Pink Sunday. Surviving Lilly for Target 2015

So, as many of you have seen, the Lilly Pulitzer collection for Target, was one of the hottest fashion stories for spring. It was a simple idea that Target has used many times in the past, get a well-known, usually higher end designer, to create more affordable pieces. Jason Wu, Isaac Mizrahi and Marc Jacobs are just a few special Target designers of the past. I'm not sure any of those collections came close to the popularity of the Lilly for Target collection which was unveiled several weeks ago. I began seeing girls on social media discuss their "battle plans" and already knew which items they wanted picked out from the day the collection was revealed. Surprising to some (and some not) the collection at most stores were sold out in 10-20 minutes. We are talking Target opened at 8am and the collection was gone at 8:20am...crazy! I'll tell you a little bit about experiencing this event, what finds I was able to score, tips, and if I would ever do it again.

The aftermath

First off, if you don't know who or what Lilly Pulitzer is, I can give you a little rundown. Lilly started a juice stand in Palm Beach and apparently one day she spilled juice on her dress and came up with idea to make brightly colored clothing to conceal the juice stains. Soon people began asking her about the dresses and she began selling them hence forth starting her own brand. Lilly Pulitzer is very popular in the South as well as areas such as Maine and Connecticut, it is often seen as very preppy, such as something you would see worn at a country club or the Kentucky Derby. I have friends who absolutely love it and wear nothing else while I have some friends who hate it and would not be caught wearing it. I for one, do like their clothes, while the colors are bright and patterns bold, the dresses are easily some of the most comfortable I own. It is easy to begin looking like a stepford wife in head to toe Lilly so I usually throw in some accessories that are a little more edgy to break the look up. The point is, she is a very beloved designer and I had a feeling this collection was going to be a hot commodity.

While looking over the collection, I mainly set my sights on home décor. I purchased my first home this past year and thought the outdoor umbrella and fun lawn chair would be a great addition to my backyard, especially with summer quickly approaching. I asked my mom if she wanted to go to our local Target close to when they opened Sunday morning (tip: during shopping excursions like this it's usually better to get a female family member or friend to come along rather than a boyfriend/husband. More on that later.) As my mom and I pulled in around 7:50am...we saw a line formed outside the entrance. I knew there would be a lot of people but I honestly did not expect a line outside the store. We made the game plan, my mom would hit the home goods while I checked out the clothing and accessories. At 8am the Target employees opened the doors and it kind of looked like a very well dresses stampede. It is kind of a blur but I know I missed out on a bag I wanted (I was too slow!) but I found a really cute beach bag and wristlet. Accessories were literally flying off the shelves as I made my way to the clothing section, I could tell there was hardly anything left. I did want a swimsuit and surprisingly spotted one! It was a little big but with swimsuits you can usually make do since sizing is weird at times. I had the top and saw there was a bottom left. I reached for the bottom and as I was pulling it my way a child tried to grab it out of my hand! It was confusing but soon the child moved on. It was very chaotic so I decided to head over to the home section, my mom did way better than me and had secured the chair set and umbrella. We just looked at each other and knew it was time to go. By the time we left, about 20 minutes after we had entered the store, it appeared everything was gone with the exception of a few headbands, lights and vases. I did go grocery shopping later that night at Target and they had two dresses which had been returned, they are bigger than I normally wear but I plan on hemming them up to make them shorter.

I have never really been a part of something like this (although my mom was having Beanie Baby flashbacks) but here are a few tips I can offer for situations like this.

Tip 1: Shop online if at all possible. I heard the site crashed around 12am when the line went live but you probably have a better shot at securing at least a few things. Already have an account set up and your debit/credit card on file so you can use express checkout. Also, check out your things 1-2 items at a time, less prone to crash and lose all your items.

Tip 2: Arrive early if you are shopping in person. I am notorious in my friend group as always being early but let me tell you people that are early rather than late get things done. It helps that I'm a morning person (and don't need much sleep) but set those alarms and get going!

Tip 3: Have a "team" with you. Ideally this situation needed three people, but we did pretty good with two. If you are shopping solo you will probably have to make a choice of the items you really want, if its furniture hit the home area first and save the other sections of the store after you get your "must have".

Tip 4: With your team, especially if it has to do with clothing/fashion searching, it probably is best to leave your boyfriend/husband at home. I saw so many women yelling at their husbands (or boyfriends) it was like some of them were out of control. I could tell by the few men that were there they had no idea what was going on and it's sad to see people getting into a frenzy and fighting with someone about who was supposed to grab an umbrella.

Tip 5: Have fun. I understand this was probably a really big deal for some people and it was definitely a huge disappointment for those who came away empty handed. But there are more clothing options out there! If you have to get your hands on some Lilly, do a little research and find out when their next sale is, check online and I'm sure you will find some great deals. I have heard about a lot of Target for Lilly items being on eBay and hiking the price way up. Don't buy these overpriced items unless it's something you just can't live without. Why pay $200 for a dress that was originally $36 when you can buy a real Lilly dress at the actual Lilly Pulitzer store for that price? It's easy to get swept up in the hype but try to put things into perspective.

 Also, returns keep rolling in each day so keep your eye peeled just in case! I'm not sure I would be part of the madness again, the clothes and home wear items were really cute and great prices but it definitely felt like the shopping Hunger Games! Happy to have survived Lilly for Target 2015.

What about you? Did you take part in all the craziness? What were your stores like? Impressed with the collection? Let me know in the comments section below!