I just fell asleep in the sunshine and woke up to a warm and peaceful glowy feeling washing over my body. The audio in my ears fading, vitamin d levels restored, and…is that gratitude? I’ve missed you. This industry that banks on our insecurity to drive the constant consumption cycle and finally, for a moment, I release the reins. It’s nice and quiet inside my mind.
I’ve been saying yes to a lot of things I haven’t done in a while. Yes to a 7am Pilates class with a friend, yes to drinks that same night, yes to playing hooky and reading by the pool. I’ll grind away in the winter.
I also purged at least a third of my closet to make space for my Graham (he’s moving in!), forcing me to confront my sentimental tendencies head on and have a little cry as I relinquished garments to loved ones. The guidelines for purging: if I hadn’t worn a piece in over a year it went in a pile; if I had extreme attachment (my mother’s suits) it stayed. And if I couldn’t remember what I’d put in the pile it was out.
Since then (and it’s been only a matter of days) I’ve found myself predisposed to reach for the same pieces in my wardrobe and it feels wonderful. There’s one piece in particular that I have worn nearly every day (or at least for part of the day), and it is one that I feel everyone has in their wardrobe already: a sheer, white long sleeve shirt.
Now, I have plenty of white shirts in my wardrobe, but I’m feeling deeply attached to the sheerness, drapiness, and oversized-ness of this very simple Baserange iteration. I got it while shopping at Gray’s in Toronto, and only realized after purchasing that it was actually a size large (I try things for feel, not size). This ended up being the best case scenario, as it was perfectly oversized and drapey in all the ways I wanted.
Here’s basically the same outfit, but the daytime/casual version. It feels pyjamas and yet I feel sexy? I know there’s a science behind that somewhere. I knew that thrifting these shorts a couple years ago was the correct move - I had no idea how to wear any form of athletic wear in a non athletic context until this summer. That’s evolution.
How is it that in the past, I tried to wear as little as possible in order to feel gorgeous. Now, I feel better than ever in the above outfit and I’m basically completely covered. I return time and time again to the concept of “Subtle Hot”, which my mum coined a while ago, and is more so a mindset than a commodity.
There’s also a colour that I’ve felt most like myself wearing, and it’s also one you’ve probably seen everywhere. I love aquamarine for it's vibrancy and intrinsically happy qualities. It’s hard to be mad when you’re adorned in cyanic hues.
Dressing for seratonin/happiness isn’t a new concept, nor one that I really follow with any specific recipe. But I know what makes me feel good, and right now (and last summer) it’s turquoise. It doesn’t need to be any major component of the outfit - you don’t need to reinvent the wardrobe. But isn’t this rather staple outfit so much more exciting with turquoise flats?
Perhaps you’re feeling bolder, your summer tan is just right, and you want to take the turquoise to take the main focus of your outfit a little more. I recommend going for a slightly lighter shade and paring back on the rest of your outfit.
I was most excited to see turquoise reemerge from hibernation after months of fall and winter when we started seeing Look 25 from the Chanel Metiers d’Art 2026 collection on celebrities (notably, Sarah Pidgeon).
While this dress remains a figment of my dreams, I can find peace in knowing that this Paloma Wool dress is a similar colour and provides more everyday, easy-wearing possibilities. Excuse the mess.
I just love that a colour associated with sadness can simultaneously be one of the happiest. It’s a short newsletter today, but I’m too busy enjoying the sunshine and dining al fresco. Next week will be a thorough roundup of July’s outfits. In the meantime, hope you’re wearing things that make you feel joyful <3
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