Wear Your Story: New Collections and Creative Endeavors at The Last Best Store

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May showers bring? Despite the recent return of colder weather, May is nonetheless in full bloom (lilacs, lilacs, everywhere!), and with it comes celebrations of identity, creativity, community, and a revival of that particular Montanan connection to place. At The Last Best Store, we’re embracing this vibrant season with brand-new product launches, local events, and fresh collections that reflect the experiences and values of Montanans. Whether you're hitting the People’s Market, planning for Father’s Day, or gearing up for Pride, we’ve got something local, handcrafted, and meaningful for you this month.

🧢 Handmade for Him: Father's Day Gift Ideas Collection

This year, treat dad to something he’ll love and actually use: a high-quality, Montana-made gift from our just-launched Father’s Day Gift Ideas collection. Thoughtfully curated, these gifts are as unique as the dads (and dad-like figures) you're shopping for.

We’ve got a little something for everyone:

• 🎁 Foodies and gourmands will dig our small-batch hot sauces, local coffees, and gourmet chocolates.

• 🎁 Grooming aficionados can level up with luxury beard care, spa and recovery aids, and skincare products that go way beyond the drugstore basics.

• 🎁 Game night champions will love handmade cribbage boards, puzzles, and clever card games crafted right here in Montana.

• 🎁 Sports fans? We’ve got you covered with officially licensed UM Griz and MSU Cats gear.

• 🎁 And for the dad who “has everything”? Try one of our Montana-made gift boxes, sets, and gift subscriptions filled with artisan surprises.

Every item is made by local makers and small-batch producers, showcasing the creativity, durability, and down-to-earth charm Montana is known for. Shop the collection that says “I appreciate you”—with a little local flair and just the right touch of spice.

🌟Made to Shine: New Launches for Art & Identity

Last month we announced our ongoing collaboration with Missoula Pride and a new merchandise-based fundraising partnership with Starlight Reunion; this month, we proudly launched new products in each collection. These two collaborations bring together the creative energy and inclusive values that define Missoula. The Missoula Pride collection supports Missoula Pride's vision to create spaces where people from all walks of life, with all gender and sexual identities under the rainbow, can come together to feel seen, be heard, and be in community with one another.

This year's Missoula Pride design features the Pink Triangle, a reclaimed symbol of resistance (particularly salient in our current socio-political climate). Originally used by Nazis to stigmatize queer individuals, it was re-appropriated by the Silence=Death Project in 1986 to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic. The upright triangle now stands for defiance, solidarity and action. Behind it lies the rainbow flower of life, representing the beauty and strength of the LGBTQiA+ community. Its overlapping colors form a unified whole, while the wavy lines of the Missoula pride logo symbolize the rivers converging in Missoula, reflecting how individual journeys come together in unity and diversity. The design honors our history, celebrates our communities, and calls for continued action and justice. It's a tribute to love, joy, and pride--a reminder that the LGBTQiA+ community will thrive, resist, and grow.

Check out our revamped Missoula Pride collection, which now features local LGBTQiA+ community members modeling some of our best-loved apparel, and three brand-new 2025 designs (with more on the way)! We are in love with the new community model photos and hope you will also appreciate seeing a wider range of bodies represented in our listings. These items support Pride’s mission to foster celebration and visibility for Missoula’s LGBTQ+ community. Join us in amplifying the voices of the LGBTQ+ community and celebrating the diversity of Western Montana. Together, we can create a brighter, more accepting future for all.

In the 'Shop Collaborations' section of our website, you'll also find the new Starlight Reunion collection, part of our merchandise-based nonprofit fundraising program. This volunteer-driven arts collective based in our hometown (Missoula, Montana), devoted to creating immersive, community-powered experiences that blur the line between artist and audience. Inspired by global creative movements like Burning Man and Rainbow Family gatherings, Starlight Reunion brings together DJs, poets, painters, and performers of all kinds to share their talents in collaborative, supportive gatherings.

Founded by a small group of artists with a passion for redefining how art and community interact, Starlight Reunion invites everyone to contribute—turning spectators into participants and events into shared works of art. More than just merchandise, this collection is a tribute to the spirit of gathering, artistic expression, and love. As part of our merchandise-based fundraising program, proceeds from all purchases directly support immersive arts experiences across Montana. Whether you’re a long-time supporter of the arts or just love rocking unique, Montana-made gear, this collection expresses creativity, connection, and community. Plus, the Starlight Reunion collection helps to fund inclusive, grassroots programming, thereby giving artists from all backgrounds a platform to shine. Every purchase helps fund inclusive art spaces and community programming right here in Missoula.

👗 Bold Threads, Bright Futures: Style & Community at Missoula Fashion Week

This year's Missoula Fashion Week Block Party and Fashion Show was an incredible success, and we were honored to take part. We vended exclusive products from the Missoula Pride collection and the Starlight Reunion collection, and one of our own staff members even showed several garments they designed and created as part of the runway show. Well done Pippin! It was a fantastic weekend filled with bold looks, familiar faces, and the joyful energy of local fashion, performance, and expression. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported these growing creative communities.

Next up...

🌈 Vibe with Pride During May Fundraisers

Looking for your next night out? Join us in supporting Missoula Pride at Rosie La Secco Presents: Kinky Bingo at Monk’s Bar on May 24. Expect fun, flair, and a chance to mingle while raising funds for this year’s Missoula Pride programming. We'll be there—and we hope you will too!

Get tickets here!

And... rumor has it, some of the people who helped organize Missoula Fashion Week are planning another fundraiser for Missoula Pride at the end of May. Keep your eyes out for more information on Night Shift--May 30th at Funkit Coffee and Thrift--where all proceeds from a suggested $5+ cover charge will be donated Missoula Pride. Sign up for our newsletter and/ or social media (below) to receive more details, as we get them!

🎓 Caps Off to Conservation: Honoring UM Grads & Bertha the Moose

Last weekend, we celebrated the University of Montana's graduating class of 2025, especially those graduating from the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation (FCFC), one of our merchandise-based fundraising partners. Just in time for commencement, we released a new FCFC t-shirt design inspired by none other than Bertha—the mounted moose gifted to the Forestry Club in the 1920s by renowned German forester Carl Schenk. Bertha has been at the heart of one of UM’s most beloved traditions, enduring a long and spirited history of “kidnappings” by various campus groups, most famously by students of the Law School.

The new tee celebrates this quirky legacy while supporting FCFC’s mission to advance sustainability, conservation policy, and environmental education. All items in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation collection are designed and made in Missoula by UM alumni, with proceeds going directly to FCFC’s research and academic programs. It’s local history, environmental advocacy, and Montana-centered design—all in one shirt!

☀️ Missoula Mornings Return: People’s Market Season Begins

There’s nothing quite like the energy of Missoula’s People’s Market every Saturday in late spring and summer, and the 2025 season kicked off on a picturesque spring morning this month. Come stroll through downtown Missoula to enjoy local makers, artists, musicians, and food vendors—and be sure to stop by our sister company, Last Best Supply Co., for handmade leather- and wood/ metal-patch hats, all crafted right here in Missoula.

As we mosey through May, we're grateful for every customer, vendor, and community member who's joined us on this vibrant, ever-evolving journey. Whether you're celebrating your dad, your identity, your creativity—or all three—we’re here to help you do it with style, intention, and Montana-made magic. Thanks for growing with us (and don't forget to sign up for our email newsletter/ social media accounts below)!

----------

Arielle Smith is a recovering academic, a mom, and an aspiring wordsmith who helps The Last Best Store to manage an assortment of projects, programs, and data. She harmonizes these and other intellectual pursuits with an eclectic range of creative activities including Dj'ing, spawning mixed media art and jewelry (Presents of Mind Design), and crafting botanical skincare products (Dr. Smith Botanicals).