2026 Style Retrospective: May

Inspiration blooming.

May was a whirlwind. I felt like a busy bee flitting from flower to flower: some out of necessity and obligation, some drawn in by the sweet allure of new paths and possibilities. The clouds are lifting, the sun is radiating, and—ready or not—a great shift has taken place.

What I Did

May’s weekends were filled with excursions. A rainy Saturday brought my family to Toronto’s Textile Museum, which graciously opened their doors for free as part of a citywide event highlighting local buildings and institutions. I was deeply moved by their current exhibition on Indigenous fashion; the artistry blew me away (you have to see these pieces IRL to fully appreciate them) and the messages conveyed through cloth stayed with me for weeks.

I also attended another natural dyeing workshop, this time at a local university’s department of fashion. There were demonstrations featuring plants plucked from the school’s “Natural Dye Garden”—a magical concept that braids together my passion for ecology, craft, and fashion. My newest pipe dream is to open a community dye studio: with garden space, educational programming, and a menu of services (Dye for You is the working title). Until then, I’ll be eagerly waiting for the baby indigo and dyer’s chamomile seedlings on my balcony to convert sunlight and water into pigment.

Finally, I took advantage of our neighbourhood’s “Really Really Free Market” to pass on a bunch of clothing, toys, and household miscellany. Seeing the abundance of collectively-owned stuff made me realize we could pretty well have all our needs met without buying anything new, if only we had a stronger relational economy. For my closet, I merely picked up a nice wooden pants hanger. Other rescued treasures: some clothes and a life jacket for my daughter, a catnip cutting, a mini Magna Doodle toy, a robin’s egg blue enamel picture frame.

After a difficult day, I found myself bee-lining to a local antique market to decompress. When I’m overcome by invisible stress, I find it calming to focus on the tangible: a shiny rhinestone necklace, a charming marlin brooch, a trunk full of vintage textiles waiting to be Excalibur’ed by the right crafty person (me!). I tried on a few pieces, including an 80’s brocade jacket with wonderful details. I left with one top and handful of pillowcases, projects swirling in my head.

Throughout the month, I continued to make slow progress on my reclaimed silk tank top; I’m not trying to break knitting speed records here—ten rows on 2 mm needles is about what I can manage most nights. Last week, I finally got over my sewing machine anxiety and dusted off my mom’s 30-year-old Singer for a quick warm-up project: upcycling my daughter’s gingham romper from last summer into a top for the upcoming one. When I have more time, I’d like to appliqué a fun motif on it—maybe a simple flower or a silly snail—but it’s already back in rotation, as is. Lastly, I altered an old silk shirt I hadn’t worn in years by simply chopping off the sleeves: a lazy, yet effective thrift flip.

My biggest achievement in this category (not pictured) was doing a big reorganization of my sewing and knitting supplies—a feat that could only be managed with my toddler at her grandparents’ for the weekend. Loose needles were secured. Scraps were triangulated and sorted by size. There’s little more satisfying than a sewing box with everything (temporarily) in its right place.

Wardrobe Additions

I felt very content with my warm weather wardrobe after a bountiful April, but did acquire a few more items:

• I caved and went back for that green brocade jacket. What can I say? This 60’s cropped jacket, probably once part of a dress set, is pure delight. And after a lengthy try-on session in my wardrobe, I have so many ideas for how to style this piece, both in casual and glammed up ways.

• The saffron yellow top was a find from the aforementioned vintage market. Absolutely an impulse purchase, but I couldn’t resist adding this bumblebee-attracting hue to my wardrobe. I also love the windowpane effect; the squares look like little frames—perfect for embroidering in. However, I recognize I’m getting dangerously close to summer top overshoot now, something to be conscious of when the next amazing top finds me.

• The carnelian bead necklace and chicken foot pearl pendant were pieces bought separately on Etsy, though I always envisioned wearing them together. I’d been noodling on this necklace concept since last summer, after seeing this Gohar piece. It took me a long time to decide on the type of bead (I just knew I wanted red), length of necklace, and pick out the right claw-shaped pearl. I couldn’t be happier with it.

• Bonus item: a single costume pearl clip-on earring salvaged from the playground. As you’ll see in the upcoming section, this little earring-turned-pendant has adorned many of my outfits of late.

What I Wore

The cold and rainy first half of the month saw me reach for many of my reliable spring combinations: a wool sweater with a skirt and boots; a shirt sandwiched between a base layer and a light jacket; a long trench falling over shorts or a skirt.

I love interesting compositions (with layers, levels, experimental silhouettes, and colour juxtaposition) that don’t feel fussy or precious. Like the outfit would be ruined if you sneezed. Rumples, stains, and squats are part of my everyday life, and so a successful look must make affordances for messiness and movement—or I must tolerate instances of having to walk around with chocolate smeared on my light-coloured pants. All of these outfits were practical to wear, yet artful. I particularly enjoy the through-line of bold greens and blues, still holding strong in June.

The latter half of the month saw some boiling days—a preview of yet another “warmer-than-normal” summer to come, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. I welcomed the heat by donning my favourite warm weather pieces: long shorts, boatneck tanks, crisp cotton shells, Mary Jane sandals. This mild streak gave me the opportunity to test out wardrobe newcomers, like my aqua linen shorts, as well as evolve outfit formulas from summers past to reflect the silhouettes, colour pairings, and moods currently on my mind (see this post for a detailed breakdown).

Looking Forward

I can’t believe it’s already June.

Per my wardrobe calendar, this month is where I shift my attention from plotting, searching, and gathering to crafting, refining, and simply enjoying my clothes. Indeed, this feels like the right turn for me to take. I feel a wave of gratitude every time I look in my closet and can’t remember the last time I put on an outfit that didn’t resonate. At the same time, I have an endless supply of project ideas and plenty of material to work with; my growing collection of thrifted textiles is waiting to be reworked into fresh garments: drawstring skirts for me and summery sets for my daughter.

Yet I can’t totally quell the outward-seeking part of me. Spending more time at street level—whether I’m in transit or checking out a weekend street festival—means temptation at every corner (literally). So far I have purchased a sunhat on my way home from a dentist appointment and seriously contemplated bringing home a pair of 1950’s baseball shorts spotted on a street-side vintage rack.

I don’t want to deprive myself of having spontaneous interactions with beautiful objects. Or the chance to unearth the find of a lifetime. But, with limited means, time, and closet space, I want to embrace the wardrobe season I’m coming into. Hopefully, I’ll find it in myself to lay down the hunting scope and pick up the basket with the hand-sewing.