Think Spring . . . Wear The Fresh Citrus Colors of Lilly Pulitzer!

It was serendipity! The sparkling young socialite had just arrived on the Palm Beach scene with her new husband, Peter. The year was 1950. She, the daughter of a prominent Roslyn, New York family and he, the grandson of famed publisher, Joseph Pulitzer were about to set out on their own history making adventure. He would purchase citrus groves and “Lilly Lee,” wishing to keep herself busy, would run a small juice stand with some of the fruits that Peter would grow. What happened next, however, neither of them could have imagined.

Bear in mind that Lilly had been raised in an atmosphere of privilege. Her childhood home was surrounded by luscious gardens and boasted year round greenhouses all supplying unlimited, fresh cut flowers. As a young woman, she attended the prestigious Chapin School in New York City where she developed strong friendships with the Bouvier sisters, Jacqueline and Lee. She graduated from an elite Connecticut girls’ prep school and New York City’s Finch College. In spite of her privilege, Lilly remained down to earth, hardworking and entrepreneurial.

Lilly’s juice stand was on Via Mizner just off of Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Business was good. All day long Lilly would cheerfully squeeze oranges, lemons, limes and pink grapefruits. It was just her upbeat nature. She would stay busy, surround herself with nature’s gorgeous, vibrant colors and always have a smile. Yes, the juice stand in this winter stomping ground of the elite was where she needed to be …. with just one teensy weensy problem.  By squeezing all of those fruits her dress which had been pristine in the morning was invariably covered with splashes of juice and pulp by the end of the day.

So, around 1960 Lilly had her dressmaker sew a simple sleeveless shift in a colorful, printed cotton.  She chose a vibrant floral in the same pinks, yellows and oranges as her citruses to camouflage the daily spills and splashes.  As you’ve already guessed, customers began asking Lilly about her dress and quickly became more interested in the dress than the juice. 

With a bolt of inexpensive fabric from Woolworth’s, Lilly had her seamstress make 11 more dresses to sell at her stand.  Soon Lilly was selling both juice and floral dresses.  And the simple dress  conceived to do nothing more than hide spills became Lilly Pulitzer’s first “Classic Shift.”  Today some know it simply as the “Lilly.”

Eventually orders for the Lilly dress far surpassed the demand for juice at Lilly’s little stand off Worth Ave., so in 1961 she closed the stand and opened Lilly Pulitzer, Inc. 

In 1962 the dress that had achieved such popularity in Palm Beach was about to be introduced to the world by a most cherished famous person both then and now.  The boxy floral shift that had become known as the Lilly had been worn by our first lady Jacqueline Kennedy while on a well-deserved vacation in Ravello, Italy.  A breathtaking photograph of her wearing the dress appeared in Life magazine.

She was only 32 years old, graceful, poised and beyond beautiful. In the photo, Jackie, spilling cares upon the page, allows all burden to be lifted as her slender limbs are supported by primitive Italian rock.  Prince Radziwill relaxes on a simple bench in the background.  It’s this casual elegance of the beloved first family that we crave.  This photograph gives us a glimpse into the life about which we are so enamored.  And Jackie, our leading lady, is wearing that simple floral shift, the one created by her school girl chum, Lilly Pulitzer.  And now we want one, too . . .

And in the next 40 years, the Lilly Pulitzer line of clothing grew into a legendary business. The colorful clothing line remained popular throughout the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. Lilly Pulitzer, Inc.closed in 1984 so that Lilly could retire and spend more time with family.

Fortunately the company made its comeback in 1993 with Lilly serving as creative consultant. Now there is Lilly men’s and children’s clothing, maternity clothes, shoes, jewelry, perfume, accessories, paper, bedding and even bridal. What started as a tiny juice stand on Via Mizner so many years ago has “blossomed” into an icon of fashion and design that will surely go down in history!

About the Author

If you enjoyed this article you may also want to discover your unique colors, those hues vital in the creation of an environment that enriches your life with unimagined abundance and ever diminishing stress, I encourage you to read ColorFlow, Discover Your Perfect Colors, Experience Life’s Flow, by Patricia Kay Lebow (aka Iris Lebow) available for $12.95 only at www.Amazon.com