Elizabeth Kneifel

What led you to start selling your butterfly sweatshirts? 

I saw that specifically the butterfly sweatshirts I sell are really popular but (the originals are) really expensive. Most people don’t really wanna spend that much. So I thought if I make them myself just with craft supplies, it’s pretty simple, and sell them to other people so they can get a better deal, I can be creative and make a little spending money while at it.

Where do you get inspiration for the clothes you make?

Brandy Melville. They have those sweatshirts, mine are just a different color. I decided to spice it up a little by providing different color options.

Did you have anything you struggled with when first starting your business? 

At first I was like, “Oh, am I going to be embarrassing myself by putting this on my story? Will anyone actually be interested in this?” Will people be annoyed by this? (These) were all doubts in the back of my mind. But you what, I like doing this. I think it’s fun. I know there are people out there that like it too,  so I’m going to do it.

What do you like about selling clothes?

I like the creative process of actually making the clothes. I also like the business side of things, like the entrepreneurial steps and interacting with different people from school and around the world I guess.

What is something you dislike?

While online thrift shop selling, people will try to get an unfair price out of you so you have to make sure that you’re still being fair to yourself and remembering, “Hey, I spent this much money on it.” Being fair to yourself when dealing with some more difficult customers online.

Did quarantine have any impact on your business?

Yeah, definitely; I think people are doing a lot more online shopping right now so selling some of my clothes online business has been a lot more popular because people can’t go to Goodwill or other thrift stores to shop so they’re turning to online thrift stores which is what I utilize.

What would you say to other students who want to sell clothes?

I would say go for it you know, get your supplies at a fair price and go for it because there are people out there that want to buy it and it gives you a creative outlet and helps you learn some business skills.