Style your feet
Tiffany Ong has also got caught up in the novelty socks phenomenon but for a different reason.
To her, socks are an expression of her style and make a bold fashion statement. She became a fan since she walked into a store selling these socks during a visit to Taiwan three years ago.
Since she is more comfortable in sneakers, these socks have become her obsession and are always included in her daily outfits. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it also prompted her to set up Tiffy Socks in 2016.
“I had completed high school and was waiting to further my studies. Instead of waiting around doing nothing,I wanted to be productive. My best friend suggested I sell socks since I love them so much. I took her word seriously and worked on the brand. Two weeks before I left for university, I launched Tiffy Socks,” she says.
At the moment, Tiffany, 21, is in Ireland pursuing her undergraduate programme in business. While she is away, her older brother Benjamin Ong, 27, to runs the Johor Baru-based brand.
Benjamin says Tiffy Socks are for people who love cute, colourful, quirky and funky styles. As people have different tastes, the designs range from colourful and cute to super quirky. The common factor is that they stand out and are stylish.
“We have crazy and wacky patterns for people who are daring, adventurous and as unconventional as the socks they wear. We want everyone to stare at you when you wear Tiffy Socks. The colours are loud and the designs are extreme but you will have fun with the socks as you own your style.
“Men wear our socks to work because they want to look good. Socks add colour to their outfits. As for girls, the socks are usually worn with casual wear such as jeans and sneakers. Girls usually go for crazy and quirky designs. We also have customers who buy the socks as gifts and we have special packaging boxes for this purpose.”
Tiffy Socks customers are aged between 20 and 35, although older people are also fans because there are designs for people of all ages.
Designs are based on famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa, The Great Wave off Kanagawa and The Starry Night.
For people who love fruit designs, there Fun quirky designs. are socks with pictures of avocados, apples, bananas and cherries. There are also vegetable and food-themed socks with images of carrots, eggplants, broccoli, sushi, hamburgers, fried eggs or breakfast sets.
For more offbeat designs, there are those inspired by origami images of swans, ducks, dogs or the crane.
Customers can also choose from black and white stripes, polka dots, rainbow and seafood collections.
The most popular designs are the Mona Lisa, The Starry Night and those featuring sushi, avocado, watermelon, black and white stripes, fried eggs and a husky.
Benjamin’s favourite is a pair with the image of a garden, which he describes as classy and fun while Tiffany’s favourite is The Great Wave off Kanagawa, based on the painting by Japanese artist Hokusai.