There is no doubt in my mind that when I think “Lilly Pulitzer” I think college sorority. I may be biased because of my occasional and unfortunate “sratiness,” but upon hearing the news of a Lilly Pulitzer collection at Target, I was ecstatic. I was, however, shocked when I saw so many mixed reviews. People across the nation were up in arms over “affordable Lilly.” It led me to wonder why an expensive Lilly was the only ideal Lilly? To me fashion was never the price tag but rather how it looked overall.
Upon investigating further, people began calling this movement the “death of Lilly.” With such an abhorred response, I figured that the patterns must have been butchered and destroyed. When I saw the preview it was quite the contrary. While it was not the impeccable designs that cost upwards of $100, I was thoroughly impressed by the cute frocks priced at a mere $28. The whole collection has pieces ranging from $2 up to $200.
The biggest contrast with the actual Lilly line, however, is that over 200 items in the collection are under $30. I am not cheap, nor do I have any self control when it comes to binge shopping. This Lilly line, though, seems absolutely ideal to me. No one needs a real Lilly for Preakness, and I’m enraged this wasn’t around during secret week. A good deal is a good deal, and at the end of the day, Lilly Pulitzer believed in this collection, so why shouldn’t its loyal customers?
Between the jumpsuits, purses and bikinis, the Lilly for Target line sold out instantly. Twitter reacted strongly to the disappointment, chaos and pure sorority splendor that shook the Targets of the nation. Bruised faces and shed tears were rampant this past Sunday. I, myself, suffering from homecoming, was not awake for this collection. For as much hate as Lilly for Target received, they had no issue with sales. People began auctioning their deals on eBay, and the entire Target website shut down. All for Lilly Pulitzer.
Target regularly brings in guest lines to up their marketing toward “fashion-forward” women. In the past, they have worked with Missoni, Phillip Lim, Jason Wu and Anna Sui among many others. High street companies have tried getting more designers in their store because of the inevitable fact that people buy for name and buy for the deal. This fact is clearly true for Lilly for Target. The beach glamour and southern prep styles Lilly offers is irresistible for many.
In my opinion, low cost designer lines work. They’re accessible, stylish and a little piece of luxury for each woman. The “shame” of buying Lilly for Target isn’t a shame at all, just a really great deal.
