She’s Got Whosits & Whatsits Galore
Growing up in a small town in Tennessee, Tiffany Mink turned to Disney princesses to show her that the world had much adventure to offer.
As an adult, Mink continued to be inspired by these stories, and when she moved from Tennessee to Orange County started a Disney-inspired clothing brand. She has no brick-and-mortar store but rather sells online.
Whosits & Whatsits, Mink’s brand — named after “Little Mermaid” lyrics and inspired by all things Disney — has become a popular choice for Disneyland parkgoers to wear on their visits.
“Being from such a small town, watching these stories growing up, it made me realize there are more things out there,” said the 28-year-old Costa Mesa resident of four years. “Disney really motivated me to want to explore the world and do more in my life. I feel settled [in Orange County], even though I’m still pretty new.
“It’s crazy to me that I can go to Disneyland a few times a week. It’s even crazier when I see people wearing my stuff at the parks.”
Girls and guys will items like Neverland Beanies, akin to the hat Peter Pan wears, and Big Hero Snapbacks, which feature Baymax’s face. Her site also offers shirts bearing subtle characters. For instance, one called the Daughters of Triton Concert Tank features a poster for Ariel’s debut concert at the beginning of “The Little Mermaid.”
Mink said the brand started in 2011 as a small Etsy store that offered jewelry and later incorporated clothing and accessories. Whosits & Whatsits was a side project for Mink, who was working in marketing for various companies, including Mophie and Vans.
“It really came out of being an adult Disney fan,” she said. “I love the Disney princesses, but I didn’t want a shirt that had Ariel’s face on it with rhinestones and glitter. I kind of started just making things that I wanted to wear, that I wished existed, and then found out that a lot of other young adult Disney fans wanted similar items.”
Mink said she didn’t have any previous experience in clothing design, but her skills in marketing, her creative imagination and having a graphic-designer boyfriend helped her develop the brand.
Whosits & Whatsits became Mink’s full-time job in 2014 after she left her full-time marketing job to take a chance on her new brand.
“I wanted to put my energy into Whosits because it’s hard to be creative and still be stifled when you work for other people,” she said. “So I thought, I’m just going to take a chance and put all my cards on the table.... It’s so cool that my research for work is watching Disney movies. I kind of get inspired by what’s not there and add to it.”
Mink’s attempt to make the designs less than obvious adds to the fun.
The Daughters of Triton Concert Tank, for example, would only be obvious to “The Little Mermaid” fanatics, she said. And non-”Tangled” fans might interpret the sun logo on the Lost Princess Beanie as a sun instead of a symbol representing Rapunzel.
Because of her particular approach, Mink says she doesn’t think the Disney company will be concerned about her work. She said her work is a creative take on Disney lore.
A call to Disneyland last week was not immediately returned.
Mink said it’s still surreal when she sees people walk by in her clothing.
“It’s never not a surprise,” she said. “Literally, just yesterday, I saw a girl at my apartment complex wearing a Reverse the Curse Tee, which is a play on ‘Into the Woods.’ I was like, ‘Is this for real?’ People go to Disney to have these memorable experiences, and they choose Whosits to wear. That warms my heart.”
On a recent day, Mink was visiting Disneyland when someone walked by her in a Neverland Beanie.
“I like your beanie,” Mink told the woman, who immediately recognized her.
The woman, 24-year-old Angelica Rivera of Costa Mesa, owns several Whosits & Whatsits beanies.
“I like the brand because it lets me express my Disney love and the fandom — but subtly,” she said.
Sarah Sterling, who is known for her Disney-inspired outfits and online videos, first started wearing Whosits & Whatsits in early 2014, before befriending Mink.
“Disney is one of those things that everyone has a connection to,” said Sterling, 24, of Los Angeles. “We’ve all seen Disney movies and have a level of nostalgia for the movies, so even if you are a casual fan, it is becoming easier to show your Disney side through clothing and products like the kind Tiffany makes.”
Mink said she adds to the fun for her fans by hosting scavenger hunts for Whosits & Whatsits items whenever she is at Disneyland.
“I think wearing Disney fashion also brings a level of connectivity to not only the Disney fan community, but in general, because we can all connect through Disney in some way,” Sterling said. “… Whosits doesn’t make you stand out as an oddball, but all blends really nicely into an otherwise normal ensemble. I just think she finds really unique ways to incorporate Disney into a wardrobe.”
Mink said her younger self, who wore out her Disney VHS tapes, is proud of the woman she has become today and is glad Disney still plays such a dominant role in her life.
Whosits & Whatsits sells clothing, hats, jewelry and accessories for between $5 and $35 at whositswhatsits.com.
[For the record, 10:15 a.m. May 18: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Mink was laid off from Vans. Mink left her full-time marketing job to pursue her business.]