While Lilly Pulitzer stores almost always have a few items on sale in the back, the brand only puts sale merchandise online twice a year. They call it the After Party Sale, and it’s kind of insane… but also totally worth it if you’re a fan of the brand. Since the sale starts really soon (Saturday, Sept. 8, in stores and Monday, Sept. 10, online), I wanted to share what I’ve learned from shopping the sale for the past several years. Happy shopping!
Shop in store if possible
Not everyone has a Lilly store nearby (I certainly don’t!), but if you do, my advice is to go to the store and shop there. They bring a lot of additional sale items into the store (including stuff that hasn’t been available in stores for months), so you can expect several racks of clothing — not just the stuff that was on sale last week.
But the real advantages of shopping in a store are that you are unlikely to have to wait in much of a line (maybe a few people ahead of you to check out or try things on vs. hours waiting in a queue online) and you can see and try on all the clothing. And, if you look in store first, you can always pop online later to find a different size or see what else might be available.
Know your sizes
Knowing your size is critical for the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale, because all sales are final. It’s not quite as big of a deal in the store, where you can try clothing on–or at least hold it up to yourself–but online, it can be hard to tell what size you need. I find Lilly sizes to be pretty consistent, but only for similar items. What I mean by that is while I always wear one particular size in shift dresses, I usually wear a different size in swing dresses. And the size I wear in leggings is different than the size I wear in shorts or regular pants. There are also certain styles that never fit me correctly, or will always need some minor alterations.
Obviously sizes and fit will vary by person and body, but I always try to check the sizes on other Lilly items I already own, since I can’t go into a store and try anything on. You can also check the size charts and the reviews for individual items before you buy, to get a better idea of the fit.
Be prepared to wait
In the past, the Lilly Pulitzer website would ALWAYS crash during the After Party Sale. However, last year they started a new queue system that puts you in a virtual line when you first visit the site. That way, there are only a certain number of people shopping at any given time, so the site doesn’t get overloaded. The queue is obviously the longest on the first day of the online sale, particularly in the morning, but you may have to wait a while even on the second or last day.
My experience with the online waiting system last year was that I went to the Lilly website on my laptop an hour or so before the sale was supposed to start (I was just checking the time) and got a pop-up message that I had been put in the queue. You can’t refresh your page, or you’ll lose your place in line, but you can do things in other tabs while you’re waiting. After an hour or so, I saw that I had not advanced much (it gives you the number of people ahead of you), so I went to the site on my phone. I ended up being able to shop there faster than on my laptop. The wait on my laptop was around three hours, I think, including the hour before the sale started, and the wait on my phone was more like an hour and a half.
I went back to the site on my laptop and on my phone several more times during the sale, and never had to wait that long again. But I would recommend you factor in at least an hour wait if you’re shopping the first day. And know that their app will not be working during the sale.
Know what to expect
It’s hard to know exactly what will be in the sale, but in the past I’ve found items I had seen and loved previously, but had not been available online or in stores for months. What you can definitely expect is a LOT of options, and a handful of crazy-good deals. Not every item will be available in every size, but they usually have such a wide range that you should be able to find at least one or two things you like. And it’s a great way to pick up something in a print you missed out on previously.
It’s also possible that the company will add new deals or promotions on the second or third day of the sale. But, when they do so, they always post an alert on their social media accounts, so follow them!
Check out quickly
Even with the online queue system, you’ll be shopping at the same time as tons of other people, and adding something to your cart (Lilly calls it your “tote bag”) doesn’t hold it. So, you’ll want to try to check out quickly, especially if you find something you really love, or a really great deal. One of the ways to speed up the check out process is to create an account and add your credit card and shipping information ahead of time (like, now), so you won’t have to fill all of that out when you’re buying.
You can also try to check out frequently, but then you’ll have to go back in line to shop for more.
Shipping, etc.
As you may have guessed, Lilly DOES ship to FPO/APO boxes, so no worries if you’re also a military spouse (or service member) stationed overseas! Unfortunately, though, they do not ship to any non-U.S. addresses.
The good news is that you won’t have to pay for shipping, so go ahead and make as many orders as you’d like! The items ordered during the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale don’t usually ship right away, and sometimes take a few weeks to go out, but don’t worry. You’ll get your colorful new clothes and accessories soon!
Still confused? Check out Lilly’s sale FAQs here.
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