I am obsessed with all things 1960s Palm Beach. Call it the Lilly Pulitzer effect. Lore has it that she meandered around Worth Avenue barefoot. While I won’t be doing that in Philadelphia (shudder, this city’s sidewalks), I have absolutely done so in Georgetown:
This is to say that I take direct inspiration from the legendary socialite even when I am not wearing one of the resort-ready pieces. So apparently does the costume design for the Apple+ series Palm Royale, albeit more literally in iconic Lilly prints. Last week, my mother-in-law and I indulged in watching the first few episodes of the series and now that another has been released, I have been looking forward to keeping up with the members of the exclusive beach club.
The lead character, Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons as played by Kristen Wiig, makes a splash in one of the opening scenes in a vintage Lilly Pulitzer shift dress for which any Lilly Pulitzer fan worth her salt would shell out major money. It has all of the hallmarks of a classic shift: white crochet trim, acid-bright hues and though I cannot be sure, likely the “Lilly” lace at the interior lining and hem. Vintage Lilly Pulitzer is one of my favorites to shop, specifically for items with the original and second generation tags. I am also fascinated by what I assume were exclusive styles for department stores of the time. Examine a garment and notice that in addition to the Lilly Pulitzer tag, some styles have a tag indicating an exclusive style to Lord and Taylor or other small chain of department stores. (I haven’t seen that employed since Milly was carried on 5F [the contemporary RTW floor] of Bergdorf Goodman circa 2009.) When I discover another defunct store tag, I inevitably fall down a rabbit hole researching the historic retailer. I also find it interesting that nearly all of the skirts have a distinctly different tag identifying the item as Lilly Pulitzers Sportswear Division.
In addition to Lilly Pulitzer, other iconic, albeit lesser known brands, include Key West Handprint Fabrics, and Vested Gentress. If you like vintage from the unofficial queen of Palm Beach, you will likely enjoy pieces from the other two brands. Frequently, garments from each of the brands are difficult to distinguish from each other.
Below, I rounded up first and second generation 1960s Lilly Pulitzer, Key West Handprint Fabrics, and Vested Gentress dresses, sets, skirts, pants, and men’s.
dresses + sets
skirts + pants
mens