Summer in Lilly
When in Palm Beach you must wear your Lilly Pulitzer! It wouldn’t be right if you didn’t! About two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going to Palm Beach to work with three talented ladies, Paige of the Pink Clutch Blog, Mary of Mrs. Southern Social and Andrea Kinnear Photography on a fabulous tablescape and other brand projects. When I began packing for my trip, Lilly Pulitzer reached out to collaborate and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
I literally did a happy dance because I have been a lover of Lilly for a long time. I couldn’t tell you how many Lilly shift dresses I have purchased through the years and I even worked at a Lilly Signature Store right out of college. Lilly Pulitzer is so me. I love their vibrant, colorful prints and each collection seems to amaze me. As an artist, I am always in awe of the design work and I appreciate the talent that goes into creating their new patterns.
I wanted to talk a little history with you really quick and how Palm Beach is so iconic for Lilly Pulitzer. Lilly was best known for her tropical-print A-line shift dresses. Her business all started with a juice stand! Yes, a juice stand right in the vias just off the famous Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. The job was messier than she expected and Lilly needed a way to avoid staining her fabulous dresses. Most would have bought an apron but not Lilly! She had her dresses made in “spill proof” fabrics. Brightly colored printed shift dresses became her uniform but soon all of her friends wanted her dresses and Lilly gave the people what they wanted. Soon everyone was seen all over Palm Beach and the world wearing her dresses. For generations, Lilly Pulitzer has come to represent the resort lifestyle for women of all ages and stages seeking sunny destinations.
Of course, our first stop was the Signature Lilly Pulitzer Store; yes we were there when the famous Worth Avenue Shop opened at 10 am to buy all the happy printed clothes. And let me tell you, I’ve been to lots of Lilly stores and this one is beyond! They even have a custom “create your own Lilly shift dress station” where you can choose from several rolls of fabric and different trim to make your own one of a kind dress. You get custom fitted and can pick from several different styles and lengths. It was my favorite corner and also next to a giant wall of hand painted Lilly prints. Sometimes there is even an artist painting live. I loved this little creative nook.
The store was so spacious and the girls working there were so fun! Talk about a dream job! Who wouldn’t want to work on Worth Avenue in the sunniest shop on the block? They even have a bar serving champagne and mimosas! The dressing rooms were painted in iconic Lilly prints. That is one of my favorite parts of the store is that it’s so custom tailored and every corner was done to perfection.
We hit the shop at the right time because they had just released their summer remix prints (bringing back some of the old prints), which I love! Of course I had to pick up Mignonne and I matching outfits. I chose the cute patchwork skirt here and Mignonne the cutest matching baby shift. There is nothing cuter than a baby in a Lilly shift. We loved the shop so much we visited twice!
All this to be said, if you visit Palm Beach make sure this is on the top of your list. I LOVE a great shopping experience! I’ll link below some of my picks and some items I scored while I was there. I think if Lilly were living today we would be best friends without a doubt. She is my spirit animal! You can never have too much Lilly, especially in the summer! Hope y’all enjoy this post because it was really fun to write! Happy Wednesday friends!
Photography: Andrea Kinnear Photography
