I have black and green striped knee stocks and the stripes have a similar thickness to OP's socks. They go slightly above my knees - maybe thigh highs wouldn't be bad, true.

Yea it's probably just getting used to it. Being a cis male, I've claimed a lot of things for myself that are generally regarded as "feminine" - like makeup, nail polish, leggings, earrings even - and skirts and knee socks are not among them yet. I've tried both on and enjoyed wearing both but didn't like the way they looked, so I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable wearing either in public. It's just clothing in the end, so I shouldn't worry too much but eh.

Plaid skirts they're called I think (?) are awesome and would definitely be something I'd like to wear somewhere down the line