Life Lately | May
Thrifting adventures, a summer playlist, and the analog way I'm documenting the season
Hello, and happy June! How’s it going for you so far?
I’ve got a lot of fun tidbits to share from May (including my recent thrifting find, a playlist, and the analog way I’m documenting this summer), but, first, here’s a quick look at what happened on Unfancy in May:
In our Sunday ritual, Let’s Get Dressed Together, I shared:
how I plan to romanticize the summer (even amidst adult responsibilities)
how I make my outfits feel fresh when I’m in a no-shop phase
I’m loving the gentle topics that come up in these posts. Not to mention, dedicating some un-rushed time to planning my outfits for the week feels like an artist date à la The Artist’s Way.
For paid subscribers, I did a 2-part series on building style confidence through a side-door. Part 1 was inspired by my cow-print loafers, and part 2 was inspired by Taylor Swift’s line “I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary.” And yep, the series comes with a downloadable printable! You can get access to Unfancy’s growing library of downloads for paid subscribers right here.
A GOOD DAY AT THE THRIFT STORE
Vintage Levi’s for $4!!
Earlier this month, I went thrifting for a pair of men’s jeans I could cut into long Bermuda shorts for the summer.
I found a great pair of Levi’s — so great, in fact, that once I got them home, I decided there was no way I could cut these absolutely perfect jeans. So now I have a new (to me) pair of slouchy-but-not-too-baggy Levi’s that hit right at the ankle and frame my flip flops really nicely. I was not at all mad at how this turned out, and I eventually ended up cutting a pair of my old jeans into the perfect Bermuda shorts anyway. Wins all around!
I also scooped up a braided leather belt with a silver buckle (for 50 cents!!). I am beyond excited about this little belt. A switch has flipped and I — a historically non-belt-wearing person — am now a belt evangelist, like, “Hey, have you heard about belts?!” And of course everyone has heard about belts. 🤭
What flipped the switch? What made me start wearing something I never wore before? It was a lifestyle shift — namely my new part-time job as a product photographer (more on that here if you’re interested). I’ve always loved my WFH life, but I’m also realizing that I feel a marked sense of purpose when I work with people in person. Not to mention, I have a lot more fun getting dressed! Maureen of Intuitive Style (love her Substack!) wrote about having this experience when starting her new substitute teaching job, and I was nodding along vigorously.
IN THE GARDEN
I’m relishing these early summer days with lots of time out in the garden (which I cannot take credit for — it is all my landlords’ doing, but they are kind enough to share the space with me). Reading out there in the evenings has become my routine.
DOCUMENTING SUMMER WITH A DISPOSABLE CAMERA
In March, one of my friends gave me a disposable camera for my birthday, and I’ve been toting it around in my bag ever since. I use it somewhat slowly, snapping one photo here and one photo there — my goal is to end up with a record of my whole summer in just 27 frames.
Honestly what I love most is that I can’t remember what I’ve taken photos of so far — so I know when I get it developed, it’ll be like a time capsule of happy memories. Highly recommend getting yourself a disposable camera this summer.
A RECENT BEAUTY FIND
This overnight hair serum from Crown Affair is doing wonders for my hair, especially now that I’m outside more. The sun, wind, and pool chlorine always do a number on my hair in the summertime, but this stuff is keeping it soft and hydrated. And beautiful! I audibly gasped the morning after the first treatment.
It seems like it’ll last a really long time (I just use 2-4 pumps a couple times a week). Plus it smells heavenly!
AN OUTFIT ON REPEAT
Ballet flats with denim cutoffs
I’m a big fan of the longer Bermuda shorts that are trending this summer, but my ultra short “lake day” denim cutoffs will always have a place in my heart, no matter where they fall on the trend scale.
Lately, I’ve been wearing them with a belt and ballet flats — instead of my typical flip flops or Birkenstocks — and they feel entirely beautiful that way. Like Hill Country lake meets Parisian cafe?
Here’s the breakdown:
loose black tee (half tucked)
belt
denim cutoffs
ballet flats
claw clip
Easy peasy but I feel amazing in it.
A PLAYLIST FOR SUMMER MORNINGS
I’m big on a playlist series — I’ve been making morning coffee playlists since 2017 (!!). Relatively chill, but energetic enough to get you into your day. For this round, I picked an opening song that makes me feel like I’m floating the river, sun all slanty and golden, cicadas singing. And don’t miss the song Andrew by M.Field near the end — it’s a favorite of mine.
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR JUNE
In June, on Unfancy, we’ll be focusing how to dress well in the heat — including dressing for summer events and travel. I’ve got an in-depth (and gorgeous) travel capsule coming your way mid-June and I’m SO excited about it! If you want, drop your most frustrating heat-related style conundrums in the comments, and I’ll try to cover it this month.
In the meantime, how was your May? Got any music, books, or favorite outfits to share? I’d love to hear in the comments!
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★ Book a 1:1 styling session and we’ll turn the clothes you have into outfits you love.
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Thrilled to get hot weather ideas from someone who lives in Texas. The number of hot weather tips I’ve read that include layering your cardigan on is too many.
Love those black ballet flats!!! Cool idea with the 📸