Aussie blogger Elly Hatfull reveals very expensive underwear habit

ELLY Hatfull owns more than 150 sets of luxury underwear — and it’s an obsession that’s costing her thousands every year.

A SYDNEY blogger and social media identity has spoken out about her $5000-per-year lingerie habit.

Elly Hatfull, 27, has amassed more than 41,000 followers on her Instagram account, Lace and Haze, and also runs a lingerie-focused blog by the same name.

In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, she revealed her lingerie addiction was starting to add up — and that she’d spent “about $5000 on lingerie so far”.

But she told news.com.au despite that eye-watering sum, she wasn’t trying to cut back on her spending.

“I never keep track of how much I spend on lingerie per year,” she said.

“I’m not sure if I spend more or less now, but I believe I’m buying better and more versatile pieces now.

“I’m trying to buy less but buy better. I invest in lingerie the same way some people invest in designer bags.”

• Call that ‘broke’ Aussie ambo

• My ‘revenge’ on thief neighbour

• Why all Aussies need ‘three properties’

Ms Hatfull said her passion for underwear developed when she wasn’t able to express her personal style during her day job, thanks to a restrictive workwear code.

As a result, she started experimenting with different underwear looks — and before she knew it, she was hooked.

“It’s the feeling you get from wearing it, a secret confidence,” she said.

But she said she had been shocked by the response she had received from fellow lingerie-obsessed women.

“I didn’t realise how passionate so many people were about lingerie at first,” she said.

“Because it’s usually hidden and seen as taboo, Instagram was initially a safe place to share and interact with fellow enthusiasts that you normally wouldn’t realise shared the passion.”

Ms Hatfull said she “definitely still works” a day job, and that her blog and Instagram are “just a hobby”.

“I don’t spend too much time on it (Instagram). I use it on my way to work and lunch breaks and I update my blog less than I would like,” she said.

But she said she enjoyed inspiring others.

“The main message I’m trying to get across is lingerie is for your own enjoyment and isn’t inherently sexual,” she said.

“For myself, it’s a form of self care the same way a massage or a holiday can be for someone else.

“Lingerie can be for everybody and half the world’s population wears it so let’s normalise it and desexualise it.”

Ms Hatfull also told the Daily Mail her collection had grown to more than 150 sets and that she still keeps pieces she no longer fits into thanks to their “sentimental value”.

Her go-to brands include Bordelle and Harlow & Fox for “luxury” while Silent Arrow and Palindrome when she’s after something more “accessible”.

She’s also a strong advocate for ethical shopping, and is a fan of Hara The Label which makes products out of plant dye and bamboo.

And Ms Hatfull is just as passionate about body positivity as she is about lingerie — a theme she stresses in her blog.

“For me personally, I became body positive when I started to wear lingerie. It made me feel good, like a form of self care,” she told the Daily Mail.

“It makes you face some body hang-ups you may have, but it also helps you embrace what you’ve got.

“I know when I’m wearing beautiful lingerie I am a better version of myself. If you feel good on the inside, it carries onto other aspects of your life.”

In her bio on the Lace and Haze blog, Ms Hatfull describes herself as a “Sydney-based lingerie addict who is just passing on my experiences in this weird world. I wear my lingerie every day in a very fast-paced work environment, so if I say it’s practical, I mean it!”

[e-mail]