We house only the most unique and authentic assortment of sustainable pieces at Curated, our shop at Herb House Spa. Browse our shelves and you’ll come across our newest addition, Pairs Scotland, a beautiful collection of ultra-comfortable, natural fibre socks for everyday luxury. We had a chat with Anna, one of the founders of Pairs Scotland to talk all things, fashion, design and inspiration.

Tell us a bit about Pairs Scotland and how it came about?

The thing about socks is that they are one of life's necessities. Most of us trudge along in holey cotton socks and don't realise how comfortable our feet could be if we invested in proper pairs. 

Proper pairs are what we do at PAIRS. From rural Perthshire in Scotland a small but monumental shift in the lives of two mothers began in 2020. We, Alice and Anna, realised that putting on sumptuously soft, warm socks could in fact be an Unexpectedly Joyful moment in the day. Everyone needs that moment! Most of us throw on our cotton socks without a thought. But investing in good quality and long-lasting socks can make your feet (and your head!) feel incredible as you tread through life. Our customers tell us that our socks quickly become one of life's essentials - just like good coffee or wi-fi or sourdough....

We’re based in Perthshire and our collections are inspired by the Highland landscape and the ebb and flow of the seasons. We love ‘unexpectedly joyful’ things at PAIRS, and that's why we stick by this motto in everything we do. 

Tell us about your products and how they are made.

Pairs Scotland is a luxury socks brand, creating socks that are enjoyed by our customers across the world. We specialise in using unique, sustainable, natural fibres that give lasting quality and strength while keeping you warm and cosy in the winter and cool and odour free in the summer.

Our capsule sock collections made from mohair and alpaca fibres are the cornerstone of our business. From the outset, it was important to us to source the finest fibres from their native environments, in order to support indigenousness jobs and a way of life. Everything had to be sourced responsibly, be recycled and/or be recyclable, right down to the packaging and nylon, used to give shape to the sock.

What makes your product unique?

Mohair is known as the diamond fibre and is ultra-strong and hard-wearing - it is even used in airline seats! We use young mohair fibres to knit highly durable socks which are long-lasting but still soft. Alpaca is softer but less hardwearing and is super insulating due to the hollow fibres. We imagine your guests are currently snuggled up in their alpaca bed socks, reading a lovely book while cradling a cup of tea after a fabulous afternoon in your spa; it’s definitely our vision of an unexpectedly joyful afternoon!

What inspired you to create the products?

It had never occurred to me that socks didn’t have to be made of cotton (destined to become holey and sure to keep your feet cold and damp) or thick, scratchy wool socks for your welly boots. But when Alice presented an intriguingly soft and warm mohair sock to me with an idea to revamp everyone’s socks drawers with these soft, warm socks I was immediately sold. After the success of our mohair, alpaca and cashmere socks we dived into finding the next sustainable fibre for the collections and the lambswool bed sock was created.

We want everyone’s drawers to be a highly edited version of what they most likely are. Stuffed to the brim of holey cotton socks instead of a chic, neat row of 8-10 socks for every occasion and activity, that last for years.

How has the pandemic influenced your business?

We were, in some respects, in a very fortunate position. We worked through the first lockdowns to create the brand and business ethos. So, in actual fact, we created a business to suit the times we now live in by the very fact that we were also living right in amongst it!

February 2020, when viewed now in 2022, seems like a very hope tinged and naive place to start a venture. With the UK unaware as to what was to come, Alice introduced me (Anna) to the glorious world of mohair and alpaca. Our sock drawers would never be the same again!

We found we had the same vision; to create unexpected joy in the lives of our customers while treading the path of sustainable, thoughtful wares. And with a background in finance and luxury marketing, our experience has paved the way to an exciting partnership.

Like many, lockdown provided an alternative focus and a new position to view the world. Glimmers of joy came in the most unexpected places.  It was the small things encountered at home with their families, removed from usual work and social commitments, that genuinely provided unexpected joy.

You can shop the beautiful range here, or why not pop into Curated to see them for yourself!?