Unisex Printed Socks"LAYERS" Jhane Barnes custom design

Jhane's Take on the Printed Socks

Let me say this upfront: these do not compare to my jacquard socks from Japan — and I’m sure many of you who’ve owned both have noticed that. But it’s really apples and oranges.

These socks are printed, and they’re printed after the sock is already made, which I still find kind of amazing. The designs wrap around all sides, and there’s no fold line, which is not trivial on a knitted tube.

They are genuinely one size fits all — men and women — because of the elastane. They’re very stretchy and easy to wear casually.

Because they’re printed on a knit base, the prints aren’t crisp and sharp. The structure of the knit shows through. That’s just the reality of the process. Still, I find them charming and fun, and I wear them all the time.

They launder well. I wash mine on delicate, dry them for about 10 minutes, then hang them to finish. That routine has worked well.

Technically speaking, these are a 200-needle single knit. My Japanese socks are 240 needle and double knit, so again — very different objects. The fiber content is 58% recycled polyester, 22% nylon, and 15% cotton.

They do pill slightly in the foot area, but it’s minimal and hard to see because of the printed pattern. It’s not something that’s bothered me in use.

For the price point and the fact that they’re custom printed, I think they’re absolutely worth it. They’re playful, easy, and expressive — not heirloom socks, but ones I genuinely enjoy wearing.

And that’s really the right way to think about them.