Most socks are made to be hidden. A knee high is the opposite: it is the one sock with enough surface to carry real colour, and to be seen doing it. Under a boot in January, with a skirt in April, over a rolled trouser in October, it is the piece that makes the rest of an outfit look decided.
Ours come in six two-colour pairings, each knitted from soft combed cotton at a family-owned factory near Braga, in the north of Portugal, with a hand-linked toe and a cuff that stays up. Here is the thinking behind them, the six colourways, and how we wear them.
The six colourways
Every pair is a main colour with a contrasting band, chosen so the two flatter each other. Some pairings are tonal, some are not. All of them are €29, and all of them are one size.
Red and pink
Our favourite, and the pair we would start with. A hot red over the leg with a soft pink band at the top: two tones from the same family, one loud and one quiet, each making the other look better. It is at its best under a black boot with a dark coat, where the red does all the talking.
Pink and red
The same two colours, turned around. Here the pink leads, a warm blush that softens everything around it, and the red is the sharp line at the knee that keeps it from going sweet. Easy with denim, a cream dress or a brown loafer.
Green and grey
Moss on stone. A deep green with a grey band, which is the pairing we reach for most from October to March. The grey is what makes the green wearable every day; it sits naturally with flannel, tweed, camel and a brown boot.
Blue and light blue
One deep blue, one washed, the way a good pair of jeans fades. Tonal enough to read as a single idea from across the street, with just enough contrast up close to show it was chosen. Clean with white trainers, sharper still with a navy skirt.
Ecru and bright green
The freshest of the six. An ecru leg, light and clean, with a band of bright green at the top that brings the energy of new leaves. It belongs to spring and early summer, with a denim skirt or a cream dress, and it reads as a deliberate choice rather than a loud one.
Black and ecru
The sharpest contrast in the range, and the easiest to wear. Black does the work with boots and dark tailoring; the ecru band keeps it from turning severe. If you want one pair that works with everything in the wardrobe, this is it.
Combed cotton, knitted near Braga
A colour only matters if the sock is worth wearing all day. Ours are knitted from soft combed cotton, 80% cotton with 19% polyamide and 1% elastane, at a family-owned factory near Braga, in the north of Portugal, where socks have been made for generations. We design them in Brussels.
Combed cotton is cotton with the short fibres removed before spinning, so the yarn is smoother, softer and stronger than ordinary cotton. It holds its shape and its colour wash after wash. The small amount of polyamide and elastane is what gives the sock its stretch and its memory, so the cuff sits at the knee in the evening the way it did in the morning.
The toe is linked by hand. A machine-sewn toe leaves a ridge that rubs; a hand-linked toe is flat, seamless and invisible in a shoe. It takes longer and it costs more, and it is the single detail that separates a good sock from an ordinary one.
One size, by choice
Every pair of our women's socks comes in one size: EU 36 to 41, UK 3.5 to 7.5, US 6 to 10. We did it to keep things simple. There is nothing to guess when you order, for yourself or for someone else, and the knit has enough give to fit the range comfortably. The cuff is snug without being tight, and it does not leave a mark.
How we wear them
Under boots. The obvious one, and still the best. A knee high with an ankle boot or a Chelsea boot and a skirt or a shorter coat, so the colour shows between the boot and the hem. Red and pink, and green and grey, are made for this.
With a rolled trouser. Turn up a wide or straight trouser once or twice and let a few centimetres of colour show above the shoe. The tonal pairs, blue and light blue, pink and red, work well here because they do not fight with the trouser.
With a skirt or a dress. From March on, a knee high replaces tights. With a loafer or a flat shoe it is a little collegiate; with a chunky trainer it is not. Ecru and bright green, and black and ecru, are the pairs we would pick.
Let the sock be the colour. Keep what is above the knee plain and pick up one of the sock's two colours somewhere else: a scarf, a bag, a beanie. One accent, repeated, looks like a decision.
Layered, for warmth. On the coldest days a knee high over a pair of sheer tights, under a tall boot, is quietly the warmest thing you can do for your legs.
Caring for cotton socks
Combed cotton is easy. Machine wash at 30°C, inside out, with similar colours. Skip the tumble dryer and the bleach; heat is what shortens the life of the elastane and dulls the colour. Dry them flat or over a rail and they will keep their shape and their shade for years.
The full knee high range
Knee High Socks, Red / Pink€29 Knee High Socks, Pink / Red€29 Knee High Socks, Green / Grey€29 Knee High Socks, Blue / Light Blue€29 Knee High Socks, Ecru / Bright Green€29 Knee High Socks, Black / Ecru€29 See the whole collection
Frequently asked questions
What are Escuyer women's knee high socks made of?
Soft combed cotton: 80% cotton, 19% polyamide and 1% elastane. They are designed in Brussels and knitted at a family-owned factory near Braga, in the north of Portugal.
What size are they?
One size, by choice: EU 36 to 41, UK 3.5 to 7.5, US 6 to 10. The knit has enough give to fit the whole range comfortably.
Do they stay up?
Yes. The cuff is knitted with a little elastane so it holds at the knee all day without leaving a mark. If a pair ever slips, it is usually a sign the cuff has been through the tumble dryer; dry them flat and they keep their grip.
How many colours do they come in?
Six: red and pink, pink and red, green and grey, blue and light blue, ecru and bright green, and black and ecru. Every pair is €29.
How should I wash them?
Machine wash at 30°C, inside out, with similar colours. No tumble dryer and no bleach. Dry flat or over a rail.
What do I wear knee high socks with?
Ankle boots and a skirt in winter, a rolled trouser in autumn, a dress with loafers or trainers in spring. For a guide to the other heights we make, see Sock Heights Explained.
Do you make knee high socks for men?
Not at the moment. The knee high is a women's style in our range; men's socks come in crew, ankle, no show and tube lengths.
Do they make a good gift?
A very good one. They are one size, so there is nothing to guess, €29 keeps them under most gift budgets, and a pair in colour is the sock people rarely buy for themselves. Our gift guide has more ideas under €50.
Escuyer. Considered design, made to last.
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