US
How to Pack Dress Socks for Business Trips & Events
It’s important to pack smart and look smart while traveling for work. Because whether you’re stuck in the mail room or drive a desk as a senior analyst, showing up prepared, well-dressed, and ready for business is always promotion-worthy behavior.
What you wear and how you present matters, and style-conscious travel socks for men are often overlooked in lieu of shinier things like noise-cancelling headphones and leather bags. To help you reach peak traveler status, here are our favorite tips on how to pack socks for travel and choose the best men's dress socks for any occasion.
Maybe you travel in a full three-piece business suit, matching polos with the team, or get to wear whatever you want, but the right dress socks can really make or break your business trip. With their moisture wicking abilities, natural stink-fighting properties, and our Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee, Merino Wool socks might just be your ultimate companion, the best travel socks for men.
Why Merino Wool Socks Are Ideal for Travel
Merino Wool’s travel versatility comes from its thermoregulation in both warm and cold climates, legendary durability, moisture wicking, and antimicrobial benefits. That means you can bring fewer pairs, keep your feet more comfortable for long days, and be less likely to blow a hole in your sock midway through your trip.
This versality is paired with the fact that Merino Wool is lightweight and compact, so you can save room in your bag for other essentials – like a few extra pairs of emergency underwear. If you travel with just a carry-on bag you know how important saving space is. No gate-checked bags here!
Choosing the Right Socks for Your Trip
Not only is it important to have functionally on-point dress socks, but you gotta look good too. When choosing what socks to pack, consider these three aspects:
Versatility: Head right down the line with black, navy, or grey socks to match your suit or shoes. When you’re packing fewer pairs from the get-go, having versatile, neutral color choices will give more flexibility in your outfits.
Personality: Take a walk on the wild side with some fun patterns or colors (we have a whole article about how to select stylishly appropriate yet funky socks), Even on the most boring work trips, there’s usually some moments for fun. Let your personality shine — through your socks.
Climate: With thicker dress socks for colder climates and lightweight dress socks for warm destinations, no matter where your business is taking you, you don’t have to show up with cold feet, or sweaty feet for that matter (Merino makes great sweat-wicking dress socks).
For more tips on selecting the perfect pair, check out our complete guide to men's dress socks.
How to Pack Socks for Travel
Trying to figure out how much to pack, let alone how many socks to pack, can turn into a philosophical exercise. Do you take the minimalistic approach and bring a single pair of pants? Or do you plan for the worst and hope for the best by showing up prepared for any weather and social situation?
We can’t help you with that, but our sock math is easy since you can easily wear Merino Wool socks two or three times before washing.
Take your trip length, divide it by two (plan to wear each pair twice) and toss in a wildcard pair for a morning jog or a super warm pair for a night out. (Trip length ÷ 2) + 1.
For example, on a 6-day trip, that nets out to 4 pairs of socks. The math on a 5-day trip comes to 3.5 pairs, but we don’t recommend bringing only one sock. At this point, you can round up if you know you have a special event one night or round down if you’re sticking with a 9–5 schedule.
Other packing tips for business travel include:
- Choose a space-efficient folding method — rolling everything isn't always the best choice
- Layering socks in your shoes to save even more space
- Using packing cubes to keep your clothing organized
How to Style Dress Socks for Business Events
When you’re traveling, you don’t have access to your entire sock drawer, so you need to plan ahead to achieve maximum style impact. What are you going to be wearing? Suits? Shirt and tie? Hockey jersey? Match your socks to your suit pants for a classic look or try coordinating the socks with your ties or pocket squares for a modern twist that still looks cohesive.
Business trips can be the time to subtly show your fun side, but you if you’re unsure you can always play it safe with a neutral sock color. It’s all about striking a balance between professional and social settings. It’s a good idea to take the pulse of the company culture before going too crazy. Lawyers might need to prioritize traditional black or navy dress socks, while creatives may have more room for bold prints that showcase their personality.
Dressing for formal and business-casual events is something to consider as well. A lot of the time, work trips involve long days of meetings and presentations followed directly by team bonding activities and dinner. Being able to transition between events and stay comfortable along the way is going to make a big difference in whether you decide to jump onstage for karaoke or retire to your room early for Law & Order reruns. Consider versatile dress socks like The Standard Mid-Calf, Oxford Crew, and Solid Crew.
Pro Tips for Sock Maintenance on the Go
“But I did my sock math wrong and didn’t bring enough pairs.”
Well, we have tips for on-the-go sock maintenance you can do in your hotel room. First, airing your socks out at the end of each day helps dry them out for the next use — don’t just jam them back in your bag or leave them in your shoes. Socks can be draped on top of your luggage, laid flat on the pillow next to you, or tucked safely away in the bathroom.
Even though Merino Wool makes for dress socks that don’t need frequent washing, sometimes you can find yourself in need of a clean pair.
- First, head into the hotel bathroom, run the water, use a little bit of soap, and suds those socks up really good.
- Pretend you’re a washing machine and agitate those bad boys until they’re soapy all the way through.
- Then rinse, rinse, rinse all the soap out, wring out the excess water, and hang to dry.
Bringing along an extra packing cube or small laundry bag is a good idea to keep your dirty clothes away from your clean clothes too. No more smell tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many socks do I really need for a week-long trip?
Just remember (trip length ÷ 2) + 1 to determine how many socks to pack for a trip. For a week, that’s 4.5 socks… if space is tight, you can definitely round that down to 4 pairs.
Can I reuse dress socks multiple times without washing?
YES! Like 2 to 3 times (or more… thru-hikers have been known to bring only two pairs for 2,500 miles…)
Are patterned socks appropriate for business events?
It depends. What’s the business event? What kind of business are you in? When in doubt, play it safe.
What are the best socks for travel made from?
Merino Wool. Here’s the short version: versatile, breathable, moisture-wicking, durable, warm when it’s cold, cool when it’s warm.
But I’m like a fun accountant; is there a way I can show people?
We got you. Check out our stripe and print dress sock options.
Travel Smart, Dress Sharp
Being a savvy traveler takes more than working an airline upgrade or getting through security in record time. It’s even more than packing appropriately or knowing how to pack socks efficiently — it’s a mindset. A confident mindset that knows you’re prepared for long travel days, unplanned detours, and you’re always going to look sharp.
We can’t teach this. It comes with time and experience. But we can give you a head start with our Merino Wool dress socks. When you’re able to wear a pair over multiple days that wicks moisture, stays stink-free, and is backed by our unconditional guarantee, you’re basically achieving platinum traveler status. Explore our entire collection of Merino Wool men’s dress socks for travel, business, pleasure, and mixing business with pleasure.
