Facing the one-sock syndrome

Many a wife will confess that they have had the question, “where are my socks?” countless times. Socks it seems are the most elusive part of a man’s wardrobe. Here is how to keep track of those garments you can never do without.

Moses Bumba, 32, easily passes for an organised man when you have just met him. But just like other men, he confesses to being disturbed with the “one sock” syndrome. “I have woken up to a perplexing experience of one sock syndrome. This has not happened once, but on several occasions I have rummaged through my wardrobe in search of that missing sock to create a match,” says Bumba. “It’s not that I have few pairs, but sometimes your clothes dictate that you wear a particular colour of socks,” he adds.

This sounds awfully simple, but I’m sure many men have had to deal with issues relating to their socks. Socks are often “small” details that we usually take lightly till that particular morning when you want to wear a particular pair only to find one of them missing.

Invaluable garment
They play a vital role as a piece of clothing; they are things we would rather pay so little attention to yet they are central to our overall comfort in several ways- they protect our feet from rough graze of the shoe and wick away our perspiration. They are also a small detail that can either pull your outfit together or serve as an unwelcome distraction. “Socks are a definite accessory for any man, and thus we usually like them to be visible. The whole process of searching for socks is not only time wasting but frustrating,”says Bumba.

For those who have gone through that torturous experience, “it’s no easy task looking for a sock when you are already running late,” he adds. In most cases we would rather complain to your spouse (for the married guys) or the person you share a room with. The blame game usually comes in especially when somebody helped you do your laundry. Steven Ainamani, a cashier, shares that, given his busy schedule; he hardly does his laundry so he always delegates someone to help out. And as such, the cases of misplaced socks commonly occur.

Perhaps it’s because the perceived stereotype that men are used to getting things done for them. “We are used to having things being done for us, which is all just laziness,” says Ainamani. However, David Kidhu, a technician, says sometimes socks are some of the most frustrating things to keep together. “However careful you are, you will always find orphaned socks at some point,” he says. In most cases, this whole ordeal is not only frustrating, but also time consuming.

Tricks of getting through
But this should never, become an issue as there are many ways of reducing the risk of falling victim to the one sock syndrome. Lucky Anthony, a sales personnel, says he usually buys many pairs of socks which are mostly of the same colour. This also saves him a lot of time looking for matching colours as he easily pairs them. He also pairs his socks together after they have been washed before keeping them in the drawer.

Even your own behaviour could be the reason for such mishaps. James Onen says “socks should always be in pairs. On clotheslines when they are drying, socks should always be with their pairs. If left on their own, they are useless,” he says. He also suggest that you always remove your socks together, keep them during before the washing process until the next time you are going to need them. “It’s good to keep your socks with their proper mates.”

Being careful with your socks will prevent the lone sock facing a premature end tucked away somewhere in your house, while the other lies in the drawer. Grace Ameede, a business woman, suggests pinning your socks together when going to do the laundry. She adds, “If you are the careless type, then try to tie them together when they are dry and carefully keep them in the drawer, or in a bag- somewhere you can easily get them.”

Just like you treat other clothes, it is advisable to treat socks with the same level of care. Wash them and store them where you can easily reach them. If possible, have as many pairs as possible to reduce the one sock syndrome. This will also provide you with a wide variety of options in face of a shortage.

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