I used to think, even if not trendy or fashionable myself, that at least I had some bead about what was going on in those worlds. However, I guess not so much, because more and more, things get by me---and how.
While stopping for gas at a less-than-upmarket convenience store in a not-so-chic part of rural Maine the other day, I wandered in for a snack, and scanned the displays for my choices. All the usuals were there: Cheetos, salted peanuts, Famous Amos Cookies, Lilly Pulitzer Special Edition Animal Crackers, Snickers Bars, beef jerky----whoa, wait a brightly printed cotton pickin' second!
LILLY PULITZER SPECIAL EDITION ANIMAL CRACKERS???? In East Podunk? Anxiously awaited by the mill workers and fishermen stopping by for a six pack and snack on their way home from their very hard, very dirty, work, no doubt? Talk about ironic---I'm still trying to picture it--- "Forget that beef jerky, Mike, I'm gonna have me some of them Lilly Pulitzer Animal Crackers with my Bud tonight!"
It turns out, after googling 'Lilly Pulitzer Animal Crackers', that I am indeed the very last person on earth to know, let alone blog, about this, the strangest marketing marriage since Joe Namath donned pantyhose, but that doesn't stop me from duly noting my amusement. One wonders where the nice folk at whatever corporation now owns the Lilly label---I'm not interested enough to Google the answer---thought these 'special edition' crackers were going to wind up? Grocers in Palm Beach and the Hamptons perhaps? Or is this a clever attempt to broaden the brand, and we can soon expect Lilly Pulitzer for K-mart? They've got to do something to replace Martha now that she's gone to Macy's. No, wait, I've got it, Lilly Pulitzer for Carhart safety wear! Lilly Pulitzer steel toed work boots!
The Lilly Blog announces that 1.5 million boxes were produced, and placed in sometimes unexpected places (no kidding), in addition to a few saved for their stores, and that one can even get on their facebook page for finding them. Well folks, I found three of them, and I wasn't even looking. (click HERE for Lilly blog)
Already, they are apparently collector's items---I see them on eBay for thrice what I paid (silly reader---you didn't really think I'd just pass them by without buying a couple, did you?), so maybe I'll just put mine away for retirement. Right next to the Beanie babies.
As you see, once again, I'm behind the curve, but if you'll all promise to be kind, I'll tell you about the pair of pink and orange Lilly Men jeans I had back when I was a skinny teenager. On second thought, I've changed my mind. Not on your life. And all the pictures have been destroyed.
UPDATE: Color me fuschia pink and lime green with embarrassment. Upon closer inspection, I find that a portion of the proceeds from this special edition go to the Urban Arts Partnership. I can't make fun of that.
UPDATE: Color me fuschia pink and lime green with embarrassment. Upon closer inspection, I find that a portion of the proceeds from this special edition go to the Urban Arts Partnership. I can't make fun of that.
Things are going crackers in your part of the world. You can't throw out the possibility of you in pink/orange Lilly men jeans without showing us the evidence. Being a tall guy, that's must have been a whole lot of pink/orange going on!
ReplyDeleteDilly in pink and orange jeans is a fetching vision. Was the collar popped on the Lacoste polo?
ReplyDeleteHave a fab weekend, B.!
Lily's "Cracker Tracker" tells me that I'm "a cracker dead zone" for fifty miles in all directions.
ReplyDeleteI must say, that does not comport with my experience this morning at the local post office.
P.S. "What is Dilettante Wearing Today?" Imagine what could be done with that!
HBD, NEVER!!! See below
ReplyDeleteRaina, of course it was popped up. And with white topsider sneakers. I was like a parody of 'never too rich or too thin', although I was only the latter.
Ancient, since the answer nowadays is almost always khakis or jeans with a plain shirt, it would make for a very repetitive feature. (although don't think I have thought of a parody)
As a child, I often chose Animal Crackers as my treat, not because they were so tasty, but because I saved the box with the cord handle to house some "treasure". It was probably for the best that I never knew there was a Lily Men line.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea.....could have done without knowing even -but this is fascinating! I mean....really..... I've never understood the obsession with Lily. It's a cute brand -but it's only clothing (and you can see here I'm not the most fashionable blogger around!).
ReplyDelete"'Forget that beef jerky, Mike, I'm gonna have me some of them Lilly Pulitzer Animal Crackers with my Bud tonight!'"
ReplyDeleteMy abbbbbbs!
I'm not too surprised to learn about the existence of these animal crackers, although I can't imagine buying them myself. I do, however, regularly purchase Lilly Pulitzer brand flea & tick spray. Not only is it colorful, but I can honestly say I haven't hosted a single bloodsucking parasite since I started using it.
ReplyDeleteDevoted, very amusing. I wished at the time that I had never known too.
ReplyDeleteThe jeans experience left me in the end with a permanent disdain and distaste for clothing chosen solely as a social marker
Stefan, better stylish than fashionable?
Flo,thank-you for noticing :-)
Anonymous, tooooo brilliant.