Rest in Colorful Peace, Lilly Pulitzer

It all started with a juice stand.

Lilly Pulitzer had just married Peter Pulitzer in the early 1950s and relocated to West Palm Beach from New York City. Her husband owned several orange groves and since she had nothing to do, she decided to open a juice stand.

The juices kept staining her dresses, so she had a seamstress design easy-to-wear shifts in bright colorful prints. These dresses soon sold more than the dresses and an American legend was born.  She became a household name when a former classmate, Jacqueline Kennedy, was photographed wearing the now iconic shift dress.

My Lilly Pulitzer story began when I was 12-13ish, making the year 1996 or so. As a lover of bright, tropical colors and prints, her prints and ladylike styles stood out to me amidst the Abercrombie and American Eagle of the era. She was the first designer whom I really could recognize by aesthetic and she remains my favorite designer.

I consider Lilly Pulitzer to what I call an "heirloom" brand. What I consider an heirloom brand is one where people hang onto the clothes and accessories year after year. Last summer's dresses are welcomed with open arms this summer. It's the dress you try to borrow from your mom's closet when you're 16...and when you're 36.

Lilly Pulitzer also designed two lovely scarves for The Greenbrier:

According to The Greenbrier's website, the pink & green scarf contains "rhododendrons, The Greenbrier "G", the Springhouse, a Dorothy Draper clock, and The Greenbrier's arched windows." The blue scarf on the right has "the Cameo Ballroom, Victorian Writing Room, the Springhouse, and The Greenbrier front entrance"  They're $118 each, and you can click here or on the picture above to buy one.

Oh, Shift!

Lilly Pulitzer is an absolute favorite of mine. I love bright colors and prints, so naturally Lilly and I would be a perfect fit for each other.
Lilly's offerings often have unique details that separates them from similar items you may find in say, Macy's or Kohl's. A basic navy blazer from Kohl's will be just that--a basic navy blazer. However, a Lilly blazer would have a scalloped hem or sleeves. It's those little touches that make her clothes so beautiful.  They're also easy to wear. To me, a Lilly dress and simple accessories can help me get out the door in no time.

I will openly admit her clothes are very much a niche market, mostly limited to those who are fans of preppy or Southern fashion. If you find her prints too whimsical for your tastes, she also offers many items with amazing textures and colors.

Also for a limited time, you can get a free keychain with any purchase and a charm bracelet with any purchase over $250 (not to mention free shopping!):

Since I've been in need of a new keychain, I went ahead and bought a phone case I've been lusting over for sometime:

U Gotta Regatta is probably my favorite Lilly print ever.

Dresses You Can Wear Now Through Fall

Maybe  it's just because this summer has been ridicously hot but I have fall on the brain.  I want to wear jeans without my shins sweating.  I want to wear sweaters.  I want to be able to wear socks to bed.  Alas, it looks like this weather may be sticking around much longer than I'd like.  I'm also totally in love with dresses right now.  I don't wear dresses often so my sudden love for them is a bit odd.  To combine my desire for fall fashion and dresses, here are some dresses than can be worn through Thanksgiving:

(Polyvore Set Here)

From left to right:

Gap Braided Print Dress: I used to consider ikat a summer only print, but with the right coloring I believe it can last through the seasons.  The berry tones in this dress will make it perfect for autumn.

Ann Taylor City Sheath: The color is perfect for any time of the year, and this dress can be dressed up or down easily.  Yellow and gray are popular for this fall, but red, brown, plum, green, or just about any other color can be paired with this sheath.  Just keep black to a minimum to avoid looking like a bumble bee.  I think the model has just the right amount of black accessories.

Old Navy Cap Sleeve Jersey Dress: Any easy-to-wear dress in easy-to-wear colors.  I'd add a chunky navy cardigan or blazer and pair with the loafers that are huge for fall for an easy preppy look.

Anthropologie Bottle Green Dotted Party Dress:  The forest green spots on an cream background make this perfect for fall, and the flat bow with the yellow accents really make this incredible for fall festivites.  When I first looked at the bow on this dress online, I was afraid of it being too 80's-prom-dress-ass-bow-y, but it lies completely flat, and again, the yellow accents really do keep the dress from belonging in a 1987 high school yearbook.

Lilly Pulitzer Kinley Dress: This is a sweater dress, but the loose knit makes it great for those summer nights that get chilly. The navy and berry colors keep it great for both summer and fall.

 

 

 

It's SUMMERTIME!

Okay, okay, I know I said several weeks ago that I'd have some new posts up.  And I had them planned out and everything, it's just I didn't plan on being sidelined in the hospital for two weeks with walking pneumonia.  Once I was out of the hospital I had a lot of stuff at work to catch up on, so the blog has fallen by the wayside. 

Anyways, Memorial Day has officially passed, thereby bringing us the summer fashion season.  I now officially approve of the wearing of white, tropical prints, and Lilly.  Well, hell, I approve of Lilly anytime of the year, it's just so damn happy.  To welcome the suddenly much warmer temperatures, here are my accessories for Summer 2011:



I got one.  I FINALLY GOT MY HANDS ON ONE!  One of the purses I have most lusted for some time now is a Lilly Pulitzer Bermuda Bag.  It's the wooden handles that you see in the picture above, and there is a white lining that holds your stuff.  The beauty of the Bermuda Bag are the interchangeable bag covers, this one being an adorable pink and green Lilly hippo print.  These tend to go high (read=more than I want to pay) on Ebay, but I got the handles and three reversible covers for $40, which is an amazing deal as the covers retail for$20.  This cover reverses to a light pink embroidered with mint green flowers.  Here are the other covers:



The bottom one is the reverse of the hippo print.  The top left reverses into a mint green butterfly print, and the orange floral reverses into just a plain mint green.  Yes, this bag is much smaller than what I normally use, but at the same time, it will carry more than it looks.  I can get a French purse wallet, iPhone, keys, and a lip gloss in there and could probably carry another small item.  unfortunately, Lilly Pulitzer doesn't make Bermuda Bag covers at the moment, so I've been looking at Ebay and other places online to find some.  I haven't had much luck, but there is a website, All About You Design, that does carry a great selection of Lilly fabric and will make you a reversible cover for $20.  I haven't ordered from this website, as medical bills are causing my wallet great pains, but it looks to be a reputable site. 



This is another adorable Lilly Pulitzer clutch/purse.  This is actually a basket with fabric sides, with the pink ties you see.  This one is very small, I can get my keys, ID holder (if  I don't need everything in my wallet), and phone in there and that's about it.  I actually bought this back in January for $10 off Ebay.  They're now going for upwards of $70.  Crazy.



For those days I need to carry a bit more, I got this tote from the Calypso St. Barth for Target line.  It's a linen tote with the beautiful embroidered design on the front.  The linen has gold metallic threads running through it, giving it a lovely glow.  The only thing I'm not crazy about with this tote is the handles are very plastick-y feeling, but for the price ($16.99), I'm not going to complain too much. 



I picked up these wedges, also from the Calypso St. Barth for Target line.  These were $29.99, and also came in a turquoise wave/tie-die print.  These are not made with the same fabric from the tote above, the linen is woven more tightly, and these have a silver effect as opposed to gold in the tote.  They're surprisingly comfortable, I was able to get through an entire wedding and reception without dying to take them off.  For those who are interested, these shoes are pretty light, if you're not into heavy shoes. 



Normally, I say fashion goes to die at Fashion Bug.  However, maybe a month or so ago they had a 40% off Friends and Family sale, so I went in to have a peek and came out with these and an amazing pair of khaki Bermuda shorts for work.  I have super high arches, so a lot of sandals in this style don't fit well.  These fit well and are comfortable as well.  These have a silver piping around the outside of the sole which gives them great detail.  I think these are normally around $20-ish bucks. 

I really haven't purchased much in the way of clothing, I'll talk about that in my next post.