't think we all can :) There is a LEM (woman) that brings communion to me at home and she wears socks with her birks, but it's for comfort not fashion.

• carolbee replied 9 years ago

  no, No, NO!!!!!

• replied 9 years ago

  I'm sorry, but that looks plain ugly to me. I think its also the fact that it's all been paired with a lace skirt. I think unusual juxtaposition can go a tad to far.

• TraceyLiz65 replied 9 years ago

  Not in my world!   

• gryffin replied 9 years ago

  Love it, so much fun with dressy skirt, sweater tunic. I know where Diane is coming from, but I love this kind of juxtaposition, it feels modern and fresh to me. I think the key, as always is deliberate - the socks with the marled gray reinforce the color way, scarfs for your feet, plus the right weight with the sweater. I'd wear it in a heartbeat if I had the components (okay with a black bag but you knew that!! ;-) Looking forward to Anna's input.

• Angie replied 9 years ago

  It's a Normcore statement at the moment. A *slight* fad, in my opinion. I think it will wear off. 

• Emily replied 9 years ago

  Gosh, I just couldn't.  Take that with a grain of salt because I am slow to adjust to trends and birks are hard on my eye to begin with.

• JAileen replied 9 years ago

  I'm in a group of spinners and weavers, and they wear socks with
  Birkies all the time. But, they are beautiful interesting hand knit socks.

• Suz replied 9 years ago

  I actually like this outfit. But I would never wear the look. Poison eye for Birks. Poison eye for sandals and socks. And how it would look on me would be very different from how it looks on this cute slim long-legged model. 

• replied 9 years ago

  I personally like the look when it's done well. Gryffin says is best above: it has to look intentional and with beautiful socks.  I love those marled ones, and can't you imagine it with a gorgeous black cashmere sock pushed down with a pair of boyfriend jeans?  This is not all to say I'd actually do it myself though :)

• Angie replied 9 years ago

  I forgot to say how I feel about the outfit. I'm indifferent. It's not love or poison eye. I'm aware that the person is making a fashion statement at this point, and it has my support. 

• Diana replied 9 years ago

  I kind of like it in this particular case. It's an interesting juxtaposition.

  I still can't get behind white socks with birks though ... Or really with anything for that matter.

• ironkurtin replied 9 years ago

  I don't wear socks with Birks because my feet slide out.  Dangerous.  Everyone at Berkeley wore socks with Birks all year round back in the late 80s/early 90s.  Very hackeysack granola look.

• rabbit replied 9 years ago

  What IK said.   The marled socks with birks look kind of paired with the hemp hoodie, the legalize weed tee shirt and a whiff of patchouli (or at least that is how I've seen it done and still see it).

  I think at can be done in a fashion forward way, like here, but it's trickier.

• AviaMariah replied 9 years ago

  I wear Birks as house shoes all winter so wear them with socks and occasionally will go out of the house for a quick errand with black Birks, black sock and boot cut jeans.  So they are not very noticeable.  But I am in no way making a fashion statement.  I think few can pull off the look you posted.  But you never know, we all may be changing our tune in a year!!

• Thistle replied 9 years ago

  When I lived in Seattle back in the 90s, it seemed most people wore socks with Birks.

  I wouldn't buy Birks to style them this way, but if you already have them, give it whirl and see what you think on you.

• kkards replied 9 years ago

  i think if the rest of the outfit was totally now or totally i don't care about fashion, sure. otherwise, probably not.

• Cerinda replied 9 years ago

  Portland street style.  Actually, I like it when it pushes the envelope but I'll pass.

• rachylou replied 9 years ago

  What?! I like it. Lol.

  I'm laughing at the granola crowd observations. But c'mon, man, a little black lace-edged slip skirt... that's the perfect way to dress up for a special occasion if you're in the hemp-will-save-the-world set.

  Besides, it's totally country punk. It would be great for the early dawn dog
  walk in the fog, if not for the fact that a sweater is not enough for
  me at that time of morning.

  You have to have those speckly "heather" socks, tho. White athletic socks would be esp. hideous. As would rainbow toe-socks (way way waaaaaaaaaay too hippy).

• Neel replied 9 years ago

  Why do I like it? O_O

• Suzanne (ambergreen) replied 9 years ago

  I agree with gryffin...this look doesn't really say hippie or stoner to me. It can be done intentionally and work well but yes, tricky to get just right. I think lower contrast is part of it. Here's a Garance Doré version:

  http://www.garancedore.fr/en/2.....se-i-birk/

• Janet replied 9 years ago

  Yeah, even Garance doing it doesn't save it for me. I've never seen this look without thinking it would look so much better with booties or some other footwear. If that makes me fashion-non-forward, so be it. :-)

• annagybe replied 9 years ago

  I used to do this with sweatpants and flannel shirts in the early 90's. Cross between granola and grunge.

• Lyn D. replied 9 years ago

  I am not sure that it would work IRL :)

• frannieb replied 9 years ago

  Can't do it - Did it in college - A very common college look. I do love my Birks though. I have had my birks (3 pair) re-soled and re-corked many times. They are old old and love them. It cracks me up that they are normcore.

• elpgal replied 9 years ago

  I used to wear Birks with socks several years ago but always chose hand-knit (by others) socks in interesting colors. Too old to do it now.

• elpgal replied 9 years ago

  I used to wear Birks with socks several years ago but always chose hand-knit (by others) socks in interesting colors. Too old to do it now.

• catgirl replied 9 years ago

  I love it - they are like boyfriend socks. Now if they were white gym socks, nope.

• Sveta replied 9 years ago

  I would like this look better if these socks were worn with booties or even oxfords or loafers - bur again Birks and I are not pals at all.
  Actually this one looks better than Garance's which I think is pretty ugly. In this case at least the socks add some texture and interest and look intentional. I Garance's outfit they look like she could not find boots in a hurry and just put on Birks over plain socks...
  Sorry, I am not THAT trendy!

• Echo replied 9 years ago

  We knew this had to be coming, right? This is the way the original hippies and college kids wore Birks in the fall (and sometimes winter). Heathered wool socks and Birks go together like peanut butter and jelly.

• Barbara replied 9 years ago

  Nope. Can't do it! I lived in Germany for 12 years and have an extensive collection of unique Birks which I adore. Only German men over 65 and very young German children wear socks with their Birks. Not a good look, in my opinion!

• MsMary replied 9 years ago

  Okay, I was all ready to scream NOOOO, but I kind of love them on that girl, in that picture.  In real life I would probably hate it.  I certainly wouldn't dare...

• fathenry replied 9 years ago

  OMG, not ready for this. Sorry, but no.

• Gigi replied 9 years ago

  Big nay from me... To me, Birks with socks brings to mind a disheveled university professor who wears his pants a couple of inches too short and hasn't combed his hair since 1960. Sorry!

• Nadya replied 9 years ago

  Una nailed why I like it - boyfriend socks! I like the slouch and texture with the outfit.

• columbine(erin) replied 9 years ago

  I like this version, and we've seen Anna do socks and birksand look awesome, but I don't love when people do white socks and birks in general. Heathered socks look better.

• Deborah replied 9 years ago

  Love reading everyone's thoughts on this. It's all so subjective and seems to relate strongly to what we have seen previously and assocations with might have with the look:)

  When I did an image search for birks worn with socks, soooo many of the pictures were black birks with white socks!! I personally don't like that look.

  And Garance's outfit with the birks and socks was really surprising to me, and not in a good way:( But reading the article, it's clear she a good sense of humour and possibly doesn't take herself too seriously.

• Von replied 9 years ago

  It pleases me that I bought Gizehs and I absolutely can't wear socks with them...because the frump gods know I would. With baggy jeans and sweatshirts...and probably toe socks. It's a very good thing I can't. :)

  It's the grown up version of my son wearing his Adidas flops with basketball socks, which is ok in my book because sometimes you want slip ons...with warmish feet.

• TraceyLiz65 replied 9 years ago

  I saw two magazines today listing socks and sandals as a trend. Still not sold on this one. ..

• Jeanie replied 9 years ago

  I really like this look.  It is not the hippy socks with Birks look that I grew up with.  It is much more modern.  I am not home now but I believe the August Vogue even has a spread with white gym socks and sandals.  

• Firecracker (Sharan) replied 9 years ago

  I like them on her. I can admire them on others. It's a nay for me, though. I'm laughing and nodding at Gigi's association--that's what I would feel like, trying to pull off this trend myself.
  For you, Deborah, I can't quite see it, either. I think it's a little too unrefined for what I see as your style. Birks, yes, to contrast with your cool, drapey outfits. Chunky socks peeking out of booties, yes, for same idea. But chunky socks and Birks, not so much.

• April replied 9 years ago

  Man, you'd have to be pretty confident that your whole look was fashion-forward and chic before this wouldn't look dowdy-granola.  

  Edgy, sleek hair.  Perfect makeup.  Nothing boho in the outfit.  

  Frankly, being 25 or so wouldn't hurt either.