Sex and the City- Charlotte is my girl

 

I'm a Charlotte girl. The Sex and the City straight-and-narrow sweetheart knew a bloody good tailor. Even her running gear had perfect shape, no stretched out tees or bobbly cardies in her 5th Avenue closet. 

SATC alludes to her preppy persona, with a flashback showing her in a pink and green Lilly skirt. She is prissy, has Emily Post ettiqutte standards, and worries about "a tea-bag situation." Sister wears a lot of white and you better believe that it is snowy white. 

Her makeup is just right, nothing like the garish confections of 'real housewives.' Her brows are groomed but not rectangles. Her type A fussiness understands to work with the curve. 

She sells art and studied art history at university. Lisa Birnbach's True Prep, the ultimate authority on prepdom, cites study of art history (and working in a gallery/museum) as a prep career choice. 

Whilst tongue-in-cheek, it rings true to these ears. Preps appreciate aesthetics, academic study for intellectual sake, and have a thirst for history. Be it on our walls, in our closet, or around our necks- our love for history and tradition  surrounds our daily lives.

Lilly Pulitzer app

 

If you download the Lilly Pulitzer app you can get your photos with these gorgeous frames!! So even a Kiwi girl can get a bit of Lovely Lilly!!

Augustine- Lilly's Kiwi cousin?

 

If the popularity of Augustine (NZ) is anything to go by, Kiwi women would love Lilly Pulitzer!  

Kelly Coe's Auckland-based label is overtly fun, flirty, and girly!! all words associated with Lilly. 

Coe saw a gap in the NZ market for bright fun fashion and started Augustine with her husband Nathan in 2008. 

My Facebook feed is ablaze with "ISO Augustine" and the other lines under its umbrella- Stella Royal (plus size!) and Charlo (casual, versatile pieces)

We are known as a nation obsessed with black and navy fashion, as seen with Nom D and Zambesi, and visitors often comment on this! Before Augustine, the only established designer to use bright colour was Trelise Cooper but her pieces can be pricey. 

 

*Stolen images are Augustine from malletts.co.nz and

bottom image is Lilly Pulitzer from katiesbliss.com

Preppy and imperfect

Prepdom projects an image of slender athletic brunettes with ready-for-lacrosse sartorial ease. It is easy to be intimidated by willowy WASPS and nary-a-hair-out-of-place perfecto petites. 

Being plus size, preppy labels don't want me as a consumer, as I think they see my size as unsophisticated. Yes, I can buy the accessories but I do feel slightly uneasy about supporting a business which doesn't support me. 

This paucity of product sees a chink in my armoire so you can imagine my glee when Lilly Pulitzer for Target came out with extended sizing. I couldn't get anything from the website as it was busier than its playful patterns. I managed to get a lovely Lilly off Ebay, months later, in all its pink and green glory!

First lady follicles elude me: I'm more Janice Joplin than Jackie Kennedy. I abhor getting my hair cut so I usually wear a lazy ponytail or bun. A snazzy bow, headband, or tartan ribbon, may attend but this is a casual event: strays welcome. When the mood strikes me I get a bob but as soon as this is long enough, comfort demands a hairtie.