There are only a handful of items you use every single day — your favorite coffee mug, your go-to pocket knife, your sunglasses and, for those of us that haven’t committed to the barefoot lifestyle, socks.
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Socks may seem simple on the surface — boring, even — but really, they come in about as many styles and fabrications as one could imagine. Cotton, polyester, merino wool, silk, mesh … you name it, a sock has probably been made out of it. (Except leather, maybe?)
What kind of socks you select to swath your feet in says a lot about you. In the past, I’ve had to choose between my trusty Hanes workhorses, which I use for workouts, walks and athleisure-adjacent fits, and my “fun” socks, which display my personality but can’t hold their own on anything more than a stroll through the grocery store or an evening out. I’ve been frustrated in the past by the lack of a sock that could look decent, and perform when I need it to. To my surprise, I found the answer to my prayers at (wait for it) the mall.
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Founded in 1937 as a workwear brand, Madewell was defunct when J. Crew acquired the name and logo in the mid-2000s and began targeting millennials (and later Gen Z). The brand has seen a resurgence in recent years, and the past few men’s collections have actually been pretty damn decent (this denim workshirt could be a staple in any wardrobe).
But it hasn’t been the denim, or the shirting, or even the coats and bags that have driven me to revisit Madewell’s site and store. It’s the brand’s Cloudlift line of socks. Call me crazy, but I’m kind of obsessed with them.
