# Question on chinos and dress pants -- how much sock should show when seated?



## Dave (Mar 17, 2003)

Sorry for monopolizing the forum with another question, but I'm gonna need a new wardrobe soon, as I'm losing weight. In considering how to rebuild my wardrobe, I realized that there's so much about fashion that I don't know! Anyway, I tend to wear a 34-inch inseam in jeans, and so when I wear shoes or boots they "stack" around the ankle. But do those same rules apply to chinos or dress pants? I would suspect not, at least in regard to dress pants, since it seems most guys show a bit more sock when they sit down. But just because it's common, does that mean it's acceptable fashion-wise? Thanks again.


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## adoucett (Nov 16, 2012)

I guess I wonder this myself sometimes. I kind of prefer the "no-break" look on pants so for me, a considerable amount of sock shoes. Putting one leg up exaggerates this even more! I say as long as you have nice socks on...why not show them off a little? But this notion will certainly vary among users I'm sure...


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## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

Dave said:


> Sorry for monopolizing the forum with another question, but I'm gonna need a new wardrobe soon, as I'm losing weight. In considering how to rebuild my wardrobe, I realized that there's so much about fashion that I don't know! Anyway, I tend to wear a 34-inch inseam in jeans, and so when I wear shoes or boots they "stack" around the ankle. But do those same rules apply to chinos or dress pants? I would suspect not, at least in regard to dress pants, since it seems most guys show a bit more sock when they sit down. But just because it's common, does that mean it's acceptable fashion-wise? Thanks again.


It is perfectly acceptable to show some sock when you sit down. Dress pants and chinos should never stack around the ankle. At most, you want a full break. Some on this forum prefer no break, where the top of the pant just touches the shoe. Most (I think) prefer a medium to slight break, as shown in this illustration by Antonio Centeno.


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## Dave (Mar 17, 2003)

Thanks for that chart.

So I guess that brings me to another question: If you like to wear cowboy boots with chinos, as I do sometimes, does the chart still apply or no?


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## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

Dave said:


> Thanks for that chart.
> 
> So I guess that brings me to another question: If you like to wear cowboy boots with chinos, as I do sometimes, does the chart still apply or no?


I'm going to defer to others on the cowboy boot issue, as I'm a Marylander. You may want to e-mail Antonio, though. He is a native Texan and probably has an opinion on the issue. He does lot's of little videos on these kinds of issues and responds to reader/viewer questions all the time.

https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/contact/


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

However, it is safe to say that if you are wearing cowboy boots and you are still showing sock, your pants are too short.


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## Dmontez (Dec 6, 2012)

Agreed!


drlivingston said:


> However, it is safe to say that if you are wearing cowboy boots and you are still showing sock, your pants are too short.


Concerning your break while wearing boots is definitely tricky. I wore lucchese 1883 full quill ostrich with a suit for my wedding, and I hated the way my pants looked with my boots as I had minimal break so you ended up seeing a lot of my boot shaft along with my pants getting hung up with something on the top of the boot often. When wearing boots I would recommend going longer on the break with chinos and jeans while avoiding wearing boots and pants that are of the wool variety.


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

Boots are very common in South Texas as you can guess. I wear boots with chinos, jeans, sometimes dress pants or suits. There is a trick to this. In my case I have pants specifically designated for boots. I have them hemmed and tailored for boots and boots only. I can't wear them with shoes and they do not bunch up at the bottom. The difference is the higher boot heel. It costs more to have "boot pants" but I don't wear boots very often, a couple of times a month. Also NO cuffs with boots, straight hem only. Black cherry full quill Ostrich looks pretty good with navy or gray!


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## Charles Dana (Nov 20, 2006)

It seems most guys [when wearing chinos and dress trousers] show a bit more sock when they sit down. But just because it's common, does that mean it's acceptable fashion-wise? Thanks again.[/QUOTE]

It is not only acceptable, but it is expected. This is why God created over-the-calf socks.

Why is it expected? Two reasons:

1. Unlike jeans, where there is considerable latitude regarding where the hems break, chinos and certainly dress pants should be tailored just right--just so that there is no sloppy puddling of the hem at the ankle. If the pants are the proper length, then they will be shorter than your jeans and of course will ride further up your shin when you sit down.

2. Just before sitting down, many men reach down with both hands, take a pinch of fabric just above each knee, then quickly pull the fabric up an inch or so in order to keep the material from stretching tautly over the knees while they are sitting. This action causes even more sock to show.

Wear over-the-calf socks and don't be afraid to show a lot of them while sitting.


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## mcfrankshc (Dec 8, 2013)

Actually if you get the break right when standing there is no reason to worry about how much sock is showing when you sit down. If you are shorter I suggest more break.


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