The Swim Suit Drawer

As summer gives way to fall, I return to my closet and realize something has changed. Not just in what I’m wearing, but in the life I’ve created. In the finale story of Season 3, I reflect on what success means to me now, falling in love with my life and someone special, and finally allowing myself to enjoy what I spent so long rebuilding. Sometimes a new beginning isn’t about starting over. It’s about realizing how far you’ve already come.xo, MelanieIf anything in this story helped you unravel a little, I’d love to hear from you.email: [email protected]: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintagesubstack: https://unfashionedmelanieraye.substack.com/tiktok: @unfashionedpodwebsite: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com/

What if a cover-up was never meant to make us disappear? In this story, I uncover the surprising lesson hidden in one simple summer garment and explore how trust, healing, and authenticity grow when we allow ourselves to be known with intention instead of all at once.xo, MelanieIf anything in this story helped you unravel a little, I’d love to hear from you.email: [email protected]: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintagesubstack: https://unfashionedmelanieraye.substack.com/tiktok: @unfashionedpodwebsite: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com/

Swimsuits are some of the smallest garments in our closets, yet they often carry the greatest emotional weight. In this story, I revisit my childhood as a swimmer, reflect on how my relationship with my body changed over the years, and share the quiet reminder that life has never asked our bodies to be perfect only to be lived in.xo, MelanieIf anything in this story helped you unravel a little, I’d love to hear from you.email: [email protected]: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintagesubstack: https://unfashionedmelanieraye.substack.com/tiktok: @unfashionedpodwebsite: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com/

I stepped outside dressed for yesterday and realized the season had changed without me noticing. On an unexpectedly warm summer morning, I found myself overdressed in more ways than one. As I began shedding familiar layers, I realized I wasn't just taking off clothes. I was making room to finally feel the warmth of the season I was already standing in. xo, MelanieIf anything in this story helped you unravel a little, I’d love to hear from you. email: [email protected]: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintagesubstack: https://unfashionedmelanieraye.substack.com/ tiktok: @unfashionedpodwebsite: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com/

In this final story of the season, I reflect on the quiet unraveling that has happened since November.What began as stories about clothing became something more personal. It became an invitation to look more closely at the life I have been wearing. Standing between seasons, I return to the closet with a different perspective.If this story resonates with you, please share it or leave a review on your favorite streaming platform.xo, MelanieIf something stirred while you were listening, you’re welcome to reach out. email: [email protected]: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedig: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintageshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comtiktok: @unfashionedpodphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.comClick here to view the episode transcript.

In this story of UNfashioned, I reflect on what it means to understand the fabric of my own life. On my forty-sixth birthday, I move beneath appearance and into composition, exploring softness, endurance, tension, and repair. This story is an invitation to consider what you are made of and how you have been shaped over time.If this story resonates with you, please share it with someone who might need to hear it, or leave a review on your favorite streaming platform. Your support helps these stories reach further.xo, MelanieIf something stirred while you were listening, you’re welcome to reach out. email: [email protected]: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedig: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintageshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comtiktok: @unfashionedpodphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com

In this story of UNfashioned, I reflect on care, wear, and the rules we follow without question. Using the care label inside a garment as a metaphor, this story explores what happens when being careful becomes a way of living. It reflects on how listening more closely can change the way we hold ourselves and our lives. xo, MelanieIf something stirred while you were listening, you’re welcome to reach out. email: [email protected]: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedig: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintageshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comtiktok: @unfashionedpodphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com

In this story of UNfashioned, I explore the labels stitched inside our clothes and the ones we carry in our lives. From brand names and sizes to roles and identities, labels can offer a sense of belonging and confidence, but they can also quietly limit how we see ourselves. Drawing from my experience in fashion, I reflect on how labels shape perception and why true style, both inside and out, begins when we stop letting them define us. xo, MelanieDrop me a message and share your feelings about this story. I look forward to hearing from you.email: [email protected]: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintagetiktok: @unfashionedpodwebsite: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com

As a new season begins, the unraveling slows. In this opening story of Season Two, I reflect on winter as a time of layering, protection, and quiet preparation. This episode is about dressing for warmth instead of performance, allowing life to soften, and trusting what is forming beneath the surface. Listen if you are craving rest, patience, and permission to move gently into what comes next.Please share with me how this episode made you feel.xo, MelanieIf anything in this story helped you a little, I’d love to hear from you.email: [email protected]: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintagetiktok: @unfashionedpodwebsite: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com/

As the season grows louder, the pressure to keep up grows louder too. In this final episode before the holiday pause, I explore how trends influence what we wear, how we show up, and how easily we lose touch with our own voice. This story is about noticing the noise and choosing to listen inward instead.Listen if you are feeling the pull to conform and want permission to choose what feels true.Please share this episode with friends who may need it, and leave a review on your favorite streaming service. Thank you!xo, MelanieIf anything in this story helped you a little, I’d love to hear from you.email: [email protected]: @unfashionedpod / @retrokandyvintagetiktok: @unfashionedpodwebsite: https://feeds.transistor.fm/unfashionedshop: https://www.retrokandyvintage.comphotographer: https://www.vickiberloffephotography.com/