Late fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer once said: “it’s always summer somewhere!” On this very day, Lilly Pulitzer would be celebrating her 91st Birthday. And, today, we are partying like it’s 1931 in our brightest Lilly Pulitzer shifts and a cocktail in hand in her honor! As a little girl, I fell in love with the Lilly Pulitzer brand and my love for the brand only continued to grow throughout my high school and college years. The Lilly Pulitzer fashion brand has helped me express myself and become who I am today.
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Lilly Pulitzer embodies everything in a person that I want to be! She was kind, classy, bright, bubbly, and always down for a GREAT time. Growing up, the brand Lilly Pulitzer embodied to me someone who was everything that Lilly Pulitzer, herself, was. My late Great Aunt Margaret was a Lilly Pulitzer lover as well. She introduced me to the brand as a little girl when we passed The Pink Crab – an Annapolis, Maryland-based Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store and I immediately wanted to buy everything in the store. Just like Lilly Pulitzer, Aunt Margaret truly embodied the woman that Lilly Pulitzer was. That all being said, today is a day that I think is well worth honoring these two women that helped shape me into who I am today.
In college, I was known as “the Lilly [Pulitzer] girl”: a namesake that I am truly proud of to this very day. I ALWAYS wore Lilly Pulitzer in college and both of my dorms along with my college apartment were decked out in all things Lilly Pulitzer-themed. At the same time, I constantly hosted my friends over for dinners, parties, and viewing parties of The Bachelor in my apartment with my roommate and one of my best friends to this day Sophie. Thankfully for us both, Sophie and I both have a very Lilly Pulitzer-like taste in home decor! I truly found the love of spreading joy, wearing bright colors, and being kind to go a loooonnggg way. All times of life are stressful by my college years surrounded by ALL things Lilly Pulitzer truly made me life a party and I dressed like it regularly, too!
“Anything is possible with sunshine and a little pink”
— Lilly Pulitzer
All things taken into consideration, I truly loved my college experience wearing Lilly Pulitzer for practically EVERY event that we had and living up to my nickname of “the Lilly girl”. I am truly proud to be someone that has never been afraid to be herself. Lilly Pulitzer once said “being happy never goes out of style” and it truly doesn’t. There is ALWAYS an opportunity to spread some joy to others, no matter what the occasion may be. In recent times, my Dad’s side of the family has unfortunately experienced some losses. But, through it all, my Aunt Sherri always made sure to give everyone a laugh. To her, laughter is the best medicine and I truly agree. I am a firm believer, just like my Aunt Sherri, that laughter always brings some happiness *even* during the toughest of times. Wearing Lilly Pulitzer brings me SO much joy.
To celebrate Lilly Pulitzer’s 91st Birthday, I have linked some of my favorite Lilly Pulitzer gifts for the strong and extraordinary Lilly lovers in your life!
Here’s to all the strong women in our world – may we know them, may we raise them, may we be them. And, may we honor them today and everyday! Today, I will honor my Great Aunt Margaret who helped shape my fashion sense and personality with her loving nature, kindness, poise, and bubbly personality. I will also honor the late fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer who gave me a love for a brand that I will cherish forever with memories and love of my Aunt Margaret and many others in my life whom I truly love and care for.
XOXO – Katie <3