Reader Mail: The OTK Gossip Girl Dilemma

In today's Reader Mail:

Hi BS,

I am a 20-something creative career girl in love with over the knee socks (I claim it comes from too much Gossip Girl viewing). Is there a work-appropriate way to wear OTK's without look too school-girly? My office work attire is creative/pretty much anything goes, but I don't want to look too young or un-professional.

Thanks!
Sarah

Oh, the knee sock. We remember the last time we wore knee socks, and the way our friend B. told us not to. To this day, we're not entirely sure why, but the fact that he did put us off them forever. We remember that same night our friend K. told us he liked them—

Okay. So the funny thing is that while we were typing this, our friend B. called, and we finally asked him, after six years, if he told us to stop wearing knee socks because they made our knees look fat, which has long been our assumption. He just said we were being stupid, and in fact, rather than fat, they made us look "slutty." That, for some reason, doesn't bother us one bit.

This is all sort of morally cloudy for us. In any case, as far as work appropriate goes, we are the last people on the fucking planet to ask, as we've gone on record as backing rompers as suitable office party wear. Last week we had to attend an exceptionally business-y business function, which meant buying a dress we could not afford, and we were so depressed about buying a dress for this function, which means buying a dress we would never have picked out independently, that we started crying in Topshop and sent off all these angry texts about how we hate wearing pants, which in that case was code for any sort of clothing one would wear to a business function rather than, say, a party which encouraged the wearing of things with sequins.

Anyway: We are pro, pro, pro OTK knee socks. We much prefer them in the image above, especially next to the shorts and colored tights. (We love colored tights, and we love shorts, but somehow not together.) But as for work appropriate: We leave that to everyone else? We're thinking it obviously depends on the work vibe at your office, and we can say with confidence that we would wear them tomorrow if we were still working at the fashion magazine we used to work at, because everyone there just wore what they felt like, and because no one seemed to mind too much if they got fired, which basically no one ever did. But a job you like? We leave it to everyone else to comment. We're totally interested in the answer, by the way.

Our favorite OTKs:

Topshop over-knee socks, about $14

And then the super-luxe ones. We've been looking, ineffectually, for these at a US online boutique, but we're still at it:

Wolford overknees, $22

Comments

[shellybean]

I think from a fashion standpoint they are totally cute. But if I wore them to work, I would totally get leered at in the break room by the creepy guy in accounting.

[Anne (in Reno)]

I absolutely agree with shellybean. Nothing against the OTKs but I would not want to mix them with my coworkers, as I do not work at a fashion magazine.

[nico]

I love them. I think they're fine for work if you wear them with a grown-up kind of outfit -- I like them with a straight skirt and a simple sweater. I would never wear them with a schoolgirl skirt though, like Serena up there; that's a little too "don't take me seriously."

Guys do seem to like them though, so I'd say it really depends on your what your workplace is like and what your comfort level is. You may get ogled.

[Ms. Fab]

Honestly, I don't believe they're office appropriate at all. Sorry.

[t]

i think otk socks are absolutely cute, but i would probably stick to wearing them on weekends. on another note, that sequined cardigan serena is wearing is absolutely fabulous! and, is it just me or is the girl in the wolford tights a bit scary?

[ina]

The Wolford girl looks like spider...and it's disturbing that she's not wearing underwear. Those OTKs look nice though.

[Mary-Kate Hopkinson]

I work at a fashion magazine and I don't think ove-the-knee socks are appropriate for office wear. In fact, I don't think they are very fashiony unless you're a model and actively posing in an editorial shoot. They're just not that sophisticated. I see girls on the street wearing them with uggs and miniskirts (bundled up with scarves). They're cold and look slutty. Nuff said.

[Melissa]

I think you could pull them off, maybe in a thicker, more knitted fabric and maybe a straight skirt, with maybe a more conservative fabric, like wool.

PS. That Worlford girl is a freak. Her bum is like that of a small child. Yuck.