I know who Lilly Pulitzer is. I may have all boys, but I live in the south, and therefore her fashion line is not totally foreign to me. The preppy pink and green print dresses, the towels, the totes, and the tanks. Yes, they are high-end and adorable, and if I had a daughter, I'm sure her closet would be housing a few. So, I understand what all the excitement was about with her collaboration with Target. What I don't understand is seemingly intelligent women developing an incredible amount of actual rage against a retailer and a designer because they "Couldn't get that dress they wanted!" and "It's soooo like, NOT FAIR!" If there was ever the need for the hashtag followed by the three little words "first world problems," this would be it.
This may go down as Preppy Black Friday, where throngs of Kappas and Deltas and Thetas and their mamas all had a collective fashion meltdown. And after their disappointment they took to social media, where #LillyforTarget was trending, and tweets and status updates were full of photos of "hauls" and "scores" alongside photos of empty racks and women pushing red carts overflowing with hibiscus clad beach towels.
Those who left empty-handed then began the whine fest of how Target was ill prepared, and how they should have known better. Target? Aren't you listening? Meghan has a bridal shower to go to this weekend, and how on Earth can she go without being clad in head-to-toe in Lilly? How could you NOT have known this? Shame on you, Target!
And, of course, someone has already created a petition about the day's epic fashion failure. A petition! It is demanding a re-release of all the sold out items. We demand our spring wardrobe! Make it happen NOW!
I find it hard to believe that Target would partner with a designer line without doing extensive market research first, without knowing exactly what the demand would be. If they did, and still had this kind of demand be a surprise to them, then they have only themselves to blame. If not, and it was always intended to be a limited release and amount, then perhaps they could have made that clear, and had a strict purchase limit.
The people who went to Target to buy and then re-sell on eBay? Well, if there is a market for something, there will be a seller of that something. If there were no store limits set on items or not enforced, then whether we think it's not "right" or "impolite" to load up a cart to resell doesn't really matter. There is no recourse.
Many people make an actual living reselling designer and other hard-to-find fashion items on eBay. And, a pretty good one at that. And why not? It's called free enterprise. Angry customers on social media went so far as calling out resellers, saying their actions of price gouging Lilly were illegal and some type of legal action should be taken. Really? Last time I checked, oilcloth cosmetic bags and bathing suit cover ups were not considered essential commodity items. If that were true I would be suing Gucci right about now for selling a $2,000 purse. Grow up. Things sell out. Not everybody gets a trophy, or a dress. It's called life.
There will be other designer collaborations with Target. There may even be another Lilly-filled Sunday. Maybe they will have enough, maybe they won't. I can only hope until then we can bring some of the angered and empty handed young ladies back down to Earth. Back down to live in a world where not everyone "should have known I needed it!" Back down to live in a place where not every store is going to have exactly what they want, when they want, every single time they want it. Too bad they are living in a world where when they click "add to cart" and it says "sold out," they completely lose it, and feel like they have a RIGHT to it.
Not getting that floral sheath at a discount? #FirstWorldProblem.