Our resident style experts answer your most pressing sartorial questions.

Socks are often overlooked. They are the last-resort Christmas present, aren’t they? The things you lose and replace with remarkable frequency, the unremarkable bits of cotton that slip inside your shoes. We agree – they are not the most exciting bits of our wardrobe. Purchasing some new socks will never compare to the feeling of a new jacket or some perfectly fitting trousers. But they are rather important. And as the trouser leg has become ever shorter over the last decade, they have become more so. They can add colour and proportion to an outfit. And, well, in a practical sense – they stop your shoes from smelling. Something which becomes ever more important in warmer months. Below, we answer a question we received on Instagram regarding this exact topic. How to wear socks during summer? Read on and find out.

Socks in summer... What patterns/colours? What socks with shorts? Can I wear anything other than invisible socks with cropped trousers? #mrporterstylequestions

@simplybritishtom

Well, Tom, you haven’t stinted on the questions there. Fear not, though, we are here to help and that is what we’ll do. What colours and patterns to wear: the short answer to this is, whatever you want. But the longer answer goes something like this – if you want to look cool this summer, dress like an LA skater from 1992. The bleeding edge of menswear is all focused on poshed-up streetwear at the moment, and borrows heavily from skate culture, so think bright and light. Fairfax Avenue is the epicentre of all things skate and, indeed, all things cool in LA in general. MR PORTER recently wrote about it, and did a photo shoot there, for The Journal. In particular, see this Cav Empt print cotton-voile shirt for inspiration – it says more than words ever could.

If you want to wear socks with shorts, you have two options – the invisible sort – or else a nice pair of very-much-not-invisible white sports socks, such as these from ALYX. If you do choose the latter style, wear with a pair of shorts that end above the knee – otherwise it all gets a bit “geography teacher on an alpine break”. One thing we don’t recommend is foregoing socks altogether. Or not doing so if you want to be invited back to someone’s house/yacht anytime soon, because your sockless feet will sweat, and the sweat will soak into your nice shoes, and then they will smell and you will smell and everything will be frankly dreadful.

Now to your cropped trouser dilemma. If you absolutely must wear cropped trousers, then you must wear invisible socks, otherwise you will end up looking like a 1930s golfer, and you wouldn’t want that, would you? But do you really need to wear them in the first instance? If you want to stay cool and wear trousers, why not try a smart pair of cotton-twill chinos from AMI? They are smart, cool and no one will ask you for a nine iron while you’re wearing them, which sounds like a successful day to me.