Old underwear a turn-on for some
By SAMANTHA AMJADALI
19 October 2003

KELLY Butler sells second-hand undergarments for a living and they're being snapped up like Grand Final tickets.

Butler, 29, makes Tramp Lamps -- ornate, low-wattage lampshades fashioned from unmentionables recovered from op shops and vintage clothing stores in her home town of Nashville, Tennessee.
The lamps, which cast soft, get-you-in-the-mood lighting, are made from cured vintage underwear, including bras, corsets, old-fashioned linen pantaloons, even the odd lacy chemise.

Guaranteed to be the conversation piece in any room, Tramp Lamps are one-offs, which take between 24 and 48 hours to create, a process that involves curing the material to stiffen it, then making it burn-proof.

And from where does the inspiration come to create lamps from old underwear?

"A light bulb went off in my head, of course," says Butler. "I have a degree in theatre and arts. I'm never going to be a banker, so I've got to make my degree work for me and I've always enjoyed nice lighting.

"Every lamp in my home is an alternative light source. I've got five lava lamps, fake gas lamps and every light source is 'peripherally enjoyable'.

"Overhead fluorescent lighting makes me cranky and I thought it might be fun to create my own lampshades in the curvy shape of a woman's body."

Butler's idea has proved a hit with American buyers. Since she started Tramp Lamps late last month, she has already sold all 15 of the lampshades she has created, including an embroidered bra called Clara (Butler names each piece), a bustier named Bettie and a camisole dubbed Mona.
In the past five days, hits on the Tramp Lamps website have risen from 150 per week to more than 17,000 and, inexplicably, most of the traffic is from Japan.

"I get requests for copies, but people sometimes don't understand that each lamp is one of a kind," says Butler, who describes her bedroom as a boudoir of hanging unmentionables.

"The lamps aren't made from a stock of four or five similar garments, so the possibility of making two lamps that look the same could only happen if I had multiple garments, but that doesn't happen, given the way I buy them from vintage clothes shops and second-hand stores."

Each lamp costs between $145 and $210 (Austrailian), excluding shipping, and Butler will create custom lampshades out of other items of clothing, preferably "something with girly curves".

But that hasn't stopped male admirers of her work requesting their undergarments be immortalised.
"My dad wants me to make a lamp from his old boxer shorts. He's a nut and an absolute joker," says Butler. "There's nothing like ringing your 63-year-old father and talking about women's underwear. He's a clown, but he's been my biggest supporter."

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