Lilly Pulitzer Picks for Summer '15

Sorry for my extended hiatus, I just got home from the Midwest! While still battling the effects of jet-lag (shout out to my 4am crew), and even though I'm at the cradle of the best cuisine in the world ever, I have found myself missing some of my American staples (Chipotle, biscuits, pancakes, and breakfast food in general). Another thing that I've been missing is American fashion stores. It is true that now that I have a Zara 5 minutes away (let me remind you all that Zara is WAY cheaper here), but while living in the Midwest, I have started to grow fond of brands like J. Crew (J. Crew Factory has been a life-changer), AEO (their jeans >>>> everything) and Lilly Pulitzer.

While J. Crew and AEO's styles look pretty standard and very similar to Spanish stores like Zara or Stradivarius, Lilly Pulitzer is a whole different story. At first, I thought the prints were too obnoxious, I admit it. I still think there are prints that are too much for me (navy and white lover of all simple things), and I cannot see myself wearing pants that aren't jeans. It's like someone put the brightest colors that Pantone can think of in a bucket, mixed them and threw them to a white canvas. And boom! Lilly Pulitzer! Until I moved to the US, my style used to be somewhat somber. I do not mean all black all day everyday and life sucks and emo paraphernalia, but I had never been a fan of prints over solids. Maybe very soft florals, but that was it. However, after moving to the US, I started to notice that hey, including a pop of color to my very basic, pattern-less outfit will not make me look like a walking rainbow, right? And there started my love affair with Lilly Pulitzer. From accessories, Murfee scarves, and my beloved agenda to my oh! so beautiful graduation dress, I have seen my style evolve from shy colors to bring the pink (my favorite color) and make boys wink! (I actually have no idea if boys wink when I wear Lilly Pulitzer but honestly, I could not care less).

In any case, Lilly Pulitzer is still very EXPENSIVE. Yes, very. I am no trust-fund kid, my graduate studies are taken care of with a tuition waiver that comes from being a teaching assistant, and my salary, although it allows me to live in the middle-of-nowhere Midwestern town I live in, could be higher (hey trustees, raise our salaries!). In any case, since I just graduated (and you don't graduate every year, am I right?), I decided to treat myself and get some nice Lilly Pulitzer showstoppers:

Whiting Cut-Out Shift Dress, 138$

And here some bonus pics of my beautiful self wearing the dress for my graduation :)

MA in Hispanic Linguistics

Probably the most American thing I've ever done

Extra pic, WE DID IT! (Please read in Elle Woods voice)

This is my first Lilly Pulitzer dress, and I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised. It is very very soft and it has a retro vibe that makes me feel like a pop star from the 1960s. Although the image does not show, it has a small cut-out in the back which gives it a fun touch. It is rather short (but well, I'm 5'8ft so there is not much to do about that), but that will be perfect for summer days and nights!

Iona Sleeveless Silk Shell, 148$

I have noticed Lilly shells last Spring, but unfortunately I didn't get one. Also, I didn't have the perfect graduation excuse. But this year, after seeing many bloggers sporting this piece, I said, heck! Bring it! And I'm in love. It looks BEAU-TI-FUL and it goes perfectly with my navy obsession clothing.

I cannot wait to go back to the States to get some more LP stuff. Like an agenda (I am TORN and I need help, but that will be discussed in another post), some shorts and this:

Skipper Printer Popover, 98$

No idea which print I will choose, but this has to be in my closet ASAP.

Love,

- Ane