Last week, I asked my Instagram Magpies, on the heels of this post on fall in specifics: “what would the alt title for September be?”
My suggestions:
Fresh Start
Speed Race
I Thought It’d Be Colder
Peripateia
Your responses did not disappoint. They created a lovely early fall poem, or a song set for an album I’d love to listen to. Reading through them, I saw the tension we are collectively feeling: a return to marching routine and also a letting go of summer. September is such an in-between month. A moment of unhooking, or re-hooking. Fresh starts and slow goodbyes. Also, still laughing at the “maybe we overcommitted” and “I’m still sweating” tracks.
September: The B-Side
Soultender
Maybe We Overcommitted
Long Summer
Back on the Horse
A Race Towards Happiness
Structure Reborn
30 Day Farewell to Summer
Start Anew
I’m Still Sweating
Slowly and Then All At Once
Shift or Passage
A Heightening
Still Summer
Full Steam Ahead
Bittersweet
If you’re looking for actual music for a fall mood, you might consider Magpie reader Aoife’s witchy “Triumphant Lunar Hexagon Playlist” (thanks for sharing!) or fashion substacker Jess Nell Graves’ Fall Playlist (“Atmospheric tunes for the cooler season”). Or you can listen to this playlist (on Spotify and Apple Music) I’ve been playing ad nauseum in the evenings in our home — it’s a blend of neo-soul, classic soul, electronica, jazz. A little spicy, a little vibey, a little wistful. Just right for this period of transition.
For my Magpie commenters: what would your alt title for September be? I’ll update the set list above with your clever responses. And, what are you listening to as we ease into the fall season?
Post-Scripts.
+I named one of my Maiden’s Choosing chapters “Peripateia” — you can read it here.
Shopping Break.
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+Celine vibes for under $130. LOVE. The colors are wonderful.
+Everlane just restocked its viral $30 tee in lots of great colors with the most clever tag line: “selling out faster than a Chappell Roan show, the organic box tee is back in new colors, but not for long.”
+Saw a mom at school pick up wearing these with jeans and a tee — she looked fabulous. Studs have been trending lately. Freda Salvador also just released a collection of studded footwear and accessories. The belt reminded of the one from Khaite! Madewell has a look for less option too (under $70) — I love it in the red?
+A look for less for Lululemon’s incredible bike shorts (the latter are my absolute favorite for doing my Heather Robertson videos / talking walks around my neighborhood).
+I love this dressed up fleece sweatshirt — more of a capelet! Cute with jeans.
+Just noticed these chic sneaks in the espresso color are shearling-lined — dreamy! My favorite non-Samba, non-GG sneaks for fall here.
+The whipstitch trim on this sweater gives us just a taste of Toteme, but for $55.
+Going to give this blurring primer a try for fall. I also wanted to mention that I just discovered a great use for the Merit serum. I had used it when it first came out and found it was a gentle serum — hydrating, and glow-enhancing, but perhaps more surface-level and not as pronounced or effective as some of my other go-tos (Vintner’s Daughter, Clarins, etc). I now have a process where I wake up and apply my skincare and let it sink in for a few minutes while I get dressed. Then I apply a layer of this Merit serum and makeup goes on SO BEAUTIFULLY afterward. I also use if reapplying makeup in the evening. It’s a great hydrating base layer. I don’t know what it does but it really helps makeup stick. I find it’s especially great beneath the Westman Atelier foundation stick.
+Back to Clarins for a second. It’s been a few months since I extolled the virtues of Clarins’ two masks, which remain the GOAT for me in terms of at-home masking. This de-puffing mask is beyond incredible. I didn’t even know my skin occasionally looks puffy until I used this. It chisels away your features and lifts everything. Then there’s the cryo-frlash mask, which feels so refreshing — like a cold plunge for your face. This is my favorite thing to use after a long workout. I take a hot shower and then apply this. Skin looks so radiant, poreless, firmed. Cannot rec these two enough. But if you’re only getting one, get the depuffing mask. It’s magic.
+Love this polo sweater dress.
+This skirt is so pretty. Would be chic heading into fall with a suede flat or boot.
+Reminds me of my Kule cardigan! (But $30!)
Eep, thank you for sharing my playlist! I ordered a vintage burgundy Barbour jacket last night and am so ready for the next 3.5 months xx
Vintage burgundy Barbour!!! LOVE
Echoing Anna — I will forever prefer a hand-picked playlist created by a human with specific tastes! I do this myself on a quarterly basis and then, in late December, make one archival playlist for the calendar year that’s ending. I have these organized in Apple Music dating back to 2006 (!!) and I also have a bunch of themed playlists like “College”, “Nostalgia”, etc to which I regularly add tracks. I also like how you incorporate some of your husband’s music — I do this, too, and also pick up a lot of new music by listening to our favorite freeform radio stations! I would say the majority of the music on my quarterly playlists is actually not new, but simply new-to-me 🙂
Anyway: recently I have been repeatedly listening to Lucius’ 2022 album Second Nature, Blind Date Party by Bill Callahan and Bonnie Prince Billy (among others), and Rachel Chinouriri’s new album. Also, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short ‘n’ Sweet is a near-perfect pop album and I especially love Slim Pickins. So Dolly-coded and man, does she have a pretty voice!
xx
Hadn’t heard of any of the artists or playlists you mentioned (with the exception of Carpenter, of course)! Thanks for the recs! I can’t figure out why but I was sort of lukewarm on “Short N Sweet”? I LOVE her voice and listen to her a decent amount, but the album just didn’t grab me the way I wanted it to. I do love the song “Coincidence” and definitely get and love the Dolly reference!
xx
I totally hear that! The production style is interesting — it felt suprisingly retro to me, but in a good way (and also in a surprising way, since I don’t always gravitate to the production style of Jack Antonoff, for example, and he produced both of my favorite tracks on Short ‘n’ Sweet!)
Of the other ones I mentioned, given what I know about your musical taste, I would recommend listening to Second Nature by Lucius! My favorite songs on that album are “The Man I’ll Never Find”, “Promises”, and “White Lies”. Lucius are an indie pop band with two front women and they remind me a little of Haim, but more ballad-y. Second Nature was co-produced by Brandi Carlile and I had a major “aha” moment when I learned that, as some of their songs remind me strongly of hers!
xx
Love this!! Such great descriptions, and so thoughtful! Thanks!
I always think of September as a “bridge” month, so that would be my word. Also, thank you for sharing your playlists with us. They are always divine and I regularly have never heard of 90% of the songs or artists you feature. In these days of hollow, echo-chamber algorithm-based music recommendations, nothing can beat the power of true personal curation.
Bridge is a good way to put it.
And thank you! I love putting the playlists together — Landon’s great at discovering new artists; he has his Reddit ways to do this, and I piggyback off his loot!
xx