Capsule #40 ft. Chloe Gray

Hiiii everyone,

Hope you had a pleasant week!

In today’s issue we’re talking about what the Glastonbury lineup announcement and the Kate Middleton saga have in common, and, would you believe, what we can learn from both of them. Plus, three tried-and-tested ways to layer your outfits for this pre-spring weather, and other news from the Capsule universe.

Plus the lovely Chloe Gray is here to share her Hot & Not with us. 🏃‍♀️

Thank you for reading as ever!

Holly x

First things first…

That Glastonbury lineup! We’ve all got an opinion. I’m elated to see SZA up there. I hoped this photo was a soft launch and now I’m going to say it was. It’s tractor season, my loves. 

I know Dua understands what’s needed on that Friday night to kick things off. And she need not fear the wrath of Yolanda Hadid (see image below), we are all behind her.

Dua’s ascendance to rizzdom in recent months has been a joy to watch. I used to say she lacked charisma, then I saw her Grammys performance. This will be good! (Skip to 3:40 for hard evidence of the star quality we’ve been searching for.)

I’m not much a Coldplay girlie (does Princess of China ft. Rihanna count?) but should you see them once in your life given their legacy and ability to sell out arenas every night around the world? Maybe. Are some of us going in the hope of seeing A-list special guests wheeled out? That too. Also Dakota Johnson. I’d go for her. 

As happens each year with big lineups like Glastonbury and Coachella, there was a fair bit of disappointment. The comments section of the NME Instagram account is a particularly interesting place to be. And in group chats across the nation, there were complaints around the lack of Big Pop Stars. Where’s Madonna? Taylor? Beyoncé? 

The lineup landed at the same time as Kate Middleton theories are swirling around our online and offline spheres. These two stories have something in common: the reality can’t live up to our expectations. I don’t think the truth about Kate’s past few weeks will be as dramatic as some of the theories, and neither can Glastonbury satisfy the perfect lineup we all feel we deserve, in part because that looks slightly different for everyone. For a second my friend even thought they might invent a Thursday headliner slot to host Taylor Swift before she goes to Dublin. Don’t tell us we don’t know how to dream!

But there’s something to learn from what happens when we have more time to speculate about an event versus living in the reality of it. If we take our lived experience as evidence, we know that in most scenarios, less is actually more. It’s impossible to enjoy something when there’s too much to do. Like an overcrowded birthday weekend - you need a bit of time to just sit and take stock. To meander without a real goal. To do stuff based on how you feel in the moment, not a predetermined hit list. It’s why holidays can be hard to get right, too – how do I see all this new place has to offer and come home feeling rejuvenated? In the context of Glastonbury, a lineup with a few pockets of excitement plus some wide open space is a bit of a gift. It’s an invitation to explore new music, and permission to take a breath whenever you need it.

As for the speculation, I’ll miss it! These shared investigative moments are the reason I haven't left X/Twitter, and although it feels insane to say it, they help me feel present. (Don’t quote me on that when I’m in my tree hugging era in a few years). The energy breathed into group chats or office discussions by theorising together makes me feel like it’s okay, good even, to just be here now. We’ve found a path to connection. So which special guests will we get?

Moving along…

We’re in that awkward in-between weather. It’s not bare arms warm, but that icy chill is beginning to thaw. Famously hard to dress for! You’re a bit done with your puffer coat, but you need something. With that I bring you some inspiration in the world of layering. 

1. Button-down shirt 

Most of us have a button-down shirt or live with someone who does and there are more ways we can play with them than we might initially think. On top of a polo neck like Gigi Hadid is a classic, as is the sweater vest pairing. The collar and the sleeves add more depth (and warmth) than a t-shirt, making it ideal for these slightly cold but brighter weeks. I also love the middle look from Avrey Ovard; you cannot go wrong with layering an oversized graphic tee.

2. Long skirts and dresses

Long skirts and dresses aren’t just for fair weather!!! And there’s no better person to prove this to you than Dahana, a fashion content creator who could have a PhD in layering if there was such a thing. Add jumpers, warm socks, throw a coat on if you need it. More is more here.

3. Vests and waistcoats 

You don’t want a knitted/fleece/leather vest in the summer but you absolutely do want one right now. They keep you warmer than you’d expect, and make you feel so put-together when paired with a contrasting colour and your favourite jeans.

And other news from the Capsule universe…

• Chioma Nnadi’s first issue of British Vogue is here, and FKA twigs is on the cover wearing that Loewe dress we loved on Aubrey Plaza 

• Three album announcements: North West’s debut which will be called Elementery School Dropout, Beyoncé’s country album will be called Cowboy Carter, and Dua Lipa’s next record is called Radical Optimism, and is inspired by psychedelia, trip-hop, and Britpop 

• Elsewhere in cowboy land, Bella Hadid hard launched her new man, who is a cowboy, and Mumford & Sons shared a vid of Marcus Mumford and Maggie Rogers singing ‘Cowboy Like Me’ by Taylor Swift

• Olivia Rodrigo gave out free morning after pills at her show in Missouri this week, where abortion is banned

• And Ayo Edebiri won our Chic of the Week award on Instagram. You can see why…

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

Chloe is a freelance feature writer, editor and consultant based in London. She specialises in women's health and non-BS wellness and fitness, as well as writing Gray's Anatomy, a Substack about bodies.

📺 Watching: The Dry, a show about a woman who moves back to Dublin after years of partying in London and tries to remain sober. And this cooking video of Ayo Edebiri, which is full of charm as you’d expect.

📖 Reading: This blog from Sophie Kemp for the Paris Review after she attended the Miu Miu show and chatted to Lorde, and Jessica DeFino’s next ‘Ask Ugly’ column for the Guardian, titled “Is a makeup routine really mindfulness?”.

🎧 Listening to: Deeper Well, the new album from Kacey Musgraves, plus like the sky i’ve been too quiet, the new album from Ganavya, a Tamil Nadu-raised and New York-born experimental jazz artist who performed with SAULT in London last year.

Ken (named after Barbie, yes) heard the Dua Lipa album announcement, felt the sun on his face, and watched this video. And you know what happened after that? He could not stop smiling. We asked him, why are you so happy? And he said, darling, radical optimism is in. The best you can do is start with a smile.

If you’d like to adopt Ken 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, please forward on 🥺

See you next week 💋