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Unfancy · May 6, 2026

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Caroline Joy · Unfancy

Hello! How’s May going for you so far?

The change from winter to spring threw me off, and here we are in May and I’m still finding my footing. 😅 April started out energetically stagnant, which led me to make some small, yet profound changes — like, going on walks when I can, getting more sweet potatoes and roasted veggies into my life, and planning my outfits for the week on Sundays — which brought on some serious blog inspiration.

Here’s what happened on Unfancy in April:

  • We started a new ritual around here! Tentatively named Let’s Plan Our Outfits Together. Every Sunday, I put together 5 looks for the week ahead and invite you to do the same — so we can all avoid the dreaded “I have no idea what to wear!” panic first thing in the morning. I’m loving it so far, and hope you do too.

  • For paid subscribers, I did a 3-part, deep-dive series on building signature uniforms. If you find yourself bumping up against indecision, frustration, or that exasperated desire to throw away all your clothes and start over when you go to get dressed — this series is for you. It even comes with a downloadable workbook! Here’s part 1, part 2, and part 3 if you want to catch up.

April was a month of discovering good music, so I have not one, but THREE albums to share with you:

Project Hail Mary | I hadn’t read the book before watching the movie so I had no idea what was in store. Let’s just say I was either gripping the edge of my seat, smiling dopily, or crying in welcome catharsis. So good. SO GOOD! Now I’m listening to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoying it.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry | It’s been a minute since I’ve been into fiction, but consider me back! I wanted something cozy and spring-y and went for this mysterious, sweet, historical fiction novel. Although this book isn’t set in spring, much of the book is set in the Lake District in England and is so beautifully written, I feel like I’m there. Plus, my inner Folklore girlie loves it. “Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die.”

I love this one because it fully represents my style comfort zone, and something I wear multiple times a week. Running shorts, plain tee, flip flops.

For the longest time, I dismissed running shorts as part of my style even though I wore them constantly. In my head, I was like, “Yeah, I wear these, but not when I’m Getting Dressed™. And anything other than Getting Dressed™ doesn’t count as my personal style.”

But it totally counts! I think our most supportive, life-giving outfits are on the other side of what we dismiss.

I typically default to plain white tees, so the graphic tee was a fun shake-up. I also rarely wear heels — but I’m so drawn to them these days! So I went for it, and wore this outfit to a cute little lunch with some friends. It was a winner! And it was cool to show myself something outside my style comfort-zone worked.

Speaking of pushing myself out of my regular style zone…

What I love is that you can still see my sporty + camp + classic style coming through — even though this is so outside my typical look.

My friends and I dressed up to go see The Devil Wears Prada 2 — this is what I wore! Totally experimental, totally powerful. At first, I thought, “Is this too much? Will anyone understand this look?” Miranda Priestly would likely not approve, but I decided I felt great in it, so I wore it without waffling and WOW it feels amazing when you decide you like something enough, it doesn’t matter if anyone else does.

On that note, in May on Unfancy, we’re focusing on cultivating confidence in our style. And not just in a vague, pep-talk kind of way, but through real, tangible steps and habits. If you’ve been second-guessing yourself when you pick an outfit, or if you’ve felt a little wobbly lately, you’ll love it.

In the meantime, how was your April? Got any music, books, or favorite outfits to share? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Also! I’m going to be in Austin, TX May 15-17th for a couple of in-person styling sessions — if you’d like to schedule one for yourself, reach out to me here.

Want 2026 to be your year of style? Here’s how I can help:

★ Book a virtual 1:1 styling session and we’ll turn the clothes you have into outfits you love.

★ Hop on the waitlist for my upcoming style masterclass.

♡ Like or comment so more people can find Unfancy. (It really helps!)

Read the original on carolinejoyjoy.substack.com

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