Lilly Pulitzer – lucindervention

My Target Redux 20

Did you have FOMO for missing the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection? Missoni? Zac Posen? All of the above?

All of the above.

I shopped the original online rollout of the queen of resort and was the first person in line at my local store and I still felt like I missed out on some of the styles. How fortunate that Target is giving us a second chance. I was completely jazzed to see that the bullseye retailer is reissuing highlights from not only the Lilly Pulitzer collection, but twenty years worth of designer collaborations.

I mean, way to give the people what they want, amirite?

In honor of the Target twentieth anniversary of collaborations, I picked out my top twenty picks. This is what I will be shopping come ~~Sunday~~ Saturday early morning. Shall we get into it?

For the laaaaadies….

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3723133″]

For the baaaaabies….

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3723130″]

This is It: The APS Sale

The semi annual #resort365 event is upon us. By that I mean the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is going live this Monday, September 9th at 8 am EST. To say I am more discerning than I have been in the past could be an understatement, as I have a tightly edited list of items for which I will be searching. Nevertheless, having a strategy for taking the Lilly Pulitzer APS is everything. This is my strategy:

before the sale…

Prior to the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale, take the time to register on the website. Should you already have log in information for the Lilly Pulitzer site, now is the time to check your registration and sign in on all of your electronic devices: laptop, family computer, smart phone, tablet. Whether you register or just confirm your log in information, make note of it.
Though Lilly Pulitzer has an app, during the most recent After Party Sales, the iOS app was turned off. This does not mean that you cannot use your small electronic devices. Take time to familiarize yourself with the Lilly Pulitzer mobile site layouts now to know what you are working with later.
Once you are signed in, make sure that both your payment method (ahem, expiration date!) and address is up to date.
Know your size ahead of time because all APS purchases are final. Either reference items already in your closet or if possible, try on your target styles in store.
Make a shopping list of your target items and sizes.
Clear your calendar for the morning of the After Party Sale.

the morning of the After Party Sale…

Set your alarm clock for a 7 am eastern standard time and brew yourself some coffee.
Upon the 8 am hour, log onto the Lilly Pulitzer website on all electronic devices. This will put you in a virtual line.
Do not refresh the site on any of the devices; this will put you at the end of the line.

you’re in…

Sort by size and category in order to filter out anything that is not on your shopping list.
Having an item in your virtual shopping bag does not reserve it. Check out often because items may be unceremoniously ripped from your bag.
After check out, jump back in line on the electronic device.
Monitor your other devices for access to the APS.
repeat

the morning after…

The sale typically lasts 48 hours and it is one hundred percent worth checking the online store assortment the day after because items are added.

reminders…

While you are in the virtual line, be patient. Refreshing the page will not get you into the sale sooner.
The APS is not a life or death situation. It is not worth stressing over marked down resort prints, and if this is the biggest problem in your life, what a charmed life you lead. Can I be you?

Counting Down to the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale

Let us get this out of the way. None of the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale items are must-haves, no matter what anyone tries to tell you. Food? Water? Oxygen? Those are life essentials. Elsa blouse? Mila shift? Those are luxuries and we are lucky to live in a world where scoring a frock on markdown is our biggest problem. I am not here to lecture; I just urge y’all to keep a little perspective during this tough and trying time.

That said, I have my eye on a few items that I would love to see pop up on the After Party Sale. And if they don’t, I will be signing off. As I say about the #Nsale (shudder), if you would not normally purchase the item, you are not saving money on a sale.

No secret that I love the Goop x Lilly Pulitzer. I bought the mini dress and blouse via Goop when they went on markdown. The collection supposedly sold out on the Lilly Pulitzer online store, but you know what other collaboration did? The Eugenia Kim collection but it magically became available and I was able to score the bohemian headscarf on the 2017 August APS. I am holding out that I will be able to score either the ball skirt or maxi dress, and if neither, the Maisie shift, as the style is a dead ringer for the Goop version.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3668670″]

My world (and that of every other gal topping six feet in height) was rocked when Lilly Pulitzer released shift dresses and shorts in longer lengths. I was so amped that when I heard the news, I immediately drafted an impromptu blog post despite the fact that I was riding in the passenger seat on a cross country road trip and we were somewhere in Nebraska and reception was spotty at best. The answers to my prayer to Lilly Pulitzer for a more conservatively cut shift landed two of the styles on my After Party Sale radar. These earrings have been on my radar for a second and as such, I will be keeping an eye out for those as well.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3668676″]

Mellow Yellow

Though we technically moved back to DC at the end of June, between finding an apartment (and within a mere two business days!), moving our stuff out of storage, unpacking, and going on vacation, we had not prioritized anything other than nesting the new flat. Last weekend before a trip to Bed, Bath, & Beyond, we made time for brunch. Any occasion is the right occasion for Farmers Fishers Bakers in Georgetown. Ironically, I have been on numerous occasions with different friends and family, but before Saturday, never my husband. It is a buffet brunch so an outfit without a static waistband is crucial. Never forget the time I wore skinny jeans to Farmers Fishers Bakers brunch.

I scored this fantastic vintage Lilly Pulitzer frock via eBay back in June. Thanks to the tag, I dated this dress to the 1960s. Vintage Lilly Pulitzer has been my style obsession of this past spring and current summer (see here and here and here and here) and though I am still attempting to decrease my shopping and keeping a discerning eye on my consumption, secondhand shopping is my weakness because with it comes a feeling of scarcity.

When I buy a vintage item, I cannot help but wonder about its provenance. Not whether or not it is actually vintage; I know my Lilly Pulitzer labels well enough to determine an item’s approximate age. Rather, I think about the woman or women who owned it before me. Who was she? Where did the former owner wear it? Did any formative events happen to her while wearing it? More importantly, did she accessorize it with a gin martini?

I love the a-line cut of this dress because these days, I am quite the pear shape. Elevating the comfort of this dress, especially during the dog days of summer, are the dual vents on either side. Not only do they make the dress roomier, but this feature of the design make it quite the ventilation system.

I linked several yellow vintage Lilly Pulitzer dresses below. As always, exercise diligence when it comes to sizing (I always ask for measurements, if they are not posted) and item condition.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3672143″]

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3672136″]

Lighter on the Wallet Lilly Pulitzer, Part II

for part I…

While bloggers everywhere are touting Nsale “must haves” (no shame, go one make that money girls), I found more marked down Lilly Pulitzer. Much more on brand for me, even though lately I am obsessed with vintage styles more than anything else. But we are talking After Party Sale prices and who can argue with that? Forty percent off frocks sound good, ladies?

I somehow republished part I this morning while under the influence of decongestants. I can confirm that there are several styles that have been restocked in the first post since it was originally published. Since then, three more styles have been marked down.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3667551″]

The last post included Lilly Pulitzer home good markdowns and since then, there have been further markdowns and on an expanded selection of merchandise.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3667555″]

Lighter on the Wallet Lilly Pulitzer, Part I

While I was researching longer length shorts, I uncovered marked down and promotional priced Lilly Pulitzer. Color me shocked! The After Party Sale is so frequently regarded as not only the holy grail of Lilly Pulitzer, but the sole way to score shirts, skorts, skirts, shifts, and shorts in sherbert shades. Granted that I have been favoring vintage Lilly Pulitzer as of late, there are certain frocks (ahem, this one) from the purveyor of privileged Palm Beach style that I love, no matter how many times they pop up in my Instagram newsfeed.

Perusing marked down Lilly Pulitzer clothing quickly broadened into a hot pursuit of clearance Lilly Pulitzer home and collaboration items. Strike at the right time and you might be able to score the below with a promotional percentage off the reduced price.

I regret missing out on the home goods during the Target x Lilly Pulitzer collaboration. My attention was pulled to the women’s department, followed by the girls’ department. Luckily my then-boyfriend / now-husband was living in California at the time and raided his local Target for the collaboration teacups that I just had to have. The new Lilly Pulitzer home goods collaboration is a bit more elevated than that of Target, rendering markdowns a score.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3640074″]

The Goop collaboration was released just over a year ago. While I strongly suspect that Lilly Pulitzer is hoarding what is left of their supply for the next After Party Sale (set your timer for August, people), Goop is another story. Once in awhile, these collaboration items in select sizes are available. My theory is that the short dress did so well, that Lilly Pulitzer reissued the dress with lace down the center of the front, rather than the rear. I live for the short sleeves with the puff shoulders. Lucky for you, that dress is marked down too.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3640098″]

In the words of Rihanna (or Nils Sjöberg or Taylor Swift), this is what you came for. Clicked for. Whatever. These dresses are forty percent off and sizes go in and out of stock. If you don’t see your size, check back frequently; check back obsessively.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3640134″]

Stay Argyle Longer

Argyle is an underrated pattern but especially in comparison to its cousins, gingham in the summer and black watch and Stewart tartans in the winter. Ironically, argyle is actually the official tartan of the Campbell clan of Argyllshire. It was imported to the states from Great Britain in the early twentieth century and it picked up popularity with the country club set, specifically golfers. I can get on board with that approach to athleisure!

I stand by argyle being versatile in terms of seasonality, given appropriate colors and fibers; however as it is commonly reserved for the opposite of the seasonal cycle, argyle is not particularly available for the shopping right now. The bright side to the argyle famine? The majority of the pieces still available from last autumn and winter are marked down. Prime time for stocking up on argyle pieces.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3620576″]

A Beautiful Day for Croquet

I stumbled upon this frock on eBay and immediately added it to my online shopping basket. I had not seen the dress before and I knew that if I waited, I would not see it again. Perfect for the fourth of July, it screams Americana Fest.

Aside for checking for the historic label, the not-so-secret way of identifying if an item is a Lilly Pulitzer, is finding the label of the iconic namesake within the print of the shift. In the case of this dress, I have found it in three locations in the print, two of which are shown in the above photograph: 1) bottom half of the dress on the far right in red and white with the script running vertical and 2) in the red and white square tile in the middle of the dress just below the collar under the solid blue row of 45 degree squares.

In addition to the items in this post, more vintage Lilly Pulitzer is linked below in a variety of sizes. Always check measurements against the listings and when in doubt, go up a size.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3641600″]

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3641667″]

Long Story Short

One of my most traumatic experiences growing up was getting sent home from school for my shorts being deemed “too short.” These were the same American Eagle chino shorts that many a teenage girl had in her back to school wardrobe, but nobody else wearing the shorts was sent home from school. Nobody else shot up to nearly six feet tall between eighth grade and freshman year.

I still remember the teacher who sent me to the office (Mrs. Boatner, second block biology). Though I never cared to learn her name, I also remember the face of the teacher who used the classroom the block prior and advised Boatner (a new-to-our-school teacher) that my shorts were inappropriate and told her I had to be sent to the office. Now that I am older, I find it to be more inappropriate for middle aged teachers to be policing young women’s wardrobes.

Earlier this week, Lilly Pulitzer upped the ante in providing shift dresses and shorts for all of the heights. Oh my thirteen year old self would have loved to make a splash on the first day of school with a shift or shorts cut for a tall frame, alas options like these were few and far between. Upon hitting publish on the iPhone drafted in an app-in a car-on a road trip blog post featuring the items, my blog analytics went wild.

If you are one of the newer visitors, welcome and thank you for stopping by again. If you are a regular, can I get a round of high fives in honor of the queen of resort labels providing shifts long enough for our frames? We have been waiting on this for awhile!

Even though I included the five inch / seven inch / nine inch inseam shorts in the post, I was particularly excited for the longer dresses; ergo I was surprised to see that the link to the shorts received so many clicks. With that in mind, I rounded up shorts with five inch inseams and longer.

I have previously discussed how I no longer feel comfortable shopping shorts with a three inch inseam. While I stand by them being appropriate for my thirteen year old self on her way to third block English, it is just another style of which I feel that I have aged out. I rounded up shorts offering more coverage, meaning five inch inseams and longer, in stripes, solids, prints, denim, and Bermuda length. No danger of being sent to the principal’s office now!

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3631738″]

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3631740″]

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3631741″]

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3631742″]

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3631739″]

THIS IS NOT A DRILL: Lilly Pulitzer for the Tall Girl

Lilly Pulitzer newly released long length shift dresses and shorts. This is a God send for the tall gal who previously may have felt a bit over exposed in the standard sizes shifts.

No longer!

The first shift is available in 34 inch length, 37 inch length, and 40 inch length. The other shift is available in 36 inch length, 39 inch length, and 43 inch length. Both shifts are available in size 00 through 16. Each come in a different print and have the signature white trim, albeit in different patterns. It is everything I love about the signature Lilly shift, albeit in sizing optimized for my frame.

The shorts are available in three, five, seven, and ten inch inseams from size 00 to 16. The shorts are available in two prints; they are the same ones as the shift dresses.

Lilly Pulitzer offers free shipping and free returns. Should you have reservations about your best size, try a few and send back what does not work.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3631814″]

Buzzed

Color me jazzed when I found that this certain American brand carried not only tall pants and dresses and sweaters, but also tall torso swim and button down shirts. I initially found a fantastic color block cocktail shirt last month but upon finding out that there was a collaboration with Sophie Allport, I turned my attention to this bee-utiful printed button down care of the brand.

For those who do not know, Sophie Allport is a Great Britain-based homeware designer. Per the Sophie Allport website…

Based in rural Lincolnshire, country inspired homewares brand Sophie Allport, was founded in 2007 by designer Sophie and her brother Jem. The quintessentially British brand is famous for its fine bone china and kitchen fabrics, but you will also find a wide range of products for pets and children and a lovely collection of home fragrance, bags, accessories and picnicware. There are now over forty different designs to choose from in the Sophie Allport, range. The charming and unique designs are all inspired by Sophie’s love of nature and the countryside. Plenty of gifts for country loving friends and family that offer a quirky twist on classic country design.

I tend to think that along with tall sweaters, tall button downs are the holy grail of the tall wardrobe. (Longer hemlines are easy to find among classic brands. God bless you, Brooks Brothers.) Extra long sleeves are a nonnegotiable; along with the Sophie Allport print (check out the mug) and color block shirt, striped, embroidered, and solid options are also available in tall.

Let us discuss the fit; it is a boyfriend fit. This may be one of the only shirts I own that end up in the dryer. I was gifted a medium and could have gone down to a small. Real talk: if (realistically, when) I procure the color block version, I will be going down to a size small.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3570618″]

Frock Star

Did anyone else catch this particular Lilly Pulitzer dress showing up on their Instagram feed on more than one lady’s Easter post? No doubt it is a great dress, so great in fact, that I purchased the Goop version of the style just last year and when the collection went on markdown. Luckily the general public’s aversion to Gwyneth Paltrow and Gwyneth Paltrow-related product kept the dress from getting too popular.

At the end of April, I discussed my own growing aversion to matching all of the gals sporting Lilly Pulitzer on my own Instagram feed. {No doubt that they all look adorable; I just feel resistance to looking like everyone else employing #resort365.} Only after I drafted this post discussing my reservations did my awareness hit an apex over Easter with the Maisie dress.

It was perfect timing because I had just shopped eBay like a mad woman and stocked up on vintage Lilly Pulitzer. Stocking up may be a bit of an understatement, actually. More like, I cleared out shift dresses in my size. Five shift dresses later and I satiated my need to not only go shopping and sustainably so, but also updating up my Lilly Pulitzer supply sans looking like everyone else.

Pro tip: when it comes to the Lilly styles from the 1960s and 1970s, go up a number size; this is especially crucial when shopping the online secondary market because oftentimes returns are not accepted.

Can we talk about the design of the dress? It is unlike anything that the brand currently carries. I am living for the fact that the hemline is longer yet it is still a shift dress. Rather than feeling constricted in the bottom half of the dress, the side slits provide ample room to move, walk, run. It is the perfect dress for someone who is a pear like myself. Cut to me scouring the secondary market for more.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3563049″]