Boneless Couches & Balletcore

Summary

The Nightly — “Boneless Couches & Balletcore”
Host: Hatch Podcasts
Date: November 27, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Nightly, hosted by Sophia and Jacquis, creates a cozy, late-night atmosphere perfect for winding down, focusing on playful games and relaxed pop culture chats. The main theme centers around the comforts and quirks of moving, picking furniture (especially couches), and dissecting new and nostalgic trends in fashion and home decor. Through their signature “Snooze or Choose” game, Sophia and Jacquis explore trends like “balletcore,” boneless couches, and thrifting—balancing humor, candid confessions, and supportive friendship.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. All About Moving and Couches

[01:04 – 06:28]

• Sophia is moving to a new apartment and feeling both overwhelmed and excited. The biggest pain? Finding the right couch.
  • “I have my, like, whole list of to dos all that jazz. And yeah, right now I'm focused on finding a couch.” — Sophia [01:28]
• Secondhand vs. New Furniture:
  • Sophia enjoys a mix, noting the challenge of affordable, quality finds in NYC.
    • “Almost all of my stuff is secondhand… I bravely bought a new bed frame last year.” — Sophia [02:57]
  • Jacquis and Sophia discuss the “ick factor” of secondhand lounging furniture like mattresses and sofas, with Jacquis firmly preferring new for these items.
    • "Mattresses. Never totally. Not even couches. I just can't. I can't do it." — Jacquis [03:24]
• The Couch Conundrum:
  • Sophia expresses frustration with how long it takes to get a new couch delivered, considering used options out of necessity.
  • Memorable anecdote: Jacquis recounts “roasting” a friend’s couch choice (not knowing it was hers), highlighting how taste and context matter with furniture picks.
    • “This is one of the ugliest couches I've ever seen. I know this ain't yours. And she was like, that's the one I picked.” — Jacquis [05:26]

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2. The “Snooze or Choose” Trend Game

[06:28 – 19:28]

Sophia introduces “Snooze or Choose,” inviting Jacquis to sound off on trending topics by either “choosing” (liking) or “snoozing” (not feeling) them.

A. Balletcore

[07:03 – 10:43]

• Definition: Fashion inspired by ballet—ballet flats, ribbons, delicate or “coquette” styles.
  • “It's just a fashion trend, which is that people like to kind of dress like ballerinas.” — Sophia [07:07]
• Views:
  • Jacquis finds it “cute” on others, not for himself.
    • “I'm gonna choose this.” — Jacquis [08:12]
  • Sophia enjoys it vicariously and feels it’s about enjoying playful, comfortable style.
  • Discussion about male ballet attire and Harry Styles’s “sheer” moment.
  • Both hosts muse on flat shoes—cute in theory but don't work for their own feet.
    • “I'd be looking like biscuit cans with my feet… that's how my feet be looking.” — Jacquis [10:43]

B. Boneless Couches

[11:11 – 15:43]

• Definition: Couches with little/no internal structure ("like a mattress in a box"), modular, vacuum-sealed, and often less expensive.
  • “A boneless couch is just a couch with no wood basically, right?” — Jacquis [11:23]
• Reactions:
  • Jacquis is intrigued by the trend, relating it to the boxed mattress revolution but is skeptical of long-term comfort and value.
    • “Boneless couches… should cost significantly less… It should be $15… It’s a bunch of pillows.” — Jacquis [13:46, 13:50]
  • Sophia doubts their durability, joking it’d become a beanbag in a year, and notes her current "TEMU couch" is already deformed.
    • “My thing with the boneless couch is... I feel like in a year, that’s a beanbag.” — Sophia [14:51]
  • Both associate boneless couches with "college furniture"—fine for a phase, but not their top choice. “I feel like some of the things that make couches comfortable is the sturdiness of his structure…” — Jacquis [15:00]
  • Final take: Snooze for now, but with respect for those who choose it.
    • “That’s the name of this episode. We respect your choice.” — Jacquis [16:02]

C. Secondhand Clothes

[16:10 – 19:32]

• Attitudes:
  • Jacquis loves donating clothes but hasn't done much secondhand shopping for himself, though he's open to it now (“80/20, 70/30 split type person”).
    • “I just have never done it as much and I'm interested in doing it.” — Jacquis [17:26]
  • Sophia is an enthusiastic thrifter—most of her clothes are secondhand, and she loves eBay, vintage stores, and exploring for unique finds.
    • “The clothes are nicer when they're old. Better quality.” — Sophia [19:03]
  • Both “choose” this trend, appreciating the quality and sustainability of thrifted clothing.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Furniture really can… it's so based on context as to whether or not it looks good… I'm sure she made the couch beautiful in the end.” — Sophia [05:50]
• “I'd be looking like biscuit cans with my feet. You know when you pop a biscuit can open then just a little bit of biscuit dough comes out. That's how my feet be looking.” — Jacquis [10:43]
• “If they are comfortable, fantastic. But bone in couches are also, you know, comfortable as well.” — Jacquis [13:23]
• “Once again, similar to what we were saying earlier, I respect anyone who is like, you know what, it's what makes sense for me right now. But I don't love the look of the boneless couch, if I'm being honest.” — Sophia [13:50]
• “The only… one of the articles of clothing that I've like, this is just easier to buy new for me is pants. Because… you never know what the fit is gonna be.” — Sophia [17:54]
• “You about to choose you some sleep?” — Jacquis [19:38]
• “I need to go find a boneless couch to go to bed on.” — Sophia [19:40]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Moving & Couch Dilemmas: [01:04 – 06:28]
• Balletcore Trend: [07:03 – 10:43]
• Boneless Couches Trend: [11:11 – 15:43]
• Secondhand Clothes Trend: [16:10 – 19:32]
• Winding Down / Closing Banter: [19:32 – 20:00]

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Tone & Style

Friendly, cozy, playful, and gently comedic with authentic late-night energy. The hosts share personal quirks and banter openly, giving the episode a welcoming “pillow fort” vibe designed for easy listening and pre-bedtime relaxation.

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Summary Prepared for: Listeners who want the fun, key takeaways from “Boneless Couches & Balletcore” without late-night FOMO!

Transcript

[A]

Hello.

[B]

You're about to drift into an episode of the nightly, a podcast designed to help you unwind and relax. For the full phone free immersive light experience, visit Hatch Co. Enjoy.

[C]

Hey there. I'm Sophia.

[A]

And I'm Chuck Hees. Welcome to the Nightly on Hatch where we want to hear from you. So just a reminder that you can send us an email, a question, or even just a voice memo to thenightlyach. Co. That's thenightlyatch. Co. And you might hear us answer your question on the show. What is going on in the pillow fort, Sophia? That sound like Bob Barker right there. What is going on, Sophia?

[C]

You know what? I'm moving this week, so that is kind of what's consuming all of my mental energy right now. Yeah, I'm like, that's all I'm thinking about. I have to pack everything up and then I get to move into a beautiful new apartment.

[A]

Nice. Solo dolo.

[C]

Solo dolo.

[B]

Ah.

[A]

First time ever.

[C]

Not first time ever, but first time in a long time.

[A]

First time in a long time. I love it.

[C]

I lived, like, alone briefly when I got a really good deal after the pandemic, obviously, and then never again. But I am really excited, obviously, to be on my own. Yeah. And yeah. But moving, I'm like, oh, my God. I have my, like, whole list of to dos all that jazz. And yeah, right now I'm focused on finding a couch.

[A]

Okay. All right. I know we talked about this before, the furniture finding and things like that. Are you a like, secondhand furniture person or do you prefer having new stuff at the crib?

[C]

Brand spanking new? I feel fine with a mix. I mean, I love, like, secondhand furniture and I love, like, antiquing and stuff like that. It's just hard to do, like, in New York City sometimes. Like, I feel like I'm on Facebook, Marketplace, and I'm like, you guys are trying to rob me. First of all, you guys are taking great advantage of me right now. So I'm like, I love buying stuff that is not new as long as it's, like, actually nice and, like, a pretty good deal. Because sometimes I feel like in New York, I'm like, this isn't nice. And you're trying to charge me, like, $700. But I mean, almost all of my stuff is secondhand. Like in my apartment, I, like, bravely bought a new bed frame last year, and that is, like, I think one of the only, like, true new things that I have.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

What about you?

[A]

I'm a new person. I'm a new person. As I've gotten a little older, I do think I want to get a little bit more into, like, antique furniture and things like that. Like, whether it be tables or stuff like that. But one thing that I never will be able to do is lounging secondhand furniture.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Mattresses. Never totally. Not even couches. I just can't. I can't do it. So.

[C]

No, I respect that. I respect that. With the couch thing right now, I'm like, having a bit of a conundrum because I was actually gonna buy a new couch, but then I'm finding out that to buy a new couch, a lot of the time, it takes a long time for them to get to you.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so now I'm kind of like, okay, maybe we'll buy. Which unlike not. I respect your opinion, of course. With no respect. But now I'm like, looking at used couches on Facebook, and I'm like, oh, my God, this is. I just need. All I want is a couch. The world does not want me to have a couch, but I will find a couch. Yeah. That's the only thing is I'm like. I literally am, like, looking at couches, and then it's like, these will be get to you in February.

[A]

And I'm like, that's wild.

[C]

Okay. So I can't do that.

[A]

Yeah, you need a couch now.

[C]

I need a couch yesterday. So I'm kind of. That's where I'm at right now. But. Well, the universe will bring me a couch. I have my eye on one. And I'm gonna see if it seems like the right fit. It.

[A]

Will a friend of mine shout out to Natalie, who will maybe never hear this, but I want Natalie. I want the universe to know I've felt bad about this since it happened almost 10 plus years ago. But a friend of mine was buying a new couch, and this is when couches weren't a million dollars. And she brought me along. Cause I was gonna help her, like, load it into my car, and then I was gonna take it to her place and blah, blah, blah. And the couch was like in the back of the warehouse of this furniture store, like, living spaces or something like that. And before she, like, just went up to the couch and be like, all right, like, let's go. She decided she wanted to have me see if I can choose the couch that she chose. Like, I could, like, guess the couch that she chose. And I'm like, okay, so we going around the couches, and I'm like, this one right here. This feels like, you. And she was like, nope. And I was like, all right, not this one. This feels like you. She's like, nope. And then we get up on the couch, and I was like, this is one of the ugliest couches I've ever seen. I know this ain't yours. And she was like, that's the one I picked. And I was like, oh, look, you can't.

[C]

Don't.

[A]

And I was like, don't ask me to do that. Just. We could have been out of here already.

[C]

Already. You set me up.

[A]

You set me up.

[C]

I mean, look, it happens. I'm sure that she loved the couch. It's so. Whatever. It's so hard with furniture because you're like, furniture really can. Like, it's so based on context as to whether or not it looks good. Like, so. So based on, like, what you do with it, and it's just hard. But I'm sure she made the couch beautiful in the end.

[A]

I'm sure. And, you know, I've. I've changed. And once it was in the house under her light, I was like, what a beautiful couch. What a beautiful couch. Yes.

[C]

That screams you. Yes.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

I have a little game that we can play.

[A]

Let's do it.

[C]

If you have any interest in that.

[A]

You know, I love a game.

[C]

Amazing. It's called snooze or Choose. And basically, I'm going to present you with a few trends that I've noticed, and you can let me know if you want to snooze them or if you want to choose them, if you like them or if you don't. We can dissect and give our opinions. How does that sound?

[A]

That sounds fantastic.

[C]

Yeah. Okay. Okay. The first trend. Do you know this also? Maybe I'll have to explain it to you. Is Balletcore. Do you know what balletcore is?

[A]

No.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

I don't. Please explain.

[C]

This is basically just, like, aesthetically, like, just a fashion trend, which is that people like to kind of dress like ballerinas. I feel like they have their little. I mean, of course we know that ballet flats are in, which is like, you know, the flat shoe. People wearing little, like. I think ribbons is part of this. I also think that this is part of, like, the, like, coquette fashion movement, which is just like, cutesy, delicate, girly stuff. But I think people are kind of, like, divided on if they like balletcore or not. And I think that some people who are, like. Who dance, did ballet or, like. I don't actually know if this is true, but they're like, my culture is not your costume, obviously. Yeah. What do you think about this?

[A]

I've been noticing this as well.

[C]

And.

[A]

I think it's cute. I think it's cute. I think, like, you know, a friend of mine, like came to. We were like hanging out and like, I could tell, like her little ballet shoes and socks and like everything like that. And I was like, she looks real cute right now. So I don't have a problem with it. I think is. I think it's a. Okay, I. I'm gonna choose this.

[C]

Choose. We'll choose. We'll choose. Yeah, of course. I wouldn't. I don't really like have a way to incorporate balletcore into my day to day dress. It's not really my vibe, but I think it's really cute when other people do it. And I think everyone should just have fun. I'm also like, if it's part of the ballet corps, is wearing like slightly more comfortable, maybe like athletic wear. I'm like, go off because that. We all need to be comfortable. And I love bows.

[A]

Yeah, bows are nice. You know, I get a bow. I get a bow. I also like, what are male ballet clothes or, you know, like.

[C]

I don't even know. I mean, they wear tights and stuff. Yeah. Like, I think that male ballerinas literally just wear tights.

[A]

Tights or slacks or something.

[C]

Do they wear tights? I can't.

[A]

I don't know.

[C]

But they definitely wear ballet slippers. Yeah. I don't know.

[A]

Let's look in the encyclopedia.

[C]

Let's look in the encyclopedia.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Because I'm interested now.

[C]

Okay. They do wear tights. I wasn't wrong.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And I think they wear. Yeah, they basically. I mean, I'm sure, who knows, everyone was different. But I think they just wear like also like a unitard thing. Is that what it's called?

[A]

Like leotard?

[C]

A unitard is the whole body.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Probably the ones I'm seeing have little sleeves on them. So maybe it's less common to do like a spaghetti strap moment, but. And that with like tights or leggings over it, basically. And then their ballet shoes.

[A]

This trend. Yeah. Like I said, for me, I wouldn't necessarily incorporate it into my dress. However, I'm looking at some things like from in the encyclopedia, we got some pictures from three years ago. Like Harry Styles, very sheer.

[C]

Oh, yes.

[A]

He did do that sheer thing. So like the bottoms. No go for me. Like, I'm trying to get away from type bottoms now, cuz, you know, same. But the tops, like the, the over the top frilly tops, the big sleeves.

[C]

That's fine.

[A]

Like a little sheer, you know like I'm okay with that.

[C]

Yeah, go off.

[A]

I'm okay with that. I could rock with that. For me.

[C]

I did actually recently also try on a pair of like flats. Cuz I thought they were going to be cute and they looked so crazy on me and I was like, no, they were more kind of like athletic leaning like in a way where I thought maybe they wouldn't actually just read as like a ballet flat. And then I was like these are really just reading kind of like as a ballet flat. And it's not really like my vibe necessarily, but it was fun to try on.

[A]

Yeah. Flats aren't. My feet are too wide.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And then you know we got. I'd be looking like biscuit cans with my feet. You know when you pop a biscuit can open then just a little bit of biscuit dough comes out. That's how my feet be looking. They lay flat. So I can't do it. But I do love a flat on others.

[C]

Yeah, I love a flat, but it's not, it's not for me. Maybe one day I'll find one. I would like to find one that's like maybe a little bit more athletic. Y. Okay, now I'm wondering if we should do a furniture one.

[A]

Let's do it. We talked about furniture. Yeah.

[C]

Okay. This is one that I hear a lot about and it's. We're gonna go back to couch. Do you know about boneless couches? Do you know about this?

[A]

I've heard, I've been seeing them on, on the old gram and ads and things like that. It's basically what we've done with mattresses now which just furniture and boxes. So a boneless couch is just a couch with no wood basically, right?

[C]

Yeah. I think they basically don't have the same structure. So as you said, I'm assuming they just come in basically a vacuum sealed situation and then you open it and it expands. And I think often they're different pieces. Different? Yeah, like modular kind of or whatever. A sectional moment. What do you think about this?

[A]

I'm very interested in this trend in general. Like I, you know, I have a over two thousand dollar mattress because like my sleep is not great. So I've gotten the best type of things for my sleep that I can totally. You know, comfortable mattress, comfortable pillows, you know, blackout curtains, all types of things in the house. My hash device, all the things I need. Right. And even that came in a box. Like it wasn't delivered. It came in a box and it wasn't. Did it come in a box? Now I'm like, this is like 4 years ago.

[C]

I would be shocked if a $2000 mattress came in a box.

[A]

But oh no, don't be shocked. There are 2,000 Casper. Like all those mattresses are all like.

[C]

The ones that like spring up.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. A lot. Yeah, they still do.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

And the only reason now I'm thinking mine's may not have come in like a full box. I have a hybrid. So it has springs in it. So I can't really remember. It's a Wink mattress. And I'm looking here and it seems that some Wink mattresses do come in boxes. And I'm really remembering mine did. So.

[C]

I bet it did.

[A]

Yeah. And it's just an interesting new trend in furniture.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

And so like, I don't know how I feel about the boneless couch because.

[C]

Like, I don't either.

[A]

It might be comfortable and it might just be where we might be comfortable. But here's what I'm saying though. Boneless couches, right? And if they are comfortable, fantastic. But bone in couches are also, you know, comfortable as well. Right. So like the boneless couches should cost significantly less than the bone in couches because there's no wood in there.

[C]

I know.

[A]

So what am I paying for? It should be $15.

[C]

It's a bunch of pillows. Yeah. No, I agree. I think they are cheaper, but I bet they're still obviously like a couple hundred bucks minimum of which really is like, what am I paying for? But yeah, once again, similar to the what we were saying earlier, I respect anyone who is like, you know what, it's what makes sense for me right now. But I don't love the look of the boneless couch, if I'm being honest. I just feel like there's no way they would hold up well over time because like even the couch I have right now, which I call my TEMU couch because it's literally like trash. The couch I have right now, I have like just inordinate amount of beef with, which is my former roommate made me buy it with her and then now, and I never wanted it and now I have it. Even that which does have like structure to it. It has like metal, you know, rods and stuff.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

It's not good quality. And the cushions get like all messed up so easily. Like some of the cushions, I'm like, they're kind of like disformed already. And so that's My thing with the boneless couch is I'm just like, I feel like in a year, that's a beanbag.

[A]

Yeah, that's like. It feels like college. It feels like college furniture.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. And.

[A]

Which is fine. Again, that's okay.

[C]

People need that respect.

[A]

But I feel like some of the things that make couches comfortable is the sturdiness of his structure, of course, in addition to the comfort of his cushions. And so, you know, it's like a futon. Some futons can be comfortable, but they're never gonna be as comfortable as, like a well built, comfortable couch.

[C]

Yes, totally.

[A]

Generally. And so I kind of have the same feeling with the boneless couch. I'm not choosing it, but I don't know if I'm snoozing. I'm probably turning the alarm clock like upside down and putting it under a pillow so I can't hear it. But like, I might take the pillow off in a year or two once I see, you know, what's going on.

[C]

And maybe the technology will progress in who knows how long. Everyone will have a couch that comes in a little minuscule cube and inflates the size of a couch. Yeah, I think I'm gonna snooze. But that's similar to you. I'm like, I'm gonna snooze for me. But I respect those who are choosing.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. That's the name of this episode. We respect your choice.

[C]

We respect your choice.

[A]

Just not for me.

[C]

Just not for me. Okay, this will be a good one. Cause it's kind of also similar to what we were talking about before. How do you feel about secondhand clothes, snooze or juice?

[A]

I absolutely adore giving away clothes. I adore it. I love going through my close getting rid of a bunch of stuff and then like giving it away to thrift stores or shelters or everything like that. In this instance, we're talking about giving it away to secondhand clothing stores and then rebuying them for myself or whatever. I don't have a problem with it. I just have never done it for everyday wear.

[C]

Totally.

[A]

Generally, as an actor, I've gotten many things thrifted for, like, costumes or stuff like that. But I've never, like, gone thrifting and be like, ah, this is something that I'm going to wear for myself.

[C]

Totally.

[A]

Now I have been saying this year that, like, I am interested in possibly, like thrifting, like for some things.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

But I'll never go all the way. I'll probably be like an 80 20, 70, 30 split type person.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

So I choose it. I choose it.

[C]

You choose it.

[A]

I think it's great. I don't have a problem with it. I just have never done it as much and I'm interested in doing it.

[C]

You're looking to get in?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, you've come to the right place. Cause listen, I would say easily the majority of my clothes are not new. I love it. I actually am, like, looking at what I'm wearing right now, like, randomly. Like, the clothes I'm wearing right now, all of it is new except for two of the things I'm wearing are from someone I used to date. So that's secondhand in a way.

[A]

That's secondhand. That's 100 secondhand.

[C]

But I love it. It's my favorite thing. The only like. Or not only, but one of the articles of clothing that I've like, this is just easier to buy new for me is pants. Because pants, it's just like, you literally just like, never know what the fit is gonna be.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Or like, it'll say one size and it's like, that's not right. Whatever.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Still I say that and probably still at least half my pants, if not more, are used. But I think I just am, like, more open to buying new pants because I'm like, it's just easier.

[A]

You need to see how they look.

[C]

You have to. You have to. And it's just so hard to find a pair of pants that fit that. Also, if I find a brand that I like, I'm like, okay, I'll just buy, like, my pants from there for the next, like, two to three years and then whatever. But I love ebay. It's like my favorite place. I like, buy so many of my clothes on ebay. I love to go to, like, a big thrift store. I love to go to a small thrift store. I, like, recently went on a trip out of the city to go to Savers and I got a bunch of clothes for the fall, which was really fun. And I love, like, a more, like, curated vintage store as well. It's like my favorite thing.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Also, I'm like, the clothes are nicer when they're old. Better quality.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Because they've been washed. They've been washed and now you've seen how they've held up to, like, life.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And if they are still good enough by the time they become second hand, that means, you know, they were probably made well. So. Yeah.

[C]

Yes. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I'm choosing.

[C]

We both choose.

[A]

We both choose. I love it. I love it.

[C]

Perfect. Well, Jacquis, I'm getting pretty sleepy after this game.

[A]

You about to choose you some sleep?

[C]

Yeah, I need to go find a boneless couch to go to bed on. It's been amazing talking to you. Same.

[A]

Have a good night, Sofia.

[C]

You too, Jacquis. Sam.

[B]

To learn more about our phone free light and audio experience, head to Hatch Co. You can also follow us at Hatch Podcasts.