By Bailey BensonAs of late, all I’ve wanted was clothing that would make me forget that Minneapolis was in a perpetual winter. And, as any born and raised Southerner knows, Lilly Pulitzer is usually a good place to start looking. Personally, however, I’ve always had a tough time justifying to myself spending over $200 on a dress, and just one dress at that. Maybe for a shopping spree, but that’s a whole other story.
Luckily for me, however, back in January, Target released its next collaboration for the Spring 2015 season: Lilly Pulitzer. Marking this in my calendar, I awaited the event like my birthday and had a game plan set out for the hours leading up to the release. I stalked the lookbook, I knew what I wanted, I knew what sizes, and I knew how much everything was going to cost. One of the greatest things about this collaboration was that it marked down the classic shift dress style of Lilly from $198 to $38, which was something I could justify spending on a dress. They had a few other things I had my eye on, too, so I knew I had to be ready. Around midnight on April 19th, Target went legitimately crazy. The site was down and links were being released left and right for shift dresses and mugs, while the Lilly x Target site itself wasn’t even live yet. I snagged the Lilly x Target See Ya Later Shift Dress ($38) around 12:30 AM, and decided to sleep for another hour before everything else was released. Setting my alarm for 1:50 AM, I’m 90% sure I had nightmares that full hour about not getting the clutch I wanted (which I’m positive is a sure sign of addiction). Two hours, four separate tabs, and three site shutdowns later, I finally got the clutch I wanted bought and confirmed (Lilly x Target Nosie Posey Clutch $24). It was a freaking miracle. Later that afternoon I wandered down to a Target out in the middle of nowhere amidst reports of Targets being wiped out in minutes to lines hundreds deep, hoping to find the headband I wanted (which I ended up finding on eBay for less than double the price…another miracle: Lilly x Target My Fans Headwrap $8), but with no luck. I did get a nail filer, however, which prompted me to realize how desperately I needed a manicure, but again, that’s another story. The point of this anecdote was not to showcase my shopping addiction or insanity when it comes to bright and shiny things, but to make a point at what you need to do to find the styles you want at a price you can afford. Maybe it’s through special collaborations where high end brands partner with middle class America chain stores, maybe it’s through eBay, or maybe it’s by following your favorite designers on Instagram and keeping an eye out for when they have exclusive sales. While shopping with expensive taste and a small wallet takes more work than just putting an over-priced item in your cart and calling it a day, to me, it’s a lot more fun and a lot more rewarding when you work for it. This is especially the case when you wear the new dress you fought the rest of the people on target.com for and someone tells you they love the dress. You can walk with your head a little bit higher because you didn’t have to pay full price for it. Go you. Bailey Lilly x Target See Ya Later Shift Dress ($38) Lilly x Target Nosie Posey Clutch ($24) Lilly Pulitzer Reusable Shopping Tote ($10)
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