fashion

Sent the book right back the day I got it.....Need I say more.

Lilly Pulitzer's name is practically synonymous with carefree living. From the late 60s on, she has championed a way of life that is virtually unrelated in any way to how most people really live and which had as its symbol her ubiquitous, colorful, flowery shifts. As the text makes clear, Lilly doesn't care for following rules and, lucky her, she has the means to do and live as she pleases. The narrative is competently written, echoing closely a recent Vanity Fair profile on Lilly which covered the history of her famous brand and name. One doubts that Lilly herself did much of the writing, as there is very little first person accounting. Rather, the book is presented as a very long interview with Lilly's input as quotes.

The photography in Essentially Lilly is gorgeous. Ocean and garden scenes display the young, beautiful and obviously wealthy (not to mention white - there is nary a person of color in Lilly's world, apparently) frolicking per Lilly's mantra of always enjoying oneself. Lilly's fans will enjoy seeing how the sometimes outrageous prints her clothing line produced stand up through time - vintage sales photos printed next to newer images look just as fresh as they day they were taken.

As for the recipes, well, they're not impressive or complex (WASPs aren't the most enthusiastic eaters/cooks - witness Alexandra Wentworth's "The WASP Cookbook") but they work and that's what's important. The ingredients are primarily fresh fruits, veggies and seafoods which are altered as minimally as possible. In short, they're perfect for the type of Palm Beach life that Lilly loves and encourages - a type of endless summer where it never rains, no one is ever unhappy and you never drop your sandwich into the sand.

One is astonished to read about such a rich (in every sense) life presented with such a lack of irony given current political and economic events. Still, Lilly is so happy and earnest that it's easy to forget when reading Essentially Lilly that very few people actually live as she does and it's hard not to share her enthusiastic approach to life when glancing at the pages of such a lovely book.

Lilly Pulitzer lives in Palm Spring. Her home is referred to as her jungle, but there is nothing wild or scary about it, only welcoming. Her door is always open and her ideas are there to share. Lilly is known as the "creator of a dress that bears her name and style" - the shift dress. Her styles continue to carry bold, colorful prints. Lilly tells her story from the beginning when she sold the oranges to her neighbors. She was good at it, and from there her imagination grew. Soon she created the Lilly style. Now she is ready to share her entertaining ideas. In the book, her advice on entertaining can be summed up to "just have fun." _Essentially Lilly_ shows us that "living and entertaining and having good times" is the parallel between her clothing and her parties.

There are many entertaining books out there, but I think Lilly has created one of the most expressive ones yet. Whether it's water, land, or in a jungle, Lilly's got it covered. Just looking at the book will put you in a good mood!

Brenda @ MyShelf.Com