Lily Pulitzer dress
 

Let's see if we can once again impress James with our brilliant conversation! Hi James!

Maybe I've just spent too much time in Wal-Mart (easy to do in Oklahoma), but what is a Lily Pulitzer dress? We have a couple of very nice large malls nearby, but there is not a store by that name. Should there be or do we need to make a trip to Dallas? (Please, give me excuse to go.) Thank you so much!

Lilly Pulitzer is a brand of clothing that is popular in the South. Here's a link:

http://www.lillypulitzer.com/summer2...gallery_1.html

The dresses tend to be somewhat on the pricey side, but are very summery and usually look great for rush. You can buy them in the "Better Sportswear" department of many department stores. The website also has a store locator that might help if no department stores near you carry that brand.

I think it's more of a style than anything else... if you don't have a store that carries these particular dresses, you're sure to find something similar. The idea is to be summery and cute, yet conservative and put together.
;)

A couple of years ago, we passed several groups of PNMs on their way to rush parties at the U of Florida. Lilly City! You could tell 'em from the street! And they are sooo precious--we get the catalog.

Well, at least we're not talking about James' schlort.

The good thing about Lily is that the shops that carry her clothing always put them on sale about now. I am going today to a 50% off sale and hoping to get a super cute dress.

I think there is a link on the website where to find the stores near you though.

I believe Marshall Field's has Lilly and Neiman Marcus might too - I've also seen some in Saks. It's usually not in your typical Federated or May Co store (whatever it is called in your neck of the woods). There are also Lilly "signature shops" in the more upscale shopping districts.

I have a sale coupon too but right now I am so tired & washed out not even a Lilly could make me look good. :)

A side note on Lillys: Lilly Pulitzer is worn a lot in the South and on the East coast, but is generally not worn much in most other parts of the country. (I've seen very few women wearing Lilly dresses in the Midwest, for example.) Since some of her brighter designs tend to be overwhelming to those who aren't used to them, it might be hard to tell whether or not a Lilly dress would be right for the school your daughter's at. While Lilly dresses might be on every PNM at the University of Florida, you wouldn't see them at the University of Wisconsin, and my guess is that they'd be few and far between at many other Midwestern schools (especially those that rush in September as opposed to August). I'm not sure whether OSU rush would be closer to the Midwestern or Southern schools' rush.

All I'm trying to say is that they're by no means a rush necessity. :)

Related thread...all about the Lily!
http://forums.greekchat.com/gcforums...&postid=357928

They are cute but...
 

They don't have them out in the Pacific Northwest.

Re: They are cute but...
 

Pardon me for the intrusion, but did you check Nordstrom? I would think that the Downtown Seattle store would have them and could do a phone order.

Whoa! That stuff is cute! :D Yay! Bethany gets to go shopping! Wahoo!

Re: Re: They are cute but...
 

Hmmmm I didn't think about checking Nordies :D

The closest store to me is about a 2 hour drive (Seattle area, Lynnwood, WA is the closest one)

Bloomingdale's carries them as well (but I think the only stores located in the West are in California). I am pretty sure that Neiman Marcus and Saks 5th Avenue carries them.

I rock the Lilly in Alaska...I ordered from smaller boutiques in the DC area, one in Louisiana, there is finally a store in downtown San Francisco, and online Marshall Fields has Lilly. Whenever I carry a bermuda bag people think it is the neatest thing as it is reversible.

This sounds so bad, but Target has dresses that look EXACTLY like those dresses for like $19.99 each. I'd check there! :p

I've never seen them either and I'm an AVID Nordie's shopper. I've never even seen people wearing them (somehow it doesn't seem like Seattle attire). The colors are great since I love bright colors, but I can rarely find dresses that fit me (something about my upper body being a size bigger than the bottom).

I would have to agree though, I would never spend that much for a sun dress. Especially when around here you would get to wear it for only about 4 months out of the year.

Jill, the new Alderwood Nordstrom will be opening September 19th. Much bigger.

WOW! Those dresses are cute. I've looked at the websites and even called around and the closest store to Oklahoma City that sells Lily is in Dallas. Now traveling to Dallas is not out of the question, but now that I have an idea of what to look for, I think I'll take my daughter shopping tomorrow. Actually, the strapless dress she had planned to wear looks just like the Sabrina design, but in a different print. Would a Lily strapless be a big NoNo also?

I think most of the patterns would work for her school, though a couple look a little too old. She likes bright, pretty, feminine colors, so I bet she would just love these dresses. All of her events are during the day in the middle of August, so I just don't think you can get too bright. A few extra dollars invested now would be worth it if it caused her to be remembered by a house she really wanted.

It's so difficult to find cute clothes in her size (1-3) that don't look trashy. What she really needs is new demin and khaki shorts, but we can't find any that aren't too short or too low or both! Maybe we need to start looking outside the mall.

Thanks for all your advice!

Wow, your daughter is so lucky to have such an enthusiastic Mom! Is Mom a sorority alumna?

I don't think you can find cute shorts anywhere this year. I'm sticking to skirts and capris, again.

Hi PNM'sMom. You should check out the websites of department stores. Perhaps they can meet your daughter's clothing needs. Macys has some cute things for a young woman starting college. Good luck. :D

Wow this thread is not really ment for me but I had to say something.

It is so nice of all of you to help the questions of someone wanting to know more about this dress thing. I just wish I had a question you all could answer for me. And I now know more about these dresses than I care to, so I will be out.

I feel my masculinity dropping as I type.

PNMM - I think this would be pretty for rush if it is your daughter's style:

http://shop.inthepinkonline.com/inth...AAIAMBDPKCOMPK

well i just love love love lilly and yes it is expensive...but very classy and easy to spot! i myself own 2 lilly dresses and they have come to be my trademark. if you're looking for that "lilly look" for cheaper, a good line to try is the Key West line. the dresses look exactly like lillys and are the same fabric that she designed ( i think they are vintage or something) but go from $110-120 rather than my lillys which were around $175. good luck!

Yes, I am, but from a small private university that has a rush so different from a large public university that I am clueless. My sorority is a national sorority well represented on these boards. I just want my daughter to be able to make the choices about where she wants to go and not have those choices forced upon her just because she didn't have all the information she needed.

With just a few clues, my daughter could easily be identified among the many hundreds of rushees at OSU, so I would really rather not identify my sorority until after rush--then I'll tell all. I hope you understand--it's just too easy for a mom to tell too much.

Thanks for all your help! This is great fun!

That's very understandable, PNMsMom - it'll made bid day twice as fun because we find out where your daughter is going and what sorority you are in! :) And since it's one well-represented on these boards, that narrows it down to, oh, almost all of them! ;)

Talk about more intimidation with rush coming up! I caved in about the manicure and pedicure (difficult because I don't often spend money on myself), and now I need a $175 dress? (I know we don't NEED one, but you get my meaning.) How much are the shoes that I'll be needing to go with it? If I'm paying that much for a dress for rush, I better have a bid card in hand before rush even starts so I know that the dress is accomplishing the goal. And it better be able to wash itself. There are several threads saying not to load up on a new wardrobe for rush, just look nice and put together, be confident, etc. These dresses cost about a fourth of a semester's dues on my campus. One more thing to worry about at a Southern school...

These dresses are so cute!
I spent days of shopping looking for a sundress to wear to a casual, outdoor wedding earlier this month but no such luck. One of those dresses would have been perfect!
Does anyone know if they are sold abroad in, say, Europe in general? I know you may be able to order them online but I prefer to try before I buy..... Something about American sizes not always corresponding to their European counterparts.....

As a sorority member from Norman, being just outside of OKC when shopping for rush clothing, I liked the upscale stores in Penn Square Mall, Georgino? and such, or the better clothing departments of Dillard's or Foley's. For Preference dresses, try Harold's at 50 Penn Place.

OU or OSU rush? I've been through one, know ton's of girls that went through the other.

Crystal, don't worry! I'm sure you could find something very cute and appropriate for a reasonable price at a department store. I may not be from a large "Southern" school (a lot of people don't consider Florida part of the south! LOL), but I imagine that there are several outfits that would be considered classic and classy. I would probably never drop that much money on a dress either, but mostly because I look horrible in those types of dresses.

I thought this one is very pretty and sorta "lillyish" :D Its much cheaper too. I think strapless is ok for rush but it wasn't a factor at my school w/ winter rush. ;) Victoria's Secret Dress

ps. Sorry I'm a big dork and still can't figgure out how to paste pics

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/imag...ri/V228561.jpg

I think this is the pic that JohnsDGSweetheart wanted to post. :) I think that's a cute dress that would look great with a little cardigan!

I don't think anyone is saying that you have to have a Lilly dress ladies, but to have something like a Lilly dress. Your best bet is to check out the recruitment guide if you got one, to look at pictures on chapter's websites from recruitment, and to always err a little on the dressier side if you're unsure.

Thanks so much GeekyPenguin! I can never get those images to post!

No problem - you aren't the only one. It gets easier with practice. :)

Try Land's End. Or the boys' department. I know what you mean about the clothes....and I can just hear my mom saying "you are not getting any of those boy cut jeans!!" :D

Well said! I noticed that on these Rush threads, there is a tendency to be a little more name-brand conscious than what is necessary. There's nothing wrong with knock-offs if the Lilly style is your "style," it's certainly not for everyone! I would probably be more impressed with dresses from a local boutique, that were tasteful yet unique, instead of a $175 dress that everyone has and can spot a mile away!

PNMN have you tried Express? They have small sizes. I know what you mean about short shorts. I have long legs and they look too short on me. And I can't find any longer ones either. Plus almost everything is too big in the waist and a little too tight in the hips. Oh well...

PNM MOM

I tend to agree with earlier post....Penn Square mall or the one accross the street where Talbots is at would be a great place to find Lily type dresses.

Qauil Springs is my fav by far but to get a boutique feel i would really hit up penn sq.

Where are you located? i lived on the North side of OKC for many yrs.

Laura

Even at this stage in my life, I wouldn't purchase a $175 floral summer dress. I go to outlets and sales at department or chain stores. I never pay full price. :)

Here's a few I can see myself buying before our summer trip to Amelia Island, FL.....
http://www.pressomatic.com/theresort...%20908-709.jpg

http://www.pressomatic.com/theresort...%20920-688.jpg

With cute shoes....

http://www.pressomatic.com/theresort...%20-%20100.jpg

or these

http://www.pressomatic.com/theresort...%20-%20993.jpg

uh oh, I hear my credit card calling to me now.....

edited to add: you will see me in them both (not the shoes). Couldn't resist. And got a little girl's dress to match the wrap dress.

I simply adore those dresses! I wish they weren't so expensive!

Shopping results
 

We went shopping today and had great luck! Although there is not a Lilly in town, I think the dresses we did find are very comparable.

First, she choose a simple but tailored shift with a green, yellow and purple check pattern. It's 100% silk and the colors are unbelievably beautiful. It's bright and colorful without being too much. We found it at a small, boutique type shop on sale.

Secondly, she choose a sun dress in a very colorful paisley pattern. It's a shirtwaist style, and fits perfectly--very feminine. This dress came from one of the most expensive clothing stores in OKC, but it was on sale.

Both are very conservative, yet they look very young and fun. We paid substantially less for both of them than we would have paid for one Lilly and I don't think she could possibly be more pleased. They don't look "mally" at all and it's so refreshing! I'm so glad you talked us out of the strapless sun dress.

We saw a few of the Key West items that are similar to Lilly, but they were never available in my daughter's size, though she really liked them.

The pictures that you have posted here are fabulous! I just love admiring all these beautiful dresses.

Thank you for all the great advice. Without your encouragement, we probably would have never ventured beyond our comfort zone and discovered such fabulous dresses that were surprisingly enough easily fit into our budget.

We appreciate it!
PNMsMom & PNM