Here’s Why Socks Should Be Your Most Important Accessory
No, not a smile or a LBD – a colourful pair of socks is all you need to spice up an outfit. Becca and Cassie Kaiser are the millennial masterminds behind Toronto-based company Shop Okie Dokie and they’re working hard to take women’s hosiery to a new level. We spoke with younger sibling Becca about how they got started, why ladies deserve fun footwear too, and how pulling on a pair of sparkly nylons can feel like putting on a pair of diamond earrings.
How did you and Cassie start out?
My sister and I always knew that we wanted to work together in some way. At the company Cassie started working at there was a contest going on to encourage everybody to use an employee website platform for something. The company gave you a small sum of money to invest in a company using that platform. We thought it was such a good motivation to start a business together.
Why socks out of all things?
We got together and thought of things we like. It was like…socks! We would go to J. CREW and just pick out pairs together all the time. It was so weird and so random, but we decided that we’re going to make a women’s sock company.
When did Shop Okie Dokie actually become a company?
At that point in the process of things we were so focused on our branding that we were just like… screw the contest let’s make this legit amazing! We backed out and put all of our energy towards buying our socks, marketing, and branding.
Can you tell us a little more about the process of designing your socks?
We send samples of inspiration and colours to drive the design direction for our socks to our manufacturer based in Hangzhou, China. We chat to check in about production and new styles. It’s important for us to have a good relationship with the factory and people we work with on our designs.
Why do men have more options when it comes to socks?
We noticed that men had really cool and funky socks, but we didn’t. When we were thinking of things that were trending at the time we started our company, like pins, I had an addiction to pins, and other small accessories and we thought: why hasn’t anyone done cool socks for girls? That doesn’t make sense. And I think women are a little more scared to wear something like a bright pair of socks. One thing I like about our Shop Okie Dokie is that I think it also makes girls who are tomboys want to wear sparkly socks. Like ya… I’m gonna wear my sparkly socks when I’m skateboarding!
You’re encouraging women to step outside their comfort zone with what they wear, but how do you make socks the perfect add-on?
We want socks to be just another accessory. You can add a pop of colour to your outfit, especially if you’re working in an office and have to be a little more put together. Adding something fun to your feet is such a statement and it shows that you’re fun even if you have to wear a dress to work. Take a chance.
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