Meet Hannah Lavon, creator of PALS Socks

Pals socks are mismatched foot friends that go together, even if they don’t technically match. Think milk and cookies, burgers and fries, or cats and dogs. In fact, food socks are her best sellers. Don’t worry, Pals has baby and kids lines, too. Adults won’t steal all the fun!

Meet Hannah Lavon, creator of Pals Socks

Now that it’s January 2025, many of us are looking for ways to make our lives a little more playful. I know that I am gravitating towards bright colors, simple ways to add some whimsy to my routines, and happy little additions to my everyday life. “That’s where the culture is going,” says Hannah Lavon, creator of Pals Socks. “In the next four years we’re gonna need some excuses to be happy.”

Bright and colorful accessories were once rooted firmly in children’s brands, but that’s changing. Adult life is stressful, why shouldn’t we wear silly socks? That’s where Pals comes in. “I’ve always been attracted to novelties,” Hannah says when I ask her how she got started designing socks. She has always valued inclusivity as well. Pals was the perfect union of the two. “I thought it was important to deliver a message of friendship, and being a “perfect” match even if you don’t physically go together,” Hannah explains. Pals socks are mismatched foot friends that go together, even if they don’t technically match. Think milk and cookies, burgers and fries, or cats and dogs. In fact, food socks are her best sellers. Don’t worry, Pals has baby and kids lines, too. Adults won’t steal all the fun!

“I attract colorful, open-minded, friendly people”

Although Pals is a queer-owned brand, Hannah sees her creations as a way to start a conversation … or not. “Talking about diversity can be a downer or boring,” she says. “I just wanted to share a simple concept, and if you wanna dive more into the why then you can.” If a potential customer loves the socks, great. If they want an opportunity to dig a little deeper, then Pals can be a way to start those conversations.

“I attract colorful, open-minded, friendly people,” Hannah tells me. This past year, she collaborated with psychedelic cat artist Gabby Kash to create “3 PURRfectly mismatched pairs of limited edition Gabbercats Collection.” As PALS looks to the future of the brand, Hannah is excited to create new concepts and offer new products later this year.

Nearly a decade into Pals, Hannah has advice for anyone trying to execute a big idea. “Find a support system. There are places to poke around and meet like-minded people.” Whether it’s asking family and friends for honest feedback, or finding a social media community, Hannah also recommends investing time and capital into marketing, because without visibility, even the best idea won’t take off. “It’s all about hype these days,” she says. I think Pals socks are worth the hype, and you will too. I’m thrilled to welcome Hannah and her team to the Pink Robin family.

Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.

I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.

If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.

la********@pi***********.com

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I remember when my wife and I first became moms, I knew that our ability to “pass” was behind us. I was never going to pretend that my wife and family were something other than exactly who they were. It was freeing to know that I had to live my queer life out loud, that I would forever be myself in every space, all the time.

In a 2023 CNN article Daniel Korschun, associate professor of marketing at Drexel University explained that when it comes to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, executives “are becoming much more skittish about taking these stands and making strong statements.

According to a 2022 Pew Research Poll, roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults say there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our society. Because trans rights have become such a contentious issue across the country, companies that used to view supporting pride as “low stakes” have become less likely to support the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. “The pendulum is swinging a bit back … toward a more conservative approach, where they’ll be less vocal,” says Korschun. According to a recent NBC News article, Target stores will only sell pride merchandise in select locations this year. The retailer will not have Pride collections in about half of their locations. Additionally, they will only sell pride merchandise for adults.

An argument that Target has made in the past and is now using again is that this decision protects their LGBTQ+ employees, but let’s be clear: Conditional allyship is not support. Pulling queer merchandise from their shelves and essentially pretending that we don’t exist–and ignoring those of us who have children that want to celebrate pride with us–is detrimental to our community. Erasure threatens our safety. This weekend my mom told me that she’s done with Target. Like her, I can’t say I feel good about spending my money in a place that doesn’t value my family. As of today, the ACLU is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. We exist, and abandoning us only endangers us.