…..Absolutely!
I never used to spend money on socks. My routine was to go to a well known high street chain and buy a couple of multi packets of cotton socks. Five pairs for £10. I would fill my sock draw to bursting with them. They were never in pairs. They were never that comfortable. They quickly developed holes in their heels and toes. Socks didn’t give me pleasure. They were a necessity. Every so often I would send the entire draw to landfill and buy another few multipacks. Repeat.
These socks were so far removed from the so soft but so durable mohair and alpaca socks at PAIRS.
It was whilst sitting on the sofa, wearing said cotton socks and a trusty old pair of worn out boots, with my 9 month old daughter that I had the idea for PAIRS. I felt the nagging sensation of ‘I should really go out for a walk’ but found it hard to muster the enthusiasm with tired, thin socks and uncomfortable feet. It was then that I had this epiphany. Years ago I had been given a pair of mohair socks, and I rushed up to my sock draw to get them. Despite being ten years old, they were still in excellent condition. I wondered if I could get them made in the UK and PAIRS Scotland was born.
Off the back of this we have now developed bed sock collections in alpaca and now cashmere, and we have a new collection of knee high socks in alpaca.
You really have to try our socks to believe it. Yes they are wonderfully stylish, and you can see that from our awesome photographs - all of which were taken in the few miles surrounding the PAIRS studio. But importantly they are also life changingly comfortable. What used to be a necessity, now feels like a luxury. It’s how we came up with our tagline ‘unexpectedly joyful.’ Putting on our socks has become one of those small things in life that brings us pleasure.
Sometimes when I am with my children, my husband and my dog, I like to fantasise about what I would take to my desert island. What do I really need? I also think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which frames our human needs in a pyramid, starting at the most basic level with air, water, food, and sleep. Flippantly, I would also like to add good coffee, wifi and sourdough to that list oh, and my sunglasses. But I would also like to add my PAIRS socks. They really do make a difference.
We absolutely get that our socks are an investment and that is why we have decided to launch our ‘Give a friend a pair’ scheme, so that people can try our socks for themselves. Head to our website to send a friend a free pair, which they can receive when they make a purchase from us. This effectively makes their first couple of PAIRS half price. Who do you know that might like some?
So what does my sock draw look like now. You might be surprised to hear that there are far fewer pairs in then than there used to be. I have three pairs of mohairs, and three of alpaca and two pairs of bed socks. You don’t need many pairs. They will serve you well and my hope is that they bring you unexpected joy.
