If Piperlime Still Existed, She'd Be Tuckernuck

A look back at why I loved Piperlime, and how Tuckernuck is kinda filling the void.

If you’re a Millennial, I can almost guarantee you have vivid memories scrolling the beloved online retailer, Piperlime. Browsing the perfectly curated range of clothing from casual everyday pieces, to workwear, and yes, the perfect Going Out Top in the early 2010s. Piperlime was a beloved online retailer I would browse on my lunch break and frequently shopped at.

As a now 38 year old style blogger, I remember rounding up countless cute dresses, tops and shoes from Piperlime on my blog, an indigo day. I stumble onto broken links from them from time to time and always look fondly back on the pieces I shared. They were so quintessential to that era of Millennial fashion.

Below is a solid representation of 2014 fashion featuring the Piperlime Collection Neoprene Flounce Skirt in evergreen. A real beauty, right? I can’t help but completely cringe at this outfit. The hat, the graphic tee from Ily Couture (this feels super niche IYKYK) and the over the knee Sam Edelman boots. Sigh. Were these the good ‘ol days? I think so.

A vivid memory I look back on fondly is that feeling I had walking into the Piperlime store in NYC when they launched a brick-and-mortar. It felt so exciting to see the clothes I swooned over on their website, in person. I got to touch and try-on without the need for a return label.

But probably my most cherished moment was when Piperlime offered to gift me a head to toe outfit in exchange for a blog post. Something I wouldn’t do now knowing that that is highway robbery for brands taking advantage of influencers. But it was in hopes of being featured on their site—it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up as a newer blogger getting an opportunity to work with a favorite retailer. Below is one of the photos from the outfit that makes me both cringe and smile at the same time.

I think there was some hope that Piperlime would be around forever. They were a Gap brand launched in 2006. But the beloved lime logo of Piperlime went away forever in 2015 when Gap closed its doors. When Piperlime shuttered, a genuine void was left in the market. While Shopbop at the time had a similar type of product assortment, the price point was significantly higher. I’d argue that Shopbop didn’t really become more attainable for the under $200 shopper (this is where I like to be) until the late 2010s. And it took a while before there was truly a good variety of items that were reasonably priced and didn’t cause sticker shock.

It also helped that Shopbop finally allowed filtering by price (how did they get away with that for so long?). And the next best option would maybe be Nordstrom, but it is also too large of a multi-brand retailer with a massive assortment. For me it felt like Shopbop was too expensive and designer-focused, Nordstrom was too big and not curated enough, but Piperlime was just right.

But then Tuckernuck came about. At first, I was hesitant about Tuckernuck. I thought it read too preppy, and honestly, it still has a bit too much prep for my personal liking. Which makes sense since that’s part of their core business model, coming from founder Jocelyn Gailliot. Gailliot summered in Nantucket growing up and was inspired by the New England aesthetic. But while I skip over some things for this exact reason on their site, I think it’s the closest thing we Millennials have to what could have been, a current-day Piperlime.

Tuckernuck was started back in 2012, but it was aimed at curating a New England preppy aesthetic. Which they still stick to, to an extent. Thanks to more recent influencer partnerships with Tuckernuck, this retailer seems to be more well-known among my friends and community.

I, for one, have been browsing more frequently and recommending their pieces to my followers. Plus, from the items I have in my closet already, I’m definitely a fan. The brand has a couple of in-house collections that are more reasonably priced. And their third party product assortment is a great range of casual everyday pieces from soft lounge sets, to party dresses, pieces for work or the weekend, and yes, Going Out Tops for us Geriatric Millennials.

In my closet from their in-house collection is this halter dress that is so beautiful with a bit of sexiness with the open back. And this striped cotton tee is a closet staple already and I am ready to add more colors to my collection. In addition to their Tuckernuck in-house brand, they also have a few other in-house collections like Hyacinth House, which has some really fun and playful pieces like this matching set and this dress. Plus, Pomander Place, another in-house collection. Personally, this is a line I skip over (almost) entirely. Think more tiered dresses and conservative hemlines and necklines. But in this collection, I do love this red stunner and I personally own this striped mini. If you’re more into the Southern prep vibe, this collection is definitely for you.

While Tuckernuck has a few well-known third-party brands they carry like Cult Gaia and Veronica Beard to Marc Fisher and FRAME jeans, they also have smaller brands that feel intentionally curated for the girl who is looking for something elevated and cool. A few brands I’ve discovered more recently that are available on Tuckernuck include The Great, Cala de la Cruz, and Heaven Mayhem jewelry.

It’s clear I was sad to see the end of the Piperlime era. Especially the Rachel Zoe curated collections she did for the retailer. And you can’t forget the perfect flat lays they offered up as inspiration on their homepage and in their newsletters. They had curated collections for going out, to brunch with friends and pieces for wearing to the office. As a 2010s fashion blogger, and lover of a Going Out Top and bold accessory, their site was always a joy to scroll, browse and shop.

And there’s something so nostalgic about that time in our lives. Spending your first new job paychecks on fun clothes to wear out to the bar on the weekend felt like such a thrill. Although now looking back, I just wish I put those paychecks into a 401K, but I digress. To buying lots of bauble necklaces to layer onto your 9-5 outfit that you went straight to the bar in with—I look back on those days fondly. And I’m glad that Tuckernuck has, in a way, filled that void for me. And if you’ve been looking for a well-rounded curated shop for day to night to vacation and beyond, I really think you’ll enjoy browsing the new arrivals and their curated shops.

PS Tuckernuck is currently having a major summer sale that is going on now. Up to 70% off on summer favorites with code JULY20 which ends TONIGHT. Shop the sale right here →