Design Your Own Socks Brand Shows Personal Style From Head To Toe

There’s a reason why Portlandia, the wry and witty send-up of hipster counter-culture enclaves from SNL’s Fred Armisen and Sleater Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein, has been such a success: it’s funny because it’s true. Though Portland may have become home to all things twee and ironic, at the heart of it it’s a place where adults of all ages can embrace their inner child and let their “individuality” show. It was then of no surprise to us that the newest company to cater to a growing need for the niche would come out of this rainy Nortwestern city. Sock It to Me sells fun, funky socks—with adorably appropriated tacos, cupcakes, ninjas, mustaches, unicorns and other things that have managed to make it into the hipster lexicon over the past decade.

And now they’ve taken their whimsical wares global: from the U.S. to the U.K. and beyond. Starting with a tent at an outdoor market, to their first wholesale customer, Naked City in Portland, to creator Carrie Atkinson‘s moment of truth:

The story really began for me at age 26, when my search for a “real job” came up short. With a good job history, college degree, and earnest motivation, I found it hard to believe that I couldn’t find work—let alone, work that was satisfying. It was then I remembered the amazing socks I had fallen in love with in Korea while teaching English there years earlier. They were thick, stretchy, colorful, and affordable. They were unique, and I really liked them. I thought people back in the States might also like them. So after a good year and a half of deliberation, I decided to go forward, and—taaa daaa!—Sock it to Me was born in 2004.

Sock It to Me is now known throughout the globe, building a celebrity fan base among the likes of Pink, Avril Lavigne, Janeane Garafalo, Kimya Dawson, Chicago Bulls’ star Derrick Rose, and recently – SF Giants pitcher, Brian Wilson, was spotted on the red carpet of the 2011 ESPY’s in Sock It to Me’s. In addition, they were just spotted on Project Runway, as the All Star designer guru Mondo Guerra is a huge wearer & supporter of Sock It to Me and is in talks to design a special sock for the new collection. In addition, Sock It To Me also lets you design your own socks, and if they like your design, they will put it into production for the mass market. Many of the designs they have produced actually come from their ongoing Design a Sock contest, where they award the artist $200 total per design. Twice a year they also hold a special contest where the cash prize is upped to $500. Check their BLOG for specific dates to this contest. They also announce on Facebook and their mailing list when it is taking place.

Sock It To Me

Sock It To Me