National Wear Your Lilly Day

Lucindervention,

Happy National Wear Your Lilly Day to all who celebrate!

A kind reminder to all those #resort365 enthusiasts out there: your Lilly Pulitzer obsession is not a personality trait and in fact if all you do is shop the latest releases and brag about shopping the latest releases and brag about spending your husband’s money on the latest releases only to say to him, “This old thing?” when he asks you about your latest acquisition and then brag about that, you might, probably, definitely have a problem and should seek therapy. Also, you might have too much time on your hands. May I recommend getting a job?

I digress.

You know what is not basic? Shopping vintage Lilly Pulitzer. Vintage Lilly is phenomenal because while the trained eye can recognize the heritage prints, and easier yet, the shifts and the maxis from a mile away, the dresses from half a century ago are distinctive from today’s. There are so few left of every style and colorway in each that the chances of wearing yours at the same time that anyone else is wearing hers, are virtually nil. When I see vintage Lilly Pulitzer out in the wild, as a Lilly Pulitzer enthusiast who hasn’t lost touch with reality, I think “Respect.”

identifying vintage Lilly Pulitzer time frame

Before you get to my round up of the best first and second generation Lilly Pulitzer frocks and skirts on the secondary market, and this year the selection is scarcer than usual, a little education on the different Lilly Pulitzer labels.

The label tells all when it comes to identifying the time frame of your potential vintage Lilly find. Examine the fabric content. If it is one hundred percent cotton, it is truly a first generation dress. The 1960s brought a 35% cotton / 65% poly blend. (Nearly all of my vintage Lilly dresses are of this generation.) In true Carol Brady form, a one hundred percent polyester knit was introduced by the brand, as it became standard for 1970s clothing.

The Vintage Fashion Guide is the best resource for not only Lilly Pulitzer labels and identifying time frames based upon them, but so many other brands.

searching for vintage Lilly Pulitzer

When perusing eBay and Etsy for vintage Lilly Pulitzer, I recommend searching for the following, in order of my success:

Since I purchased most of my vintage from eBay, I have never been able to try on prior to making a purchase. Learn from my lessons:

  • Always look at the measurements of the item. If the measurements are not included in the item listing, then request them from the seller. Lay flat a dress that fits and measure it. Compare measurements.
  • Vintage Lilly Pulitzer runs small. I only purchase items that are at least a size larger than what I would wear in today’s line. I once fell in love and bought a dress that was four sizes larger than what I would typically wear. A trip to the tailor later and I have a dress perfectly customized.
  • Read the fine print about the item because finding a NWT condition vintage Lilly item is next to impossible and honestly if you do, I would think better of buying it. Think about it: Who really has a never worn, with tags attached dress from the sixties, seventies, or eighties? A liar, that’s who. If you have any doubts about an item, ask the seller if there are any flaws and subsequently, for photos.

shopping for vintage Lilly Pulitzer

I found a small selection of vintage Lilly Pulitzer via eBay, 1st Dibs, and Etsy. Below are my picks. As always, do your due diligence on the fabric content, quality, and fit, before buying.

vintage Lilly Pulitzer

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