Lilly Pulitzer Kentucky Derby Prints

My grandmother made me this quilt in Lilly Pulitzer Low Rider fabric!

Over the nearly 10 years, HerKentucky readers have shown me that they love the Kentucky Derby and Lilly Pulitzer more than just about anything else. A 2013 post about how young socialite Lillian McKim (a few years before her marriage to publishing scion Peter Pulitzer) volunteered as a horseback courier in Eastern Kentucky is one of this site’s all-time most popular articles, as is the story of Lilly’s family connections to the Kentucky Derby.

Lilly herself said in a 2004 interview "I don't race, but everyone in the family has had horses in the Derby. And no one has ever won." That streak was broken in 2013 by Orb, owned by Lilly’s half-brother Denny Phipps. Unfortunately, she wasn't here to see the victory; she passed away the prior month. Over the years, the Lilly Pulitzer brand has paid homage to their founder’s love of horses and her family’s ties to horse racing by releasing several equestrian and Derby-themed prints. Recently, one of my instagram followers shot me a message asking if I had a list of all of the Lilly equestrian print names. I knew several of the prints, just from having worn and collected Lilly Pulitzer for over twenty years. But, I wasn’t sure I knew them all. I reached out to Lilly Pulitzer Customer Service to see if they could help, but was met with a courteous note that let me know that they don’t employ a brand historian. (I’d be happy to send them a resume if they ever open that gig!)

So, I found myself with the research project of my dreams. I’m pretty sure my list is fairly exhaustive, but I’d love to hear of any prints I’ve missed!

Lilly Top and a stack of my Lilly Derby prints, from top: Giddy Up, Derby Days, Low Riders, Kentucky Eyelet, and Carson’s Grandstand Patch

The research I did led me to several patterns over the past 20 years or so. The first few prints I’ve identified are from the early 2000s; I have linked images to as many as possible. (Please note that I do not own the rights to any of the linked images; due to the age of the content, many are from now-defunct websites and exist solely in an archived state on Google and /or Pinterest.)

• Fillies for Lillies (c. early 2000s) This is a muted mint green, light yellow, and light pink Oaks-themed print featuring pink fillies and Stargazer Lilies. View here

• Derby Days (c. early 2000s) A muted mint green background with horses, horseshoes, the Belle of Louisville, and fireworks. View here

• Low Riders (c. early 2000s) A muted mint green background with periwinkle, yellow, and white horses and Churchill Downs Spires). View here

Spring 2006 featured an entire collection of Derby-themed pieces. You can view swatches of the entire collection here.

• Indigo Minty Denim with mint julep embroidery.

• Indigo Up Up & Away Denim with yellow and pink hot air balloon embroidery

• Indigo Horse of a Different Color Denim with multicolor racehorse embroidery

• Millionaires Row Pink with yellow and green giraffes

• Kentucky Eyelet Eyelet lace with an underlay, available in Phipps Pink or Trot Yellow

• Fronds Green Derby Argyle Green and pink argyle

• Kentucky Plaid Pink and green windowpane check on white background

• Derby Patch Patchwork of several prints in this line.

• Phipps Pink Festival Stripe Pink and green stripe on white background

• Fireworks Multicolor daisy print on yellow background

• First Call Pink tulips on green background

• Grandstand Blue Hidden Garden Periwinkle butterflies and green flowers on a blue background

Spring 2010 brought us some gorgeous pieces in the Lilly Originals line. Longtime horseman and fashion icon Carson Kressley helped design the Carson’s Grandstand Patch print. Fun fact: Mr. Kressley was in attendance at the Lexington Junior League Horse Show that summer. His signature print was a very popular fashion choice among those of us who volunteered at or attended the Horse Show!

• Giddy Up A multicolored array of spectators in the Derby Grandstand. View here

• Carson’s Grandstand Patch A patchwork of equestrian-themed prints including Giddy Up. View here.

I’m wearing my Carson’s Grandstand Patch shift in this 2013 photo with my cousin Laci!

In the “pink label” Lilly era (past ten years or so), we’ve seen some generally equestrian prints as well as an iconic mint julep print.

• Hot to Trot (Spring 2012) Green and white horses on a hot pink background view here

• Starfruit Yellow Horse Show Embroidery (c. 2012?) Yellow seersucker with pink horseshoe embroidery

• Just Add Mint (Spring 2013) Green and pink mint juleps on a white background. View here

Do you pull out your Lilly dresses for Derby week? Or do you have a print I missed? Let me know!

Lilly Pulitzer and the Kentucky Derby

(Reposting this popular post, which was originally written in 2016. This post was brought to you by Shircliff Publishing. For more Kentucky Derby history, download The Kentucky Derby Book by Bill Doolittle for only $9.99; available in Kindle and iBooks editions.)

Here in Kentucky, a lot of us love to wear our Lilly Pulitzer prints to the racetrack. A flattering dress in a bright, preppy print is the perfect outfit for a day at Keeneland or Churchill Downs. Lots of us break out our favorite Lilly dresses for Kentucky Derby week activities. But did you know that Lilly Pulitzer herself had lots of ties to the Derby and thoroughbred horse racing? 

Lilly's famous Derby-themed prints

Lilly's stepfather, Ogden Phipps took horses quite seriously. He used Paris, Kentucky's storied Claiborne Farms, for the breeding and training of his horses. He helped found the New York Racing Association and served as Chairman of the Jockey Club for over twenty year, and he lost the famous coin toss that awarded Secretariat to Penny Chenery.  Mr. Phipps owned horses that won the Breeder's Cup and the Belmont, but a Kentucky Derby win eluded him. In fact, in the 2004 book Essentially Lilly, Lilly told her co-author, Jay Mulveny, "I don't race, but everyone in the family has had horses in the Derby. And no one has ever won."

While Lilly never saw a relative win the Kentucky Derby, her half-brother Dinny Phipps did win the Derby with Orb in 2013, only a month after Lilly's passing.

Of course, longtime HerKentucky readers know that Lilly's ties to Kentucky don't stop with her family's racing heritage. Lilly briefly lived in Eastern Kentucky, putting her love of horseback riding to good use as she volunteered as a courier for Mary Breckinridge's Frontier Nursing Service.

And, of course, the Lilly Pulitzer company has put out some lovely Derby- and racing- themed prints over the years; these prints are traditionally cherished by Kentucky Lilly-lovers! 

My grandmother made me this quilt from a vintage, Kentucky Derby-themed Lilly print.

Shop my favorite Lilly Dresses for Kentucky Derby 145!
 

How I Shop the January 2017 Lilly Pulitzer After-Party Sale!

(This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small per-click commission on some product links at no additional cost to you! Thank you for supporting HerKentucky.com!)

I'm sure that most of y'all know that the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale starts Wednesday morning, January 3rd. If you frequent fashion blogs, especially those with a preppy twist, then you've seen the basic tips, and you know to have your login and payment info ready. But, I have a few of my own tried-and-true after-party sale tricks to help you get exactly what you want in a hurry!

1. Visit the Palm!
This year, Lilly stores are getting a head start on the sale fun. You can shop the sale starting tomorrow, Tuesday the 2nd, as soon as your store opens! In Louisville and Lexington, we have the Peppermint Palm; both locations are filled with a great selection and the absolute friendliest sales staff! 

2. Search by Style

The first thing I do when I get into the Lilly Sale is to search by style. For me, there are two Lilly pieces that always fit perfectly, hold up well, and generally work for my life. I start any Lilly sale by searching for those pieces: The Elsa Top and the Skipper Popover.

The Elsa Top

This is always the first thing I search for when buying Lilly. It's a silk blouse that can work with anything from jeans and shorts to skirts and tailored trousers. It often runs a little large, so I have a two-size range in this style. It's a popular style, and it goes quickly, so I search for Elsa tops, determine if there's one in my size (or my mom's) that I want, and make my first purchase.

The Skipper Popover

After I've assessed the Elsa situation, I move on to searching for Skipper Popovers. This is like a dressy, French Terry sweatshirt. There are a few variants on that style now, so "popover" is probably a better search term than "Skipper." Either way, this is my second favorite search, because I wear these tops year-round. I look for my size (and, again, my mom's!); I like to buy these so that they're a little large.

3. Search by Print

After I've looked for my favorite pieces, I search by print. If there was an absolute favorite print that I loved in the previous few months, I'll scan the sale for it. For example, during the January 2017 After-Party Sale, I looked for Psychedelic Sunshine, a print from August/ September 2016. I usually don't like to buy more than one piece in a particular print, but this one is so special that I wound up getting an Elsa and a midi skirt (I'd bought the Sophie dress when it was new in the stores!)

4. Shop by Size

After these searches, I finally search by size. I look for my size in tops, dresses, and skirts. I check what's available for my mom, and for my little nieces. And, I try not to buy more than we all need! 

I bought my niece's first Lilly dress on the August 2015 After-Party sale!

5. Check Back In!

Because it is so hard to get online at the stroke of 8 on Wednesday morning, the Lilly Pulitzer crew has really gotten smart about pacing the sale. New styles will come on the site as the sale progresses. This year, they've announced that the sale will last three days rather than two. I promise, if y'all want to shop, you'll be able to!

Good Luck, and let me know what y'all find! How do you shop the After-Party Sale?

The HerKentucky Mother's Day Gift Guide

While we've been busy planning Derby and Cinco de Mayo and all the early May events, y'all did remember that Mother's Day is next Sunday, May 14th, right? 
I'm sure you did, but here are a few absolutely great ways to celebrate your mama!

Elva Fields Earrings

Emily Maynard, the designer and owner of Elva Fields, is a dear friend of mine and one of the most compassionate, creative, cool ladies I've ever met. She's also an incredible mama to two darling girls. So, when Emily sets out to make a Mother's Day present, I know it's going to be something special. These earrings from Elva Fields are so lovely, y'all. They're just the kind of understated, everyday earrings that make a fantastic present. Even better, by purchasing these earrings, you're making a difference in the Louisville community. A portion of each purchase of this style will be donated to one of these three charities (you get to choose!): The Cabbage Patch, a 106-year-old organization that reaches at-risk families and youth through recreational, educational, and service-based programs and opportunities from tutoring, mentoring, after-school classes, scholarships, and much more; Kentucky Refugee Ministries, which provides resettlement services to refugees through faith- and agency-based co-sponsorship in order to promote self-sufficiency and successful integration into the community; or The Healing Place, which reaches men and women suffering from drug and alcohol addiction through one of the nation's most effective and hopeful programs, providing tools for recovery and restoring productive lives. They're a fantastic little thank you to your mom for raising you right.

Lilly Pulitzer Scarf

I'm guessing that you and your mom share at least a bit of your personal style. My mom shares my love for bright Lilly Pulitzer prints, and I find that a scarf like this one is the right little pop of color to share as a gift. 

Draper James Trinket Tray

A trinket tray in a bright pattern is an adorable way to brighten Mom's day every day of the year. The Mother Knows Best pattern is adorable, but my very favorite is the You Are My Sunshine tray! 

Anchal Project Makeup Pouches 

These makeup/ accessory pouches are soooo gorgeous, y'all. Anchal Project is such an amazing company based here in Louisville. They employ women in India, many of whom formerly were exploited through commercial sex work, as designers and artisans who recycle the material old saris into scarves, quilts, and small dry goods. The designs are stunning, and the story of female empowerment is so inspiring.

Shop Local Kentucky Tees

photo courtesy Shop Local Kentucky.

For the mom with a sense of humor, "Kentucky's Okayest Mom" is the best title ever. Shop Local Kentucky has a tee that offers up that title. 

Now y'all have absolutely no excuses for sending Mom an extra-special gift!

Searching for Lilly Pulitzer x Starbucks S'well Bottles in the Louisville area

Image via Lilly Pulitzer

A few days ago, my social media lit up with posts from two of my favorite bloggers (Carly from The College Prepster and Krista from Covering the Bases, who also happens to be a UK alumna!) that Lilly Pulitzer and Starbucks had teamed up for a water bottle collaboration with S'well Bottles. I was pretty pumped, since I'm basically obsessed with both Lilly Pulitzer and Starbucks, and because I could actually use a new water bottle.

So, I decided to devote a couple hours to the search. Now, in my very limited defense for wasting time on this project, I will say that I had to fast for a little medical test, so I knew I'd be way too hangry to actually work on my manuscript this morning. Plus, I had an hour or so to kill while waiting for the vet's office to fill Max's prescription. So, I decided to check out how Louisville Starbucks scored among the 4,000 Starbucks outlets that would receive a shipment. I figured that since Louisville is the 38th largest metro area in the nation, and is a city full of Lilly lovers, we stood a pretty good chance of getting this merchandise at at least a few stores.

Now the Starbucks website lists 38 stores for the area inside the Gene Snyder Freeway in the Louisville metro, including those in malls as well as Target and Kroger stores, on campus at U of L, and at the airport. I assumed that standalone stores in high-traffic areas that meet Lilly's demographics would be the most likely to receive a shipment. Here were my results for the Louisville market.

1. Starbucks at Frankfort & Lexington, St Matthews: They did not have the bottles when I visited in person last night; said that a new shipment will be in late today, so check back this evening.

2. Starbucks at 4400 Shelbyville Road, St Matthews: Didn't have them when I visited today, said a new shipment of items will be in on Sunday, so check then.

3. Starbucks at Hurstborne & Shelbyville: Did not have the bottles out on display; the store was way too busy to bother a barista or salesperson.

4. Starbucks at Holiday Manor: When I called, they said they didn't have them and didn't expect to get them.

5. Starbucks at Paddock Shops (formerly the Summit): When I arrived there around 10 this morning, I was told that bottles had been put out first thing this morning and had quickly sold out.

6. Starbucks at Target, Westport Rd and Hubbards Ln: I walked by the kiosk; no bottles were out. (I didn't think that Target ever wanted to hear the words "Lilly Pulitzer" again, but I thought it was worth a try.

7. Starbucks at Kroger, Westport Rd and Hubbards Ln: I walked by the kiosk; no bottles were out.

8. Starbucks at Baxter and Highland: Aren't answering the phone. At this point, I don't blame them.

9. Starbucks at Dixie Highway: I heard a rumor on Facebook that they sold out first thing this morning.

After all this, I decided that I may look for one on Starbucks.com later this spring. I'm certainly not paying the speculators on eBay, though. Let me know if you find one!

The HerKentucky Valentine's Day Luxe Wishlist

Hey y'all! How are you spending Valentine's Day? Or, better yet, Galentine's Day? Now, I'm not usually one for fighting the crowds for fancy prix-fixe dinners, but I sure do love to window shop for all the pretty pink and red Valentine's Day themed pretties that are in stores right now. Here are a few of my luxe Valentine's Day favorites.

I seriously love this Lilly Pulitzer sunny shoulder silk blouse! What a great update on a classic Lilly Elsa top!

I have this Talbots cashmere heart sweater, and it's so lovely! (and under $45!)

I'm obsessed with Vineyard Vines holiday tees. Especially this one.

And then there's this David Yurman necklace... A girl can dream, can't she? 

Shop The Look

Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses

Yesterday, the lovely ladies at The Peppermint Palm invited me to meet the Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses! Aren't they lovely?

With Derby approaching, and the Derby Princesses fulfilling their royal duties, I thought it would be fun to re-post this guest post by our friend Grace Wainwright, the gorgeous Louisville-based fashion blogger from A Southern Drawl. Back in 2014, Grace was kind enough to describe her experiences as a Derby Festival Princess for HerKentucky readers.

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Hey y’all! I’m Grace, the gal over at A Southern Drawl --my personal style blog of all things southern, stylish, and awkward.  I’d like to describe my style as preppy, classic, and feminine (yet very much unexpected at times).  My personality, on the other hand, is quite different.  Yes, I may say y’all and may be a George Strait fan, but I’m not the typical southern proper girl.  I come from a large Lebanese family that’s always in your business.  {There’s no such thing as privacy in my family.}  So, pretty much here’s the equation of my life: Lebanese + South = Comedy.  I’m sarcastic, loud, blunt, and despite “popular” belief, I’m not graceful, have no poise, and trip in public daily {if not more}.  Sounds tragic, right? Right.

…and then I became a Kentucky Derby Festival Princess.  Go ahead, gasp.  I was pretty shocked too, to be honest.  But, don’t worry, I’ll give you some background. 

Kentucky Derby Festival {KDF} kicks off with Thunder Over Louisville  {April 12} and consists of nearly 70 events leading up to the good ol’ Kentucky Derby {go baby go!}.  As for the KDF Royal Court {that’s me!}—we act as ambassadors for Louisville and represent the community at all of the functions and Derby Festival activities.  That means we attend nearly every event {and keep in mind that all the princesses are full-time students}.  The princesses are chosen out of more than 100 applicants with two interviews, the last being given by out-of-state judges. How are we selected? Knowledge of the Derby Festival, Poise, Intelligence, Personality, and Campus/Community Involvement.

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All of the Princesses; Photo Taken by Marvin Young

So, I’m a Derby Festival Princess.  What now?  First, I wear my crown and pray that I don’t trip and break its precious stones.  Chances are pretty high for that, y’all.  Second, the great sponsors, like Macy’s, Anthropologie,Dillard’s, Gretchen Scott , and many more dress us until we’re looking as fabulous as can be.  {I always love getting to do what I do best—try on clothes and shop}.  Third, we get to be ambassadors for the KDF events and functions and strut our stuff everywhere. A scholarship is also given to us by The Fillies, which is quite the perk too.  So here’s to me {and the other four gorgeous princesses} proceeding through these last couple of weeks without doing anything too traumatizing to the public and to us enjoying every fleeting second of this. Oh wait, and to always remembering that the soup spoon is scooped away from your body and not towards {etiquette lesson of the day}. 

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Fairy tales never included princesses taking selfies with the Governor... Pretty cool, eh? {Photo Taken By Marvin Young.}

Feel free to stop on by over here to get your daily dose of sarcasm and style from yours truly.  I promise I don’t bite…well, sometimes.