Eugene weekly., August 21, 2008, Page 14, Image 14

Funderwear
Indie drawers from a local
A
shley Hoffman always wanted
to sell her original clothing
designs, but she knew that to be
successful, she needed to fi nd her niche.
She never imagined she’d fi nd it peddling
undies on Etsy.
BY ADRIENNE VAN DER VALK
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BULLFIGHT.ETSY.COM
“I started screen printing onto T-shirts,”
she recalls. “But it’s pretty common;
everyone does that. So I kept making
different things and putting them on there.
I always wanted to try making underwear.
When I got brave enough to try, it got a
really good response.”
The response came from a network of
shopping enthusiasts who fl ock
to Etsy’s homespun-
chic web site in search
of fun, original items
sold directly by the artists
themselves.
Gorgeous
photography, hip layouts
and funky screen names
(Hoffman’s is “bullfi ght”)
have catapulted Etsy to
uber-popularity since it
launched three years ago,
providing crafters all over
the world access to a virtual
open air market. For Hoffman
and her fashions, it’s a perfect
fi t.
“I’ve had quite a few repeat
customers,” she says of her
underwear line, a collection of
handmade panties made from
recycled T-shirts. “I think that is
a testament to the
fact that they’re
comfortable,
cute and one-of-a
kind.”
A
peek
at t
Hoffman’s
Etsy
y
page reveals a
rainbow of striped
d
panties, somewhat
at
reminiscent
of
Underoos. She also
so
offers funky hand-
nd-
sewn screen printed
ted
hoodies, notecards,
rds,
decorative
onesies
sies
for babies and, for
the truly eccentric
ntric
shopper, a collection
ction
of moustache stickers. She recently began
sewing full-time and plans to expand her
line.
“I got laid off from my job,” she
explains. “I found that to be a really
good opportunity to try crafting for a
living. It’s a scary thing to try, but if
you find yourself without a job then it’s
not so scary. I’ve gotten a lot requests
for men’s underwear, and I’m going to
do plus size. There’s some demand for
children’s, too.”
Hoffman acknowledges that her soft
cotton skivvies with their thick ribbing are
not designed to go under slinky dresses
or tight dress pants. Their cuteness and
comfort quotients, however, are beyond
compare, and at $10 they’re priced to
wear.
“If you’re going to walk around
the house and cook breakfast in your
underwear,” she says, “then this is the pair
for you!”
ew
Ashley Hoffman’s designs are available at bullfi ght.etsy.com
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14 AUGUST 21, 2008
EUGENE WEEKLY
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