The Summer 2020 Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale (APS) Guide + FAQ

It’s almost time for my favorite shopping event of the year, the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale! I’ve received lots of questions about the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale, usually called the APS, such as ‘When does 2020 After Party Sale Start?’, ‘Is the APS in stores, or only online?’, ‘How does the After Party Sale’s Virtue Line (aka Virtual Queue) work?’, ‘Which prints will be included in the 2020 Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale (APS)?’, and ‘What time does the APS start’? I’m here to answer all of those frequently asked questions, share my tips on how to best shop this fantastic sale, and clear up any confusion you may have about the APS!

Shop the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale in 8 places before the official sale begins! Click here to see where to shop!

APS = After Party Sale:  One of the two semi-annual sales Lilly Pulitzer offers. It is the only time sale merchandise is offered on their websites since they do not regularly maintain a sale section. While regular Lilly stores have sales all year round, but may not have the same selection and deep discounts the APS has).

What is the official start of the sale?
Lilly Pulitzer has confirmed that the sale will be at 8 am EST on Monday, September 14th, the first Monday after Labor Day!

Will the sale be in stores as well, or only online?
To comply with social distancing requirements, this sale will only be offered online here.

What time does the After Party Sale start?
The sale always starts at 8 am EST online.

What if what I’m looking for sells out?
The last two sales, they have said that they will restock on the second day but didn’t add more than 6-10 new items, and no additional sizes were added. This means grab whatever you want while it’s available because once it’s gone, it’s gone for good!

Other Retailers to Shop Lilly Pulitzer Deals During the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale

Sales that generally start at midnight EST:

Amazon
Saks
Rue La La

Sales that generally start at 3 am EST:

Zappos
Dillards
Nordstrom
Saks Fifth Ave

*Please know that these sales sometimes change when they start. It’s impossible to know for sure, but this is based on what happened the last two years.

Frequently Asked Question About Lilly Pulitzer’s After Party Sale

Which sale is better, the Summer After Party Sale or the January APS? 

I always prefer Lilly Pulitzer’s Summer After Party Sale because it has a much larger selection. If you live somewhere warm or plan to take any fall/winter vacations, you’ll still have plenty of time to wear your new purchases!

The January sale is usually much smaller than the summer sale, but the discounts are just as good, and since it’s not as popular as the summer sale, you’re more likely to get in, order what you want, and get out of the sale faster. Shipping for the winter sale is also quicker, in my experience, which is another bonus.

How does the online sale work?
People are put in a virtual line when they first go to the site and given a number. The “line” will “move,” and your number will get closer to the “front” of the virtual line.

Tip: You can open multiple browser tabs and shop from multiple devices (phones, tablets, computers, laptops, etc.) and have multiple “spots” in line. This is important because just because you put something in your cart does not mean it won’t sell out.

Tip: I recommend checking out multiple times to get the best chance of getting your items (your order could be canceled, more on this later), but beware that once you checkout and complete your purchase, you’re sent to the back of the line. This is where having multiple devices/tabs, aka places in line, becomes beneficial!

What if my order is canceled?
Even though you may be able to place an order, it doesn’t necessarily mean that what you’re ordering will still be in stock. If your order is canceled, there isn’t much you can do other than hunt for the items in places like my Lilly Pulitzer Facebook group, which has nearly 40,000 members.

What if I am sent the incorrect items, or what I order doesn’t fit me?
If you’re sent the wrong items, call or email Lilly and ask them to fix it. All sales are final, so if what you order doesn’t fit, you can try to find a trade in my Facebook group’s event.

Will pop-up prints be available in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
If recent pop-up prints didn’t sell out, they would likely be included in the summer sale.

Can I use a gift card during the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
Yes

If something I buy in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale doesn’t work for me, can I return it?
No, all sales are final. However, if an item arrives damaged, they have been known to accept a return or exchange for equivalent value items.

APS Prices & Discounts

Is there a way to find out what After Party Sale prices will be before the sale?
There’s no way to know what will be in the APS before it happens or how much things will be.

What’s, are markdowns like during the After Party Sale?
Generally 30-80% off retail

Examples of Prices from Last Year’s Summer APS
Dresses were around 59-99$
Swing Dresses $39
Shift Dresses $59-$89
Elsas $69-$109
Callahan Shorts $29+
Sample Buttercup Scallop Shorts $29
Luxletic Leggings $39
Luxletic Aila Skort $34
Vests were $39-$49
Scarves were $19-$30
Popovers were $39-$59
Deanna Linen Popovers $34|
Printed Popovers $59
Cashmere Cardigan Wrap $69
Palazzo Pants were $89
Purses and accessories were $12+
Men’s Ties $29
Men’s Swim Shorts $34-$39
Men’s Beaumont Shorts $34

What’s Included in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?

Will Samples & Recuts be included in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
They were one sale a few years ago but haven’t been included since.

Is luxlextic clothing included in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
Yes

Are child & baby clothes included in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
Yes, prices are generally 1/2 off retail for children’s & baby clothing!

Will Men & Boy items be included in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
Yes

Which prints will be included in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
Anything up to and (rarely) including the present season. Think from last summer to the current season. Consider which prints have been recently pulled from the website. This will give you a good idea of what may be included.

Which specific items are included in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
While no one knows for sure, it’s a safe bet that the most recent Gift with Purchases (GWPs) will be included, as well as items that didn’t sell out when they were originally released. If you see prints or pieces from a few releases ago that are still fully stocked on the site, chances are pretty good they’ll be included in the sale.

Will ____ print be in the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale?
Prints from the past 2 years are likely to be included. Sometimes they throw in an item or two from further back, but those always sell out quickly.

How to Make the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale Work for You!

• Once the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale date is officially announced, set your alarms!
• Set up your Lilly Pulitzer website account a day or two before the sale (it won’t be accessible a few hours before the sale and even the night before). You can store your card info, address, etc., within your account to save time checking out during the sale.
• Set priorities and hit each of those categories first. (Ex: popovers, shorts, dresses, accessories then tees and tanks last)
• Once you check out during the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale, you’re put back at the “end of the line,” which means you won’t be able to shop again until you get to the front of the virtual line. This is why you should open multiple tabs and shop on multiple devices.
• Do NOT refresh your page once you’re in line; you’ll lose your spot!
• Use multiple browser windows and both the app and website to get in the sale a few times.
• You can even access the sale from multiple devices like a laptop, phone, iPad, desktop, etc., to avoid waiting in line over and over again and potentially missing out.
• You can use the search function to narrow the selection to your size, so it only shows you things that are in stock in the size you’re looking for! (See below!)

More Advice & Tips

• The site has a penchant for crashing, so be patient. During the January 2018 Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale, the site crashed so hard that even though I was in line right at 8 am and one of the first 5k people in line, I couldn’t access the site until almost noon due to technical issues. Last year, there were no issues at all.
• Just because you add something to your cart doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to be yours. It may sell out before you check out, so shop fast and grab what you want, then check out as quickly as you can. ** Remember, you’ll be sent back to the beginning of the queue.
• Even buying something doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to be delivered to you.  Every year some people are disappointed because their orders are canceled, and it’s good to know going into it that it’s not unheard of. However, I didn’t hear of many orders being canceled last year.
• You may never receive a shipping notification or tracking. Your package will likely show 1-8 business days after purchase or up to six weeks later.
• Shipping is usually quite quick. I live in Michigan and have almost always gotten my packages 2 days after the sale (shipped from KOP, Pennsylvania), but keep in mind that Lilly gets more orders during this time than any other, so shipping times may be extended up to 6 weeks!
• Be kind to Lilly’s customer service! They aren’t out to get you, and they have no control over stock or canceled orders. It may be really disappointing to miss out on something you’ve been wanting, but these are real human beings with real feelings who deserve respect, not a stranger’s rage.
• Lilly does not ship internationally (yet).

Let me know what you thought of these tips, and if you still have questions, please ask them below, and I will answer!

Happy Shopping!

Follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for more!