Yes Virginia, Preppies Do Exist In Los Angeles

by Laura Medina

June 30, 2008
Can’t think of a better way to make merry the 4th of July than with a Pink and Green Lilly Pulitzer Fashion Charity Bash. Even though it was held on June 21st at Los Angeles’ most exclusive beach club, The Jonathan Club, it’s a unique yet a quintessential way to celebrate All-American Style.

As Jane Seymour, the celebrity guest host and a twenty-year City Heart supporter, said, “A little of East Coast style goes a long way on the West Coast.”




This flamingo pink pique shift dress is glamorized when a white lace crochet collar is encrusted in crystals and baubles of various sizes and shapes, making an impromptu necklace. Lilly herself would had praised this cute and clever design.



The Hollywood Male Prepster is Sunset Blvd. Rocker meets Connecticut Navy Blue Blazer. With deft tailoring along the princess line, the boxy blue blazer and the Kelly green trouser had the frumpiness deflated out of them, making the ensemble sleek and sexy. Preppy Male for the 21st Century.

It seems like that rare species, the Hollywood Preppy, has come out in full force for this charity event, totaling in a few hundreds.

This beach party/fashion show/pop-up boutique isn’t for fashion sake. It’s a fundraiser for City Hearts, an after-school arts program for disadvantaged kids. Following Lilly’s philosophy of giving back while having a good time, 20% of that day’s sale goes directly into the foundation. Practicing Lilly’s "Barefoot Elegance" of ease and entertainment, this is also the Fiftieth Anniversary of Lilly Pulitzer getting into business, starting off with her juice stand then her classic shift dress to disguise the juice stains. It's been a legacy from then on. Expressing their hearts, this three-part fashion benefit is modeled by hot and healthy teachers from the City Hearts Program. Yes, real people can and do wear Lilly.

The show celebrates the past, the present, and the future of Lilly Pulitzer. The first part was the Vintage Collection showing the first collection that debut in the first Lilly store in La Jolla, California fifty years ago and making a comeback, as well as the re-opening of the store.

Obviously, the middle capsulation is the Present Collection with plenty of cute and sexy crochet knits and sporty ready-to-wear tops and trousers.

The finale is the more glamorous and sophisticated eveningwear of the Future Collection, consisting of shimmering caftans and beaded appliquéd gowns, think of Lilly growing up from beachwear to cocktail party.

Following the “Essentially Lilly, Guide to Colorful Entertaining,” the gourmet buffet was practically lifted from the recipes in the book, from the succulent poached salmon to the gooey s’mores roasting on a fire pit on the beach. According to her, green stands for life, bounty, health, and of course, earth while pink represents for hope, romance, and flawlessness. Put them together, you get perfection.

Have a Pink and Green Lilly 4th of July! Let’s the celebration begin!