By Jasmine Ball, Special to the AFRO

A native Washingtonian is giving back to the community with socks. Socks might appear minor for some, but to others they can change lives.

“I thought what if I designed my own socks, since I spend a lot of money wearing other brands and designs. Why not put it towards creating my own?”, said Yurlee Tinsley, owner of Royal T Socks.

Royal T Socks, owned by D.C. native, Yurlee Tinsely, donates a pair of socks for every 10 pair sold. (Courtesy Photo)

Tinsley officially launched his business Royal T Socks on February 5, 2018. Royal T is a brand that is geared toward expressing creativity through imagination.

Tinsley told the AFRO, “I want to express imaginable creativity. Our designs will go beyond traditional colorful socks with no limitations. If you have an imagination, there is a design for socks”.

Tinsley attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. From high school, he went to South Carolina State University to receive his bachelors in business management, while minoring in Human Resource Management. He also earned his masters in information systems technology from The George Washington University.

Even with his background in technology and business, getting the business of its feet was not simple at first because he wanted to find people he could work with to bring his creativity to life.

“Looking for a manufacturer was not easy, but I was able to find someone who could make my ideas and designs come to life,” said Tinsley. Tinsley designs what he wants the sock to look like and the manufacturer does his magic. Each pair of sock has the name Royal T at the bottom, so everyone will know where they came from.

Tinsley plans to collaborate with different creators, work with different organizations and host events.

The idea of donating socks came from researching that Washington, D.C. is fifth on the list of having the highest population of homelessness.

“I plan to design a dedicated sock specifically for donating,” the entrepreneur said.

Tinsley donates one pack of socks to a shelter in Washington, D.C., for every 10 pairs of socks purchased. Since the start of the business, seven packs of socks will be donated. There are five pairs of socks in each pack. The socks range from $10- $50.

While a specific one has not been chosen, Tinsley plans on donating the socks to a youth shelter.

Customers, like Kiana Howard, enjoy the quality Royal T Socks and the fact the business is African American owned.

”The socks that I ordered are very comfortable. I like how much time Yurlee puts into his designs and how creative the patterns are. I will be ordering more pairs and definitely will keep supporting this Black owned business.”

When asked what makes Royal T Socks different from other competitors, Tinsley said, “mostly the designs, I look at hundreds of sock designs and I try to make something that is different. The socks that I create are unique.”

Royal T Socks can be purchased on the website, royaltsocks.com.