Lilly Pulitzer

It all happened by accident, when in 1959-ish Lilly (McKim) Pulitzer—a stylish Palm Beach hostess and socialite whose husband Peter Pulitzer owned several Florida citrus groves—needed a project of her own. With Peter’s produce, she opened a juice stand in Palm Beach. Lilly Pulitzer’s business was a hit, but squeezing oranges, lemons, limes, and pink grapefruit made a mess of her clothes. Realizing that she needed a juice stand uniform, Lilly asked her dressmaker to design a dress that would camouflage the stains. The result? A comfortable sleeveless shift dress made of bright, colorful printed cotton in pink, green, yellow and orange. Although her customers liked Lilly’s juice, they loved her shift dresses. Soon, Lilly was selling more shift dresses than juice. Lilly Pulitzer became a fashion sensation and a creator of authentic American resort wear as we know it.