may day outfits through the years

beyond the white dress

How are you bringing in the May?

May Day is an ancient, worldwide celebration, and Beltane is the Gaelic May Day festival. Halfway between spring equinox and summer solstice, it’s a celebration of new life in the natural world. Flowers blooming, colors bursting, green greening.

Traditions include making and wearing flower crowns, dancing around the Maypole, hosting a bonfire, crowning a May Queen, and donning a white dress.

The white dress, stemming from paganism and not Christianity, doesn’t necessarily represent virginity, but purity and new beginnings. The Queen of May herself represents femininity, rather than a singular, binary woman. Sometimes there’s a May King, dressed in green. Also known as the Green Lady and Greenman. Green naturally represents life, vitality, virility, etc.

Pink and red, symbolizing passion and love, are also associated with May Day. It’s a time of heightened sexuality and a lucky time for love contracts.

Here are 5 outfits from the week of Beltane this year + 8 outfits of May Days past.

May Eve 2025

1980s white satin embroidered slip, lace collar, and leather belt from Brickydella. ‘Sweet sips’ earrings from Haricot Vert. Opal cloud charm necklace from Michelle Lee on Etsy. Bralette is deadstock For Love & Lemons. A 1960s half slip underneath gives it just a tiny bit of fluff.

This is my quintessential white dress. Ready for new beginnings. I wore it to work on May Eve to bustle around the shop cleaning and reorganizing all the spring clothes.

After work, I ~literally~ slipped into something more comfortable. 1960s pale pink satin slip with side slits and sweet bows from Brickydella. Worn with a pressed cherry blossom necklace from my best friend, a bridesmaid gift. Some worn out sandals from Target. I stole this wine glass from a wedding. I get a little theft-y when I drink, but only for really good glassware.

May Day 2025

The May Queen, in all her silliness and splendor. I really went back and on forth on buying this outfit so many times; also it kept running out of my size in one or the other piece, but I’m so glad I ended up with it. This is the Forever Young bloomer pants + bed jacket set. I’ve had the pants in white for a while, and I love them. It’s so soft and comfy, and I feel like an adorable little cloud.

I got this iridescent tiara from comic-con. I did it for 5 y/o Alexis. I wore my cherry blossom necklace, opalite-ish earrings from Anthropologie, a rose quartz bracelet, mauve rain boots—blush from head to toe.

The day after May Day, it rained and cooled everything off. Green bodysuit and rain boots from Target. Fairy puff bed jacket with pink and purple embroidered flowers from Salvage Garden vintage. I wore an iridescent Kendra Scott choker and opalite earrings, both gifts!

On Sunday, we took our engagement pictures. We didn’t go to the gardens, but we went to Green Mountain. Trying to wait patiently for our photos! I wore the Amandine midi dress from For Love & Lemons with a taffy pink cashmere cardigan from Urban Outfitters and my Adidas Gazelles in semi-pink spark. Wood and resin raspberry earrings from Wolf + Moon. Aventurine sphere necklace from Neos Jewelry on Etsy (I got it because it looks like the necklaces worn by the models in the Selkie Princess & the Pea campaign.)

Honorable mention for Jacob’s outfit of khaki shorts, vintage green button up, and the Nike dunks I got him for Christmas.

May Day 2024

Remi crop top and mini skirt from For Love & Lemons. Jam jar charm necklace from Haricot Vert. Raspberry earrings from Wolf + Moon. Vintage Dr. Marten boots.

May Day 2023

✨ Profile pic reveal ✨ Berry Patch slip dress from For Love & Lemons. Pink velvet panties from Solstice Intimates. Cloud pendant from Wolf + Moon.

May Day 2022

I think this romper is from Free People. I wish it still fit! Crystal heart charm necklace from Sweet Peeps.

May Day 2021

Deadstock Free People lace dress. I found it on depop. Do you remember when these dresses were the height of hippie chic? Every girl who called herself a fairy had one at one point. Opal cloud charm necklace, angel aura druzy pendant. Most of these things I’ve had too long to remember where I got them. 2021 was like, so long ago.

May Day 2020

Free People jumper. Custom wire wrap by my friend, Olivia Volovar aka Iodine and Wine. She’s come a long way from wire-wrapping though.

May Day 2019

I thrifted both these incredible pieces from Karma Rags, rest in peace. Top is vintage Victoria’s Secret, and the skirt is for ballroom dancing. Very swooshy.

May Day 2018

No idea where that dress came from, but I wore it once and gave it to a friend. The opal inlay pendant is an Ellie Paisley x David R. Freeland Jr. piece, so special.

May Day 2017

What a wittle baby! I don’t remember where I got the shirt, but I still wear it. Dread bead by Bard Glass. My hair dreaded so well. Thank you, Greek lineage. It was like arts and crafts on my head. Honestly, I miss them about as much as I don’t.

That’s as far back as I can find. It was the year I (most recently) moved back to Alabama.

I love May Day, and I love putting together outfits for it! It was really fun looking back at May Days past. Beltane was the first sabbat I honored and the first one I built an altar for; it was my first foothold into paganism. It was the fairies that drew me in! It was always the fairies.

I’m working on another fashion post for what I’m calling “sweet pea spring,” heavily inspired by Selkie’s new line. I’m working on a new drink, too. 🫛

xo, teacup