Dressing in Color: Amy Bunn

“All I see out there now right now are animal prints,” laughed Amy Bunn when I asked her about this year’s fashion trends. Amy is the owner of The Joggling Board in Pawleys Island, a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Shop for ladies and children. “Funny you asked, we just got our last resort delivery and, low and behold, we got a cheetah print in, and of course, it’s pink! You don’t think of animal prints when you think of Lilly, but it seems to have taken over the world!”

“I love navy, you could almost say I’m a bit of a navy-aholic! Of course, pink is high on the totem pole as well, but Lilly has so many beautiful colors. Each Lilly print has a story to tell that starts in the designer’s head from an inspirational place (Lilly loved to travel) and ends up on paper and is given a name.” Amy continued, telling me that each print also has the name, “Lilly” hidden somewhere. “It’s always fun trying to find it.” The day of our interview, Amy was wearing a favorite navy sweater with a pink elephant, and she talked about the beauty and versatility of the color. “I feel like Lilly helped make navy cool again, I used to think it was boring, but it’s not – it’s timeless and beautiful with so many other colors.”

“Gold is big this year!” Amy told me excitedly. “It’s timeless, whether it’s a great pair of gold wedges, a bag, a scarf, big gold hoops or some fun bangles. You can never go wrong with gold…the real stuff is good, too!” Amy’s gold Lilly vest is one of her favorites.

“It makes me sad when I see people wearing all black all the time, color can really change your mood– Lilly Pulitzer loved color for a good reason. It makes people happy! Lilly was a character, and I was blessed to meet her several times. She’s in heaven now, but I’ll bet she’s smiling, dancing and wearing the finest heaven has to offer.” Amy added that there are black pieces in the Lilly line that are fun to pair with color. “Lily names all of her colors, and her black is called onyx,” Amy said as she described Lilly Pulitzer’s interpretation of the Little Black Dress. “Black is elegant, and has a special place, but blues and pinks and greens just make you feel good. Color makes a statement, and brings a smile to people’s faces.” Amy continued, saying, “Style isn’t about what you wear, it’s how you live, so says Lilly herself! Live every day like it’s a celebration and make every hour a happy hour.”

“If you find yourself wearing a lot of black, and don’t know where to start – start small,” Amy said, smiling, when I asked her how we could ease into adding color to our wardrobes. “Add a hot pink scarf, or a turquoise silk top, or put on a printed top with your black pants or skirt. A close friend of mine calls her black Lilly leggings, paired with a silk Elsa top, her uniform for work!”

“I say all the time, what did I wear before Lilly? I really can’t remember,” Amy laughed as we talked about her love for the iconic line. With her keen fashion sense, Amy gets excited when she sees children wearing Lilly, and says men are also jumping on the color bandwagon. “Men are wearing fun colors, too – real men wear pink –and Lilly! There’s too much gray and black in the world, especially this time of year when it’s not summer.” Amy encourages everyone to wear color year-round. “It warms me up when it’s cold outside and always puts a smile on my face.”

“We just celebrated our 30thanniversary at the Joggling Board, and I feel very blessed to still  be here. It’s not easy competing with the internet, so thank you to all of our customers who have stuck with us through the good times and the bad. We’ve been through hurricanes, floods, economic turmoil and, heck, we’ve even closed for snow a few times, as well as grieving the loss of loved ones on our end and yours,” Amy said thoughtfully, as we finished our conversation. “We always say you can buy anything in this store somewhere else, but the only thing we have to offer is ourselves, and when we stop doing that, I quit! They still call it retail therapy for a reason, we will not only help you find the perfect outfit, but we are all good listeners, too. Women like a place to unwind and unload. God Bless – be kind and keep wearing Lilly!”

Stop by and see Amy at The Joggling Board, located at 11906 Ocean Highway, in the Shops at Oak Lea in Pawleys Island, call her at 843-237-2631 or visit www.thejogglingboard.com.