Pantherella Luxury Socks Care Guide

Pantherella's world's finest socks deserve extra special treatment to keep them in ideal condition. Taking care of one's socks may not seem like a specialised task, but we believe that care and longevity are a worthwhile endeavours. Thus, we've assembled the following guide to luxury socks care so yours stay as as perfect as the day you received them.

Washing and Drying

Always follow the care label on your socks for the most specific care instructions. All of our socks are made using unique yarns with their own characteristics, so tailoring your care to their features (for example, using a wool-specific detergent for wool socks) will grant the best results. In general, taking the following steps for every wash will help your socks stay in perfect condition.

many striped Kilburn socks laying on top of one another

Preparation

Sort your socks (along with the rest of your laundry) into whites, colours and darks to be washed separately. Although our socks are thoroughly tested to ensure that they do not bleed excess colour when washed, other items of clothing may deposit dye onto your socks, so sorting properly will maintain their individual hues.
For the gentlest wash, only wash your socks with other socks. Heavier, rougher garments and towels can twist socks, potentially stretching them out of shape or fluffing up their surface. If washing socks with other garments, they will have the most protection if using a mesh socks washing bag. This will also prevent your washing machine from eating your socks!
For dress socks, turn your socks inside out before washing. Washing socks inside out minimises abrasion against the outside of the sock, helping with pilling prevention. It also exposes the dirtiest side of the sock, making washing more effective at removing dirt and oils.
You may also wash cushioned sports socks inside out, but keep them separated from your dress socks to avoid any fluffy fibres being transferred to your smooth dress socks.

Washing

Machine washing may be suitable for some Pantherella cotton socks, merino wool socks and sports socks, while handwashing is mandatory for cashmere socks and silk dress socks. Always check the care label on your specific pair for our recommendations.
If machine washing, ensure the water temperature is on the coolest setting, and a delicate washing cycle is used.
Choose a detergent suitable to the socks being washed. For cashmere, wool and wool blends, use a non-biological wool-safe detergent. For cotton, choosing a colour-safe detergent will help them maintain their lustre. For silk, use a specific silk wash without harsh enzymes. Avoid the use of bleach on all Pantherella socks.
If handwashing, use a cool temperature, add in socks and appropriate detergent, and allow to soak for a short period. Rinse until the water is clear, and if needed, treat with fabric softener to re-condition the yarns (skip this step on cashmere socks).

Drying

Most Pantherella socks can be hung to dry, using a drying rack or clothes line. Avoid use of the tumble drier for all Pantherella socks, especially delicate materials such as silk, cashmere and merino wool. The heat and agitation of a tumble drier causes excess pilling, damage to natural fibres, stiffening of elastic and potential shrinking and felting.
Heavy wool and cashmere socks are best dried flat to avoid stretching out of shape from being hung while wet.
Avoid twisting or wringing the water out of the socks, which will pull them out of shape while in a delicate wet state. If they are dripping wet after washing, roll them up in a clean towel and gently squeeze out the excess water before hanging or laying flat to dry.

Daily Life

Storage for Sock Longevity

Pair your socks by rolling them into a spiral or folding them together. Avoid rolling one sock elastic over the other to pair them as this stretches out the elastic, causing excessive wear.
When paired, it is best to organise your socks by colour, to prevent darker and lighter coloured socks from transferring visible fibres to one another. Sock organisers can also be used to keep your socks orderly without needing to ball them up.
Cedar balls or lavender sachets can be used in your sock drawer to deter moths. These are especially important for wool and silk socks.
Keep your socks in a drawer that is cool, dry and out of direct sunlight. Avoiding packing your drawer too tight to make it easier to organise your socks.

Personal Care for Sock Longevity

Soft feet and trimmed toe nails are gentlest on socks. Keep your feet moisturised and smooth, and regularly trim or file nails to prevent holes and snags.

Careful Choice of Sock for Sock Longevity

Once you have discovered your favourite style, buying multiple pairs means a single hole won't ruin a pair of socks, as you can substitute in other singles.
Change your sock wardrobe seasonally to preserve their longevity. When storing over winter or summer, an air-tight bag with cedar balls or lavender will help prevent pests.
Match your sock to the weather, activity and environment. Thin merino wool or cotton dress socks are perfect in the office with dress shoes, while cashmere is best enjoyed at home. Thicker boot socks should only be worn in cooler weather, while light invisible socks are most appreciated in the heat of summer.

Careful Choice of Footwear for Sock Longevity

Sock longevity is enhanced by matching your shoes to your socks.
If wearing fine dress socks for the first time, ensure your dress shoes are the correct size. If you have previously worn a larger shoe to compensate for thicker typical socks, you may find more room in your shoe with thinner socks, resulting in additional movement of your foot within the shoe.
Lightweight cotton socks are subject to undue abrasion when paired with heavy winter boots. Similarly, thicker winter socks should not be worn with dress shoes, which may dig into them.
Indulgent cashmere socks should only be worn with softer shoes, such as light moccasins or loafers. While they are best worn around the house, slippers add a necessary level of protection.
Always wear shoes when going outside to keep your socks in their best condition. Walking on a garden path or driveway in your socks is abrasive and damaging.

man wearing merino wool socks and loafers with one foot crossed over the other

Overall, luxury socks care requires being thoughtful around your clothing. We put our very best into each pair of socks and hope that when they pass to you, they serve you well for a long time. Some extra-special fibres like cashmere have a more particular care routine. For more specific advice on how to care for cashmere, see our Cashmere Socks Care Guide.

Pantherella make some of the finest socks in the world and we hope that you, as our customer, will get a great deal of enjoyment from them. Here are a few ways that you can help to keep them in the finest condition, so that they can continue to be of service for a long time to come.

Washing

All of our socks have a care label on their packaging, please follow these instructions very carefully.
Unfortunately none of our socks are safe to be tumble dried, this is due to the nature of the luxury yarns that are used in the manufacture of our socks.
Use of an appropriate detergent is also important, there are no ‘one size fits all’ detergents.
If you have bought cashmere, wool and wool blended socks, wash them with a non-biological, wool safe detergent.
We do not recommend any specific brand, but there are quite a few on the market.
Our cotton socks should have colour safe detergents used to ensure that their colour remains constant for as long as possible.
Wash your socks inside-out (except Cashmere) to keep a pristine outer appearance and wash them in as low a temperature as possible.
Where a hand wash is indicated, please make this at a cool hand temperature. Rinse them in clear water and finally treat them with a little of your favourite fabric softener to recondition the yarns – re-lubricating and adding softness to allow a little more stretch/comfort.
We do not recommend using fabric softener on Cashmere socks.

Storage

If you keep your socks in pairs you will never be caught with ‘odd socks’, however, excessive ’balling up’ or ‘fold over’ of the socks will damage the fibres in the yarns, leading to additional stretch to the rib-top which can lead to premature wear.
It is recommended that paired socks are simply folded together, rolled and placed in your sock drawer. Try to group your socks by colour as placing dark coloured socks and light coloured socks together can lead to transfer of fibres between one pair and the next, leading to unsightly surface effects on either pair.
Use cedar balls to protect from clothes moths.

Personal Care

Try to maintain neat toe nails, as the majority of holes found in socks are caused by long toe nails – especially the Hallux (Big Toe).

Careful Choice of Sock

If you have a style of sock that you particularly like, remember to buy more than one pair. If you do get a hole in one sock, it can always be paired with another sock of the same style.
It is also important to maintain a summer and a winter sock selection as wearing thicker socks in the summer leads to excessive perspiration that can lead to excessive wear.

Careful Choice of Footwear

As with the careful choice of sock, the careful and correct choice of footwear is also critical to the lifetime of your socks.
Cashmere socks should only be worn with a light moccasin or soft loafer shoe. Excessive wear will occur if you walk around the house in your (cashmere) stocking feet, so always pair them with comfy slippers.
Light weight socks will wear excessively if worn with heavy winter boots and similarly, thick winter socks will experience an undue level of wear if worn with dress shoes.