How do you feel about the color pink? Lilly Pulitzer is for those who love the color and love wearing it. This brand is famous for bright pink designs and bold, vivid patterns…that are often made with pink. The style, the colors, the fabrics and all the stuff you can find at Lilly Pulitzer does give this brand its own distinct style. But there are brands similar to Lilly Pulitzer that capture some of the elements you love about the brand and maybe even change around some stuff you don’t love quite as much.
Who is Lilly Pulitzer?
Bold prints. Bright pink. Pretty, comfortable casual clothes that come in the form of tops, bottoms, activewear, knits, swimwear, outerwear, loungewear and dresses. Lilly Pulitzer dresses are well-known for their classic silhouettes and extra embellishments. These dresses have a lot of ruffles and little touches that set them apart.
Lilly Pulitzer clothes are designed to be flattering for the female shape. This brand specializes in creating clothing for women and girls, appealing to a huge range of women and women-to-be across a broad age range. The cuts and classic silhouettes are meant to flatter the curves and show off your shape but there aren’t a lot of tight fits here. Lilly Pulitzer is about comfortable fashion, not about squeezing your body into the tightest clothes you can.
You can even complete your looks with shoes and accessories. And yes, a lot of them are made in shades of pink to beautifully match your Lilly Pulizter clothes. The line of accessories here includes everything you need to complete your outfits, like sunglasses and scarves and bags, along with accessories for your phone, your home and even the stuff you might need for the beach. Lilly Pultizer has a bright, beachy feel to it. Because of the look of the clothes, this brand is associated with vacation and resort wear.
But who is this Lilly Pulitzer person and why is she so into the color pink?
Nothing to Wear
Lilly Pulitzer was a wife and mother living in Florida in the 1950s. She had just recently given birth and didn’t have much to do other than take care of her home and family. But she really needed a hobby, something to keep her active mind busy and satisfy her need to do something productive. She made use of the orchard she and her husband owned and opened up a juice stand.
But during those hot Florida days standing at the juice stand, she was thinking about clothes. She suffered from a problem that is universal to women: she didn’t like her clothes. There was nothing to wear that really did what she needed it to do.
What she needed was a dress in bright colors with a bright pattern. You know, something that could “hide the juice stains,” as she put it. She also needed a dress that had sort of thick fabric because, well, Lilly Pulitzer didn’t really like wearing underwear. She just didn’t want everyone else to know she didn’t like wearing underwear. But the fabric couldn’t be too thick or too heavy and the dress, it couldn’t be too tight. After all, this was Florida. She needed something that would feel cool and comfortable.
Instead of just thinking about it all the time, Lilly Pulitzer made her fashion daydream a reality. She created a simple, elegant shift dress with a bright pattern that would really hide the juice in a fabric that performed the way she wanted it to.
People noticed. Lilly Pulitzer made more dresses and soon, lots of people wanted to buy them. Word began to spread about Lilly’s simple but stylish dresses. But when a famous fashionista put one on, everything changed for Lilly Pulitzer.
First Lady of Style
In 1962, Lilly Pulitzer got a celebrity endorsement when First Lady Jackie Kennedy, widely recognized around the world as a style icon, wore a Lilly Pulitzer dress while on vacation in Italy. She was photographed in the dress, which was all it took for make the dress famous. Suddenly, everyone wanted to have a Lilly Pulitzer dress.
The juice stand turned into a boutique for dresses and now, Lilly Pulitzer is known for dresses and all sorts of other fashion. The name has become highly recognizable in the fashion world and extremely popular among style enthusiasts.
Now, Lilly Pulitzer is everywhere and the fashions are recognizable anywhere.
Finding Brands Similar to Lilly Pulitzer
Lilly Pulitzer fashions stand out for the colors and the patterns but also for the classic, figure-flattering shapes. These clothes are made to fit and to flatter the figure but they aren’t made to be tight. The whole point, after all, is comfortable style that’s easy to wear. This does give the Lilly Pulitzer brand a unique look that stands out. However, there are other brands similar to Lilly Pulitzer that have many of the same elements you like. Find them and you can expand your wardrobe to include all sorts of Lilly Pulitzer-inspired looks.
Dior (More Expensive)
Dior is one of the best-known names in fashion, recognized the world over as a luxury brand offering high-end designer items. Dior makes all kinds of clothing for women that you might want to wear. Dior is best known for purses and accessories but the brand is also associated with clothing. That includes dresses of all kinds.
There is a lot of fashion you can get at Dior. Just about every type of accessory and every type of piece of clothing you can wear is available under the Dior brand, though this brand is also widely known for its handbags. Every type of bag is sold through Dior, too.
Dior also has a huge selection of jewelry and shoes. In other words, you can get whatever type of fashion you want at Dior, from casual clothing to red carpet dresses. This is something the brand has in common with Lilly Pulitzer, which offers a huge range of fashion items.
Dior is high fashion and the prices here reflect that. The clothing at Dior is more expensive than similar items at Lilly Pulitzer because Dior is famously a high fashion, designer label offering the best in the latest fashion. When you want gorgeous clothes in the trendiest looks with all the high fashion pizzazz, you want Dior.
Duffield Lane (Similar Pricing)
Duffield Lane makes comfortable, pretty clothing for women who like to dress for comfort and simple style. These clothes appeal to women in their 30s and 40s who need everyday clothing, professional work clothing and clothing for special occasions. In other words, you can get all the fashion you need at Duffield Lane, something the brand has in common with Lilly Pulitzer.
Duffield Lane has a big selection of everyday clothing that includes outerwear, accessories and jewelry. The brand originally started out making pajamas, something that spawned from Jamie Duffield’s search for the perfect pair of pajamas. When they couldn’t be found, Jamie Duffield designed the perfect PJs and the Duffield brand was born.
Now, Duffield Lane has a huge selection of fashions that are priced similarly to the styles you can find at Lilly Pulitzer. Add this brand to your shopping rounds when you’re checking out the latest styles and searching for the next perfect item to buy.
J. Crew (Less Expensive)
J. Crew is known as a brand for pretty, chic everyday style. This brand appeals to women in their 20s, 30s and 40s who want to look stylish and tailored, professional and elegant. There’s a huge selection of clothing here, with most items available in multiple colors.
The J. Crew brand has a huge selection of accessories, including bags and jewelry. You can find just about any style of shoe or boot here as well, along with all the different types of fashion you might want to wear. J. Crew has a huge product catalog that is full of options and stuffed with different looks you can wear. There’s practically no item of fashion you can’t find at J. Crew.
The colors here are a little more on the neutral side and you won’t find as many vibrant patterns and colors at J. Crew as you will at Lilly Pultizer, both brands have a similar elegant, preppy-ish style that gives everyday clothing a polished, stylized look.
Once one of the more expensive brands out there, J. Crew has recently rebooted itself as a brand and now, the label provides affordable fashion instead of high fashion. In fact, J. Crew is a little bit more affordable than Lilly Pulitzer. When you want that pretty, sophisticated look, you want to take a look at the latest designs from J. Crew.
Lacoste (Similar Pricing)
Lacoste is known for sports clothing, fashion that’s made to help you look and feel good when you’re being active. The brand was originally created by a tennis player, Rene Lacoste. He was extremely well known and accomplished in his sport but Lacoste would end up becoming famous for something else: he’s the literal person who invented the polo shirt.
Knowing that the traditional habit of wearing long sleeves and pants on the tennis court was absolutely silly, Lacoste designed a lightweight, short-sleeved shirt with a collar. The shirt, known as the Lacoste, was incredibly popular with polo players.
Lacoste was already known as the “crocodile” at this time, because of a bet he made very early in his career where he would win a crocodile leather suitcase if he won a certain match. Lacoste lost the match but the nickname stuck, and soon he was having his own little crocodile logo embroidered on the jackets and blazers he wore. He added the symbol to his polo shirt and it remains today as a symbol of the brand.
This brand appeals to active people and people who like activewear with clothing that is made for comfort, performance and style for those of all ages. There’s a huge selection of fashion here. The product line includes dresses, though they’re different from what you can find at Lilly Pulitzer, along with shoes, accessories and activewear of all kinds. Lacoste even has a line of bags.
The pricing here is similar to like items you can find at Lilly Pulitzer, so you can spend about the same amount of money across both brands.
Karen Millen (More Expensive)
The clothes at Karen Millen have a distinct vintage look to them. This commitment to classic style is similar to Lilly Pulitzer’s take on classic silhouettes. There are many different styles of dresses and lots of floral patterns at Karen Millen, a design look that is similar to the styling you can find with Lilly Pulitzer dresses.
Karen Millen has a huge catalog of clothing all types, everything from lingerie to jeans to activewear to outerwear. You can get all your professional clothing here, not to mention all the shoes and accessories you might want. There’s even a big selection of purses, jewelry and fascinators here so you can complete all of your outfits.
Like Lilly Pulitzer, Karen Millen specializes in women’s fashion. This is a high-end brand and the pricing here is notably more expensive than similar items you can purchase at Lilly Pulitzer. These items are carefully made and a lot of time is put into the design and tailoring of the clothing at Karen Millen, extra attention that is reflected in the price of each item.
Lauren James (Less Expensive)
Get all the comfortable, casual style you might need at Lauren James. From graphic Ts to cute knit separates to casual dresses and jackets, you can find all the laid-back looks you want with Lauren James. You can also find accessories to go with the clothes you find under this brand name.
This clothing definitely has a much more casual look to it than Lilly Pulitzer fashion, but both brands prefer simple style and classic silhouettes, as opposed to following all the latest trends. Both brands create timeless style that you can wear anywhere, any time.
Lauren James fashions are more affordable than similar items you can find at Lilly Pulitzer. So when you want casual, affordable looks, Lauren James is right where you want to shop.
Ralph Lauren (More Expensive)
Ralph Lauren is one of the most famous names in style. The brand is associated with sophisticated, preppy-ish designer fashion. Ralph Lauren carries every type of clothing, from high-fashion sportswear to evening gowns.
Like Lilly Pulitzer, Ralph Lauren has a huge selection of fashions and the styles here reflect timelessness rather than trendiness. The color palette at Ralph Lauren is a bit more neutral than the vibrant colors associated with Lilly Pulitzer, but the two brands have a simple elegant style.
Ralph Lauren is a designer brand known for high-end fashion and the prices here reflect that. You will pay more for items at Ralph Lauren, compared to Lilly Pulitzer, because these are designer products that are associated with high quality.
Simply Southern (Less Expensive)
Color, casual fashion and a sense of fun all come together in the clothing from Simply Southern. Like Lilly Pulitzer, this brand uses color to create eye-catching fashion that makes you want to smile. Simply Southern has a distinctly casual look. Many items use text and images to evoke laughter or catch attention, which is all part of Simply Southern’s overall fun style feel.
There aren’t nearly as many products here as Lilly Pulitzer, but Simply Southern has a lot of classic pieces of fashion and a great selection of bags to suit all your accessorizing needs. If you like the fun, colorful look of Lilly Pulizter but you want clothing that’s more about being casual and comfy, Simply Southern is a great option for you.
Clothing here is less expensive, on average, than the items you can find at Lilly Pulitzer. You can buy more items for the same amount of money you’d spend with Lilly Pulitzer. When you need casual fashion that’s comfortable and colorful, this is a great brand to try.
The Lucky Knot (Less Expensive)
Sleek and stylish silhouettes, neutral colors and simple, elegant lines define the style from the Lucky Knot. This brand makes clothes that look high fashion but at affordable prices. The Lucky Knot has pricing that is slightly more affordable than what you’ll find at Lilly Pulitzer, though both brands have a similar commitment to sophisticated, stylish clothing that has a bit of a dressy, preppy vibe.
This brand has a huge selection of dresses, something it has in common with Lilly Pulitzer, along with plenty of other items. You can get outerwear, shoes, jewelry, bags and everything else you want to wear here. If you like wearing clothing that looks stylish and sophisticated that resembles high fashion without the high fashion price, you’ll like the Lucky Knot.
Tory Burch (More Expensive)
If timeless, striking fashion is your thing, Tory Burch is your style inspiration. This brand creates sleek, pretty fashion in classic silhouettes. The fashion here has a distinctly preppy flair, a lot like the design style of Lilly Pulitzer. However, Tory Burch uses a more neutral color palette and simpler, more traditional clothing patterns and color-blocking styles.
Like Lilly Pulitzer, Tory Burch offers a huge line of clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes, bags and all things in fashion. You can spend hours shopping through the large catalog of items here.
Tory Burch is a high-end brand and the prices here are more expensive than the items you can find at Lilly Pulitzer. If you want sophisticated looks with a high-fashion design and classic style, Tory Burch is the brand for you.
True Grit (Similar Pricing)
What about the men? If there’s a male fashion equivalent of Lilly Pulitzer, it’s True Grit. This brand makes everyday fashion for men, with plenty of styles that come in vibrant colors. This brand focuses on classic silhouettes and staple fashion pieces in comfortable, stylish, tailored designs that are perfect for wearing every day for all occasions. That’s exactly what Lilly Pulitzer provides for women.
True Grit has a huge range of products, including sportswear, casual clothing, knits and many different tops and bottoms. The pricing here is similar to the pricing at Lilly Pulizter, too. Both brands have a similar take on classic style and use of color. So ladies who are shopping for their own fashion at Lilly Pulitzer might find matching outfits for the guys they know at True Grit.
Vineyard Vines (Similar Pricing)
Colorful, casual and classic fashion is what you’ll find at Vineyard Vines. Like Lilly Pulitzer, this brand offers plenty of items in vibrant shades of blue, pink and orange, along with plenty of neutral colors like cream, white and black.
Vineyard Vines makes everyday, casual styles that can be worn anywhere. There’s a big selection of items here that includes jeans, T-shirts, swimwear, loungewear and dresses, along with all kinds of other items. The accessories here include phone cases, jewelry, shoes, bags and all kinds of stuff to wear on your head.
Vineyard Vines specializes in creating clothing for fun weekend excursions, evenings on the beach and anyone who wants a great, active look that’s also stylish. This style philosophy is very close to Lilly Pulitzer’s take on fashion. Both brands have a similar classic design, both aren’t afraid to use color and both have similar prices. If you like the fashion at Lilly Pulitzer, you’re probably going to like the sophisticated fashion at Vineyard Vines.
Wearing Brands Similar to Lily Pulitzer
Lilly Pulitzer does have distinct features and a look that makes it stand out from other brands. However, you can find brands similar to Lilly Pulitzer that do capture many of the features you love. Play around with all these different brands and play around with all the different fashions you might want to wear.
FAQs
You may be able to recognize the bright colors and loose, classic silhouettes of Lilly Pulitzer fashion. But what else do you need to know about this brand? We looked for the most frequently asked questions about Lilly Pulitzer and we’ve got all the answers that people want to know most about this brand and the clothing you can find under the Lilly Pulitzer label.
Are Lilly Pulitzer dresses true to size?
It’s not always easy to know what your size in clothing is. Manufacturers differ, so your size between two different brands might be completely different. To make things worse, sizes are different in the U.S. and the UK. So if you’re buying from a London-based designer, who even knows what the size is supposed to be?
Anyone would get confused. The best and only way to figure out your right clothing size is to measure your body. To know what size you wear in any clothing, measure yourself around the bust, the waist and the hips. With these three measurements, you can buy clothing that’s going to fit you even if you’re shopping online. Or in London.
Stand up straight when you’re taking your measurements. Wrap a soft tape measure around your body in a straight line all the way around. Do this each time you take a measurement. The tape measure should be flush against your body but not pulled tight and not so loose that it is sagging down. Remember, you’re going for the most accurate measurement possible.
For the bust measurement, wrap the tape around the widest part of your chest. The waist measurement should be taken around the smallest part of your waist. Measure around the widest part of your hips to get this measurement. When you know these numbers, you can match your own measurements against size charts to find your perfect size every time.
Where is Lilly Pulitzer manufactured?
Many Lilly Pulitzer clothes are made in Vietnam, India and Peru. Though the company was originally started in Miami, Flordia, these days the clothes are made in places outside the U.S.
What does Lilly Pulitzer have other than dresses?
Lilly Pulitzer has a big selection of items other than dresses, though the brand is well known for dresses. Lilly Pulitzer also has tops bottoms, jumpsuits, pajamas, shoes and accessories. The brand also integrates technology into some clothing, with a line of items that are all UPF-coated and one that is made with sustainable fabrics.
There’s a huge range of products available here other than dresses. You can find just about anything you want to wear at Lilly Pulitzer. Get to know the brand a little more, discover other brands like Lilly Pulitzer, and totally perfect your resort, active and beachwear looks.
Sources:
All American Reviews – Is Lilly Pulitzer Made in the USA?
Southern Living – Lilly Pulitzer’s Past Is As Wild As Her Dress Patterns
More Fashion Ensembles
