Capsule #112 ft. Trout

Hello hello,

Happy September to us!!! I thought we could spend some time this week thinking about what we want the next few months to look like. I’ve shared my thoughts below and invite you to do the same. 🍂˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚☕️

As ever, scroll for a lovely Hot & Not from trout, news from the Capsule universe this week, and recs for the weekend ahead.

Enjoy, however you are spending it,

Holly x

I thought it would be nice this week to set some intentions for September and invite you to do the same. I’m a big fan of thinking seasonally because the shifts seem to mirror the ebbs and flows of life pretty well: the weather matters, the events of the time matter, the general mood of each season influences us all. I woke up this week and my soul knew that we were in the next phase.

At the same time, I’ve been seeing all the stuff online about The Great Lock-In, a period of “locking in” good habits for the rest of the year. Google searches for “lock in app habit” broke out in the past month and “habit tracker ideas” doubled, and people are also searching for “best motivational speeches” (rose +250% in the past month). I get it, we miss school, and we’re hoping to become something better. But I struggle to get on board with knee-jerk reactions and intense habit changes; I’m much more of a realist about the time we have and why we do what we do. It’s impossible to add a big load in one area of your life (going to the gym 5x a week) without taking away from another part (seeing your friends, watching a relaxing show). That’s not to say we shouldn’t try to pursue new things, but more that hack culture more broadly feels like it was designed to drive clicks for a few creators, sell a bunch of self care books, and not radically shift our worlds.

That being said, this September and beyond, there are some vibes and intentions I am hoping to channel. These are not 10 easy steps pulled out of thin air, but ideas born out of observations on how I’ve actually lived over the past year. I’d love for you to share yours at the end. 🫶

1. Despite tuning into the changing seasons, I will try to not obsess over time. This TikTok video says it well: time is a thing we live in and of course we’re using it to track our lives, but focusing too closely on how much time we have, or how quickly it’s passing at any given time is a recipe for ongoing anxiety. It’s hard to be present when you’re worried about how rapidly things are going. The example in the video of not being able to enjoy a week off because you spend the first half trying to perfectly plan the time and the second half worrying that it’s almost over really resonated with me.

@1ilyp00h

2. While we’re on time, I should remember that even during busy spells there is enough time to do the things I want to do or need to do to look after myself. The trick is seeing certain stuff as non-negotiable, and guarding it like you would if you were caring for another person. You might need a really relaxing Sunday evening to function, for example, or need to workout 3x per week to feel good, or love a cocktail on a Friday night. Whatever you need.

3. I will sell clothes on Vinted before buying new stuff this season. I will be honest about the clothes I didn’t wear last winter and actually make time to photograph them in good light.

4. In the same vein, I will use a combination of last year’s dressing habits and inspiration from this year’s mood board to influence anything I buy and how I style. This means remembering why I didn’t reach for certain items last autumn, and saving multiple photos of stuff I did wear or do like to analyse why they resonated. It’s good to sit with them for a while to decipher what you really need. Is it really a whole outfit or do you just need certain basics to make things you already own work?

   

   Two photos I saved recently… Sometimes the patterns are easy to spot

5. Finally on clothing: I will dress for the weather. This sounds obvious but so much of finding autumn/winter difficult is being cold and damp, and there are clothes to protect you from that. We’re going to get so good at layering and we will find a good coat. And we’re packing Uniqlo heat techs every day, just in case.

6. I will remember that I can have fun at pretty much any event without drinking if the vibe is good and the event is something I actually enjoy. I won’t feel pressured to have a certain number of drinks in order to be perceived as more fun. You really do just have to get through the first hour and talk to the right people, and trust that the regular version of you is enough.

   

   Drinking tea instead of alcohol this summer, in the pub and at a hen do. It’s great

7. That being said, I won’t be so strict when it’s not necessary. Sometimes it’s good and healthy to let routine optimisation fall by the wayside and live a little more loosely. I will let those moments unfold if they feel good, and not punish myself for doing so.

8. As long as it’s after like, 6am, and I’m not stupidly exhausted, I will aim to get up at the first time I wake up. The extra 25 minutes is never as transformative as you hope, especially if you’ve been on your phone for a little bit in the middle. 🥲

9. I will read frequently, not leaving too many days between stints. This helps to stay close to the narrative and in turn feel like the little book world is an alive and happening part of my life. I will remember that even 10-15 minutes is enough time and worth reading a few pages, and not wait for perfect moments to start.

10. And finally, I will start making notes for Christmas and birthday present ideas now, as and when ideas come to me. This only works if you write down the thought as soon as you have it, there is 0% chance of remembering it later no matter how hard you try. The idea of alleviating the festive shopping load and having better ideas on what to do/buy feels so awesome. Here’s hoping this one sticks!

Nothing on this list is radical, mega unrealistic, or totally off the beaten track for the ways in which I already live my life. There are tweaks and hopeful intentions but if all of this happened, I’d be a very similar person, albeit a little kinder on myself and a little more nourished. I think that’s enough. I will say that if you have a hope to change something more significant for yourself and make way for something big and new, I suggest your list is only 2-3 things long (one thing you want to achieve, and 2-3 on how you might need to be to make that happen).

I would love to hear some thoughts of your own, whether that’s builds on this list, stuff I haven’t covered, whatever you want to bring to the table this autumn. Let me know here and I will share some next week! Share HERE.

🍂˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚☕️

And finally…

News from the Capsule universe this week:

• Suki Waterhouse looks so great in Venice

• Also from Venice: Amanda Seyfried wore the same look as Julia Roberts, likely to drum up some hype for the new Versace creative director

• But the best Venice looks: Greta Lee in Dior by Jonathan Anderson and Alexa Chung in Chloé

• & Other Stories have done a little brand refresh

• Meet Chloe Malle, Anna Wintour’s successor at Vogue

• Lena Dunham has written another memoir

• I’m sorry I liked ‘Everything is romantic’ being the Wuthering Heights song

• Justin Bieber has a second SWAG album for us

• Yes to Clairo in the Valentino bodysuit

• And every other photo on my feed is of Zoë Kravitz and Harry Styles. While we’re here, this W magazine cover of Zoë is really good

This week, Trout popped into Capsule to share what’s 🔥hot🔥 and what’s not 🙅‍♀️ …

Trout is an up-and-coming artist based on the South Coast of England. Her single ‘over + out’, from her upcoming EP Bait is out now.

📺 Watching: Honey Don’t! in the cinema, also heard good things about this Armani documentary, and the video for ‘Dead Dance,’ the new Lady Gaga song.

📖 Reading: Although we’re transitioning into September mode, I loved this newsletter from J Wortham on their favourite bodies of water this summer. A water sign doing it right. Plus The Cut cover story on the Cyrus Women, and of course this Hayley Williams profile for the Face.

🎧 Listening to: Double Infinity, the new Big Thief album, the new Kacy Hill songs, and Straight Line Was A Lie, the new album from The Beths.

As a sweet counter to the intensity of the Great Lock-In, people are also exploring the idea of a “personal curriculum” - that is, choosing a topic to learn about this autumn as if you were going back to school. According to Google search data, the top trending personal curriculum subjects are fantasy, medieval collectibles, Shakespeare, Greek mythology and philosophy. Another big search area is adult classes, where the top five are taekwondo classes, ballet classes, Bollywood dance classes, self-defence classes and dance classes. Percy thinks this might be a more enjoyable thing to consider.

If you’d like to adopt Percy or one of his friends, click here to learn more.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear how you’re finding Capsule - let me know here. And if you have a friend who might like it, do refer them! 🥺

See you next week 💋

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