Sororities look for letters in Lilly Pulitzer print
For some sorority girls, having their letters in Lilly Pulitzer print gives them a way to express their sisterhood after graduation.
“I’m not going to wear my letters on a sweatshirt but I would get a wristlet with a Lilly print on it,” said Laura Beghan, University graduate and Pi Phi sister.
On Jan. 24, the lifestyle and fashion brand will announce the next three sororities it will design patterns for, based on customers’ Facebook votes.
In 2010, the company added its first four sorority prints: Kappa Delta, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Zeta. The prints feature each sorority’s colors and symbols with swirling, colorful Lilly flair.
Last year, the brand opened up to customers for the first time and asked them to vote for the next round of sorority prints. Kappa Alpha Theta, Delta Gamma, Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi and Alpha Phi won the most votes.
Tori Tidwell, a sophomore public relations major from Kennesaw, is a member of Delta Gamma.
“Having a Lilly print is a huge deal, especially in the sorority world,” Tidwell said.
She said girls in DG were constantly voting online and urging friends and family around the country to do the same.
“We had a Facebook page specifically for Delta Gamma and we would always encourage each other to repost it and get as many girls as possible in on it,” Tidwell said.
More than just a pretty pattern, some sorority members value Lilly Pulitzer’s nod at their organizations.
“It’s really nice because I feel like we’re being recognized for the organization that we are, so that’s kind of a big deal,” Tidwell said. “It’s nice to have designers encouraging what sororities are about.”
Beaghan, who is also the manager of University Spirit – a store that sells Greek paraphernalia – said people have bought products in the new sorority prints, but that some might be turned off by the high prices.
“They do not fly off the shelf like the traditional Lilly does – the planners and the cups and things like that,” she said. “But the wristlets have been the big seller here.”
According to the Lilly Pulitzer website, a sorority print wristlet costs $38 while a tote bag costs $88.
Rebecca Thomas, a senior advertising major from Dunwoody is a member of Gamma Phi Beta, which is currently in the running for a Lilly print.
“I would be so excited because Lilly is my favorite brand, and I love it and everything it stands for,” said Thomas. “So if we got a Lilly print, I think even though I’m a senior and I’m graduating – I’m in Gamma Phi for life so I would so totally buy the print and wear it and be proud.”
It’s the lifetime solidarity among sisters across state boundaries that make this contest such a big deal.
Even Beaghan said she voted in the competition.
“I went and voted because I was a Pi Phi here at Georgia. People seem to be really excited about it,” she said. “It’s Lilly and it’s their sorority. You combine the two together and it’s a win-win.”
The Possibilities
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Omicron Pi
Gamma Phi Beta
Phi Mu
Pi Beta Phi
Sigma Kappa
Zeta Tau Alpha
The Newbies
Kappa Alpha Theta
Delta Gamma
Chi Omega
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Phi
The originals
Delta Zeta
Delta Delta Delta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Delta
