If you’ve been following along with Central Florida Chic, you’ll know just how much I love Lilly Pulitzer. I love the bright prints, the fun details, and the timelessness of the brand. I’m mostly writing this post because of a comment I received while selling on Poshmark. I was told that a buyer thought a Lilly Pulitzer item I was selling was fake or bought from an outlet. Clearly, being a huge Lilly lover myself, I was distraught that I might have been giving someone else un-authentic Lilly Pulitzer piece. So I went on a hunt to find out the truth as well as verify that the Lilly I had in my closet was also real. (Spoiler alert, the item I sold & other Lilly items currently in my Poshmark closet are 100% authentic).
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you I may make a commission if you click through and purchase.
Lilly Pulitzer Dupes
How to Tell if Lilly Pulitzer is Authentic
There are some serious tell-tale signs that your Lilly Pulitzer is real. Be sure to look for these signs when shopping Lilly Pulitzer second-hand, or in stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. (Though personally, all my TJ Maxx & Marshall Lilly Pulitzer finds have been real. You can never be too safe though). Below is a list of things to look for in authentic Lilly Pulitzer.
- Verify the item online. If you can’t find it only on the Lilly website, , or anywhere else online it’s probably not real Lilly. (Unless it’s vintage). Likewise if you find it online and it looks different, it’s also probably fake.
- Check the Labels. There can be some serious tell tale signs here. It’s especially important with vintage or white tag Lilly. Lilly items made before 2000 have a white label with a TM after the name. Items made after 2000 still had a white label but changed to the TM to an ®. Around 2006 the label was changed to a thin pink strip. Most recently it has been changed to a large bright pink label on many dresses and a bright pink thin strip on other items. Be aware, if the stitching on the label looks poor or something seems off, it probably is. (There’s a great article mostly on labels that you can find here if you are looking for more details).
- Find the Hidden “Lilly”. This can be a lot harder than it looks. But authentic Lilly Pulitzer will have a the word “Lilly” somewhere in it’s design. Be sure to check the lining for this as well. Many solid prints will say “Lilly” on the lace lining of the item.
- Buttons. Lilly Pulitzer buttons on pants and shorts will have “Lilly” written on them as well. No Lilly? Not real.
- Zipper. Lilly Pulitzer uses YKK zippers. Take a look at the zipper and be sure to find the YKK branded on it. (Note: I do have a dress that had the zipper replaced. However there are two other signs that it’s authentic).
Check the Labels
Hidden Lilly
Lilly Pulitzer Buttons
YKK Zipper
All of these are indicators that your Lilly Pulitzer is authentic. Clearly, the more of these that you can verify the better. However, there may be the occasional button or zipper that had to be replaced if you are buying it secondhand.
De-Bunking the Outlet Lilly
The Lilly that the buyer from Poshmark claimed was un-authentic had all of the authentic signs listed above. Proving that it is, in fact, real Lilly Pulitzer. The buyer also claimed that the fabric was not “up to par” for people who know Lilly. (Which I will, again, politely disagree with. Did someone really just question my Lilly knowledge?) Then the issue of it being “outlet” Lilly came up. Now this did have me wondering. So I did some research. I can find no source of outlet or cheaper made Lilly Pulitzer other than the Target Collaboration (which was still great quality). The only thing I could possibly think of was the After Party Sale. However, I don’t believe that Lilly produces the items in the sale at a lower quality than the original item. To me (and I could be 100% be wrong) they are items from past seasons that they still have inventory of. Therefore I think the idea of outlet Lilly Pulitzer is highly unlikely. Of course, if you know some things that I don’t know (like top notch knock off’s with tags, buttons, zippers, and all) please let me know.
Love the Lilly You’re In
Overall, I don’t want this post to come off as a rant for someone who didn’t like the Lilly Pulitzer they bought from my Poshmark. On the contrary, I want people to be aware just exactly what they should expect from real authentic Lilly. I too would be upset if I bought so called Lilly and it absolutely was not. Like this video I saw, wow, did they get conned. Also note, in the case of that video they bought from Poshmark from a seller who bought something (clearly not Lilly) from TJ Maxx. Sadly, the dress they received only looks like the Lilly dress at first glance. After looking at the fake dress and the real dress it becomes obvious fairly quickly they are not the same.
TJ Maxx is a seller who I believe sells real authentic brands. However, there are some bad people out there who will use it to their advantage. I know that sounds cryptic but watch this video to see what I mean. This is why it’s so important to find the piece online. It has seriously helped me in identifying so much Lilly while TJ Maxx shopping. It has also helped me if I’ll be getting a better deal buying it for a TJ price or a Poshmark price. Hopefully this helps you in your Lilly Pulitzer buying ventures and assures you of the Lilly you have in your closet. It certainly has for me! And if you have a few Lilly knock-offs here and there, hey, just love the Lilly you’re in. (It could make for a great story anyways).
Similar Brands to Lilly
There are plenty of brands out there that sell just as bright and fun prints and styles as Lilly Pulitzer. Click below to shop these fun finds at affordable prices.
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