You are magnetically drawn to the color combination of pink and green and cannot help but stare in longing at all the gorgeous Lilly dresses online. Your closet is a disheveled mess of chinos and seersucker during the summer. Polos and oxfords make up about 90% of what you wear. Every sweater you own is either cabled or argyle. If it has a bow on it, you probably need it. Pearls are your best friend. Somewhere on your person there is a monogram.
If the sentences above describe you, you are probably a preppy.
If you google the word "preppy", your life will appear on your computer screen. Google images will be filled with Brooks Brothers clothing, those cute male models wearing colored pants and tailored suits. And lots and lots of perfectly tailored Oxfords. (Let us all take a moment to thank Ralph Lauren for creating those suits our favorite preppy men wear). However, another term for the preppy lifestyle is "old money", which is practically what you have to be to afford a lot of our favorite clothing.
I do not have $400 laying around to buy myself a brand new Lilly Pulitzer dress. As someone who owns a small business, those expenses come first before any splurge items. However, I can't help but love the look of vineyard vines, J. Crew and others.
After a year of digging I have found a lot of great places to find affordable preppy clothing. here are a few!
1. Ruelala
Ruelala may just be my favorite place on the internet to online shop. This company works with name brands to sell their clothing at dramatically reduced prices for a certain period of time. Lilly Pulitzer, Jack Rogers, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade and vineyard vines are all regulars on the site, as well as many new brands that I have discovered and fallen in love with. I recently bought a pair of Jack Rogers Navajo sandals online for $70, MUCH more affordable than the $140 price tag they originally carry in stores.
The site is not open to the public - you have to be a member to access the deals online. However it is insanely easy to become a member. You can sign up with your e-mail address, Facebook, or Twitter, whichever you prefer! The link to this website is here:
I STRONGLY suggest that you sign up for Ruelala. I have yet to find a deal just like this anywhere else, and it is such a great idea!
2. Re-Lilly
The Re-Lilly group on Facebook is your place to go if you are looking for cheaper Lilly. The objective of this group on Facebook is to provide an online forum for people to buy, sell, and trade Lilly products. I have drooled multiple times over the posts of a brand new Lilly Pulitzer dress (with tags!) posted as for sale with the original price slashed in half. All sizes and types of clothing can be found on the page - the awesome admins monitor the posts and collect all the postings into albums organized by size to improve overall browsing. There are also albums dedicated to Lilly clothing for mini preppies and accessories.
The payment method is predominantly Paypal. I haven't seen any complaints or reports of sellers or traders not following through with their agreements. It is by all accounts a safe place to do business with others across the internet, plus it is a great way to stock up your closet with all of your favorite prints.
You can like their page here:
3. Consignment Stores - Clothes Mentor
Cue Macklemore's "Thrift Shop".
In all seriousness, consignment stores are a great place to look for name brand clothing for a lot cheaper. However, my favorite consignment store (that actually happens to be a chain!) is Clothes Mentor. Clothes Mentor is like Plato Closet's older, classier cousin. They only accept clothing that is in practically like new condition, and it is a haven for brands such as J. Crew, Kate Spade, Coach and vineyard vines. I got two different Lilly dresses I wear all the time, plenty of Oxfords from J. Crew and a skirt and pool cover up from vineyard vines.
The pricing is my favorite part - it usually ranges between $5 to $10, depending on your purchase. Some things can get up to $20, but these are usually brand new. I really, REALLY suggest checking out your local Clothes Mentor if you are in need of an update. I absolutely love mine!
I hope this post helps all those who are budget preppies like me. It is amazing how many deals there are for your favorite brands if you just take a little time to dig!
Happy bargain hunting!
-xx, Beccy
After a year of digging I have found a lot of great places to find affordable preppy clothing. here are a few!
1. Ruelala
Ruelala may just be my favorite place on the internet to online shop. This company works with name brands to sell their clothing at dramatically reduced prices for a certain period of time. Lilly Pulitzer, Jack Rogers, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade and vineyard vines are all regulars on the site, as well as many new brands that I have discovered and fallen in love with. I recently bought a pair of Jack Rogers Navajo sandals online for $70, MUCH more affordable than the $140 price tag they originally carry in stores.
The site is not open to the public - you have to be a member to access the deals online. However it is insanely easy to become a member. You can sign up with your e-mail address, Facebook, or Twitter, whichever you prefer! The link to this website is here:
I STRONGLY suggest that you sign up for Ruelala. I have yet to find a deal just like this anywhere else, and it is such a great idea!
2. Re-Lilly
The Re-Lilly group on Facebook is your place to go if you are looking for cheaper Lilly. The objective of this group on Facebook is to provide an online forum for people to buy, sell, and trade Lilly products. I have drooled multiple times over the posts of a brand new Lilly Pulitzer dress (with tags!) posted as for sale with the original price slashed in half. All sizes and types of clothing can be found on the page - the awesome admins monitor the posts and collect all the postings into albums organized by size to improve overall browsing. There are also albums dedicated to Lilly clothing for mini preppies and accessories.
The payment method is predominantly Paypal. I haven't seen any complaints or reports of sellers or traders not following through with their agreements. It is by all accounts a safe place to do business with others across the internet, plus it is a great way to stock up your closet with all of your favorite prints.
You can like their page here:
3. Consignment Stores - Clothes Mentor
Cue Macklemore's "Thrift Shop".
In all seriousness, consignment stores are a great place to look for name brand clothing for a lot cheaper. However, my favorite consignment store (that actually happens to be a chain!) is Clothes Mentor. Clothes Mentor is like Plato Closet's older, classier cousin. They only accept clothing that is in practically like new condition, and it is a haven for brands such as J. Crew, Kate Spade, Coach and vineyard vines. I got two different Lilly dresses I wear all the time, plenty of Oxfords from J. Crew and a skirt and pool cover up from vineyard vines.
The pricing is my favorite part - it usually ranges between $5 to $10, depending on your purchase. Some things can get up to $20, but these are usually brand new. I really, REALLY suggest checking out your local Clothes Mentor if you are in need of an update. I absolutely love mine!
I hope this post helps all those who are budget preppies like me. It is amazing how many deals there are for your favorite brands if you just take a little time to dig!
Happy bargain hunting!
-xx, Beccy
Clothes Mentor sounds Ah-mazing! I cannot wait to check out my local store asap!
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