You know how I've spent my allocated date-planning time this morning? Doing a top 10 ranking of items on the Del Campo website. Priorities. She can wait. (Between you and me — I'm procrastinating because I don't wanna go on a date, but know that I should, so I'm making the process as debilitating as possible)
Anyway…
What do all of the corporate people say these days? These views are my own and do not reflect those of ________ company? Something like that. I don't know. Close enough.
I say that because, well, these are my favorites. And if you know me, follow me, or have read me… You have probably noticed that most times, I operate solely based on vibes. Gut feelings. Irrational decisions. All culminating into a jumbled mess I call ~cohesion~
So, here are the top 10 products that Del Campo offers. I apologize to my bosses in advance if they disagree. My mind can't be changed. I'd be interested in what Mark Sockerburg would put in his top 10, but that's a blog for another day; he's busy pushin' p(roduct).
We'll start in reverse order to ensure drama. Let the overanalyzing of socks BEGIN!
Honorable Mentions in 5 words or fewer:
- Tulips — simple, elegant, colors
- Green Smiley — first pair I bought
- University of Texas — script so nice
- Oranges — let's get tropical
- Valentine's Smiley* — should've cracked the top 5
Note: Currently sold out. Here they are for reference.
Ten: Blue Stripes.
What can I say? I'm a blue guy. When you're born with blue eyes, you find every reason to make sure that everyone is aware that you have blue eyes. A bit of a White Goodman situation — I-know-that-you-know-that-I-know-that-my-eyes-are-blue. All kidding aside, I'm on my third pair of these socks. I've figuratively (not literally, cuz these are high-quality socks, and hole-impervious) worn a hole in my first two pairs. From what I've seen, these are the most popular socks that DC offers. Everyone who has DCs has this colorway. It's almost a rite of passage kind of thing — the Freshman Orientation of the Del Campo world. The toe dip. I got my (lovely) mother a pair of these and she rocks the hell out of them… shoutout mom.
Nine: Pink Hearts.
What's more endearing than a heart? Uh, nothing. I ordered a pair of these a few weeks ago, and I've yet to don them out in public because they're just so pleasant to look at in their packaging. Look, I have interesting taste. Do most guys wear velvet shirts? No. Do most guys blare white-girl pop? No. And are most guys gonna pull on a pair of heart socks? I'm gonna guess probably not. But that's okay. That's why this is my ranking. A nice, soft shade of pink with a simple heart is under the 'no notes' category for me. You don't have to jump on board with me, just buy them for your girlfriend instead.
Eight: Florida Stripes.
I want to preface this take: I don't even like the University of Florida. Even though I wore #1 in football for years as an homage to Percy Harvin, Tebowmania missed me — more of a Colt McCoy guy. And the Gators edged my Coogs to win it all in hoops this year. Definitively not a UF guy. But the helmet stripe socks are that good. First of all, I'm a 3 stripe guy over 2 when it comes to socks — shoutout to being a 5'11 dude in a 6'2 world. Gotta find every way to snag a few optical illusion inches. But the colorway of white, blue, and orange on some DCs is classic. Advantage: Gators.
Note: This style is out of stock, but they have plenty of other college socks (including more Gators socks) here.
Seven: The 1776s.
These have always been some of my favorite socks that DC has to offer. The overlapping, layered red/blue smiley could be my favorite smiley. Big Sock, if you're reading this: MORE OF THIS. That concept would run rampant in my sock drawer if they became a staple on the site. I ruined my pair running Bethpage in the mud before the Ryder Cup — they've never recovered. These are especially fun to wear walking the streets of Vancouver, BC — letting everyone know that even though I'm enjoying the sights/sounds of The Great North, they'll always be little bro.
Six: Oatmeal Smileys.
What a freaking name. These guys leave no stone unturned. You know what perfectly encapsulates the color of these socks? Some oatmeal at about 6:52 am. Maybe a dash of cinnamon if you're feeling dangerous. I probably haven't had oatmeal in a dozen years, but these socks ooze nostalgia. They remind me of OG SportsCenter, with the running ticker on the side. Top 10 plays. Maybe some SpongeBob. A bowl of Reeses Puffs. I ran a marathon in these socks and finally ordered a new pair. Now I want some oatmeal. Times I've mentioned running a marathon in this blog so far: 1
Five: The Palms.
I think the palms are most comparable to Chappell Roan — after a full year of telling myself I wasn't interested, I gave them a chance. And immediately fell in love. We might try and convince ourselves that Pink Pony Club and Red Wine Supernova aren't certified bangers, but at some point, we have to submit to the inevitability. That's the palm sock. You can debate yourself in your head, oh, am I a palm-sock-typa-guy? Oh, am I really going to openly admit I like Chappel? I don't knowwwwwww. Nononono, don't listen to your inner voice. Blindly purchase, put them on, and the results will speak for themselves. They're simply going to enhance your outfit, whether you like it or not. These are my favorite golf socks. I don't know why. And sometimes we don't need to know why.
Four: Stars and Bars.
Do I have these? No. Did I have these? Yes. My grandpa saw these and immediately said they were fantastic, so I (angrily) forked them over. He had just broken his hip, and I let my sympathy get the best of me. Now I'm left with a stars-and-bars hole in my heart. It could be my affinity for the NBA, but these socks remind me of the 1980s NBA all-star uniforms. Stars and Stripes, red/white/blue, and a nod to our forefathers. You know how I know my guys at DC are keeping their eye on the ball? They've got it priced at $17.76 (again, no stone left unturned).
Three: Denim Smileys.
Denim. Denim. Denim. Do you like denim? Me neither. Do you want me to say denim a few more times? Me neither. But what about the color denim? Now that's a different question. A nice, pleasant, soft denim blue might be the second-best blue out there. Carolina blue still takes the cake, duh. I can always tell which socks I like most by how much I avoid using them on the dusty running trails of Austin — the denim smileys are reserved for caddying or going out, nothing else. They also have the slightly smaller, more obscure smiley, which gives it a nice 'IYKYK' vibe as well.
Two: Cherries.
You know what's the most aesthetically pleasing fruit? Cherries. You know what's the most fashionable fruit? Cherries. You know what tastes good? Cherries. You know what has a great color scheme? Cherries. You know what I don't have enough of in my life? CHERRIES. These socks enhance an outfit. They bring some energy on a slow afternoon. They bring crisp air to a walk. They bring birdies when you need them most. But most of all: they bring mfkn vibes. I've never seen a cherry-themed clothing item and thought, Man, that makes *said outfit* worse.
One: DC T-shirt.
You want to know a telltale sign that a product is fantastic? It's nearly impossible to acquire, and it's spoken about in hushed tones. A Birkin bag. A Circle T. You almost question whether or not these actually exist, or if they're some fictitious thing that we pass along to our children by word of mouth. The Del Campo t-shirt is by far the best product that they've made. I think they did a (very) limited release during the week of the Ryder Cup, and I couldn't get my hands on one. But they're elite. The simple smiley. A faded crimson t-shirt that somehow looks better after each wash. What more could you possibly want? I've hinted at getting one, but Sockerburg hasn't mailed me one yet. Again, they might not exist.
Anyway, that's my ranking. Or list. Or a collection of thoughts masquerading as insight. If you disagree, that's fine — just know that I've tried just about every pair of socks this website has to offer.
Murda, out.
Drew Murdock aka Murda
