"The Lilly girl is always full of surprises, she lives everyday like a celebration, never has a dull moment, and makes every hour a happy hour." – Lilly Pulitzer.
I’ve been a “Lilly girl” for most of my life and over the past year I’ve worked at a Lilly Pulitzer signature. I wear Lilly almost every day of my life and there are a few things I’ve learned. There’s a lot more to the brand and the community around it then what meets the eye. For starters its so much more than just preppy and bright clothing.
The brand’s history dates back decades to the 1950s when it all started with a juice stand. Lilly Pulitzer (née McKim) and her husband Peter Pulitzer (grandson of Joseph Pulitzer—you know the Pulitzer prize) owned several citrus groves in Palm Beach, Florida. Lilly had run into a problem when juicing oranges for her juice stand. The oranges stained her clothes. The first “Lilly” dress was made with the idea that a bright and colorful pattern could mask the citrus stains. The “Lilly” dress was just the beginning of what would become the Lilly Pulitzer brand. The brand was proudly sported by Jackie Kennedy and members of the Vanderbilt family making it a staple in any preppy girl’s wardrobe.
My love of Lilly Pulitzer carries a personal history too. My grandmother and great-aunt both wore Lilly starting in the 1960s. My grandmother still wears Lilly—it’s a brand for all ages. My aunt and my cousins wear Lilly too. It’s a family tradition that I intend to continue. If I have daughters of my own one day you can bet that they’ll be decked out in Lilly Pulitzer as soon as they’re 3 months old. (I’d start younger but the smallest size Lilly makes is 3-6 months.)
Every single Lilly Pulitzer print contains Lilly’s name somewhere in the print. Sometimes its easier to spot than others but every print without fail includes her name. There’s actually a feature of the Lilly Pulitzer app that allows you to “spot the Lilly” and highlights where her name is in each print. This is a really special way of preserving Lilly’s legacy since she passed away in 2013.
There is a whole online community centered around the Lilly Pulitzer brand. On Facebook alone there are over 30 groups dedicated to the brand. These groups range from buy/sell/trade to styling advice to Lilly lovers of political parties (I’m in 27 Lilly Facebook Groups, if I counted correctly). Styling My Lilly is one of these groups that really plays a role in the supportive nature of the Lilly community. This particular group is intended for styling posts and questions and has over 7,000 members. These women support and encourage one another in their lives and love of Lilly. Instagram also has it’s share of the Lilly community. Many women, myself included, have Instagram accounts dedicated to Lilly Pulitzer. (Mine is @evewearslilly if you want to check it out.) The women that I interact with in these groups and on my Lilly Instagram are funny and supportive, not to mention total enablers of my Lilly addiction.
