superspeedy turnaround

Pretty speedy turnaround time between Paris and Stockholm.
I have spent much of today angering Mother Nature by putting on three loads of washing and rushing into town to pick up Swedish Kroner (which incidentally though not at all surprising is very pretty indeed, who knew?)

Paris was wonderful. Joanna, who I know through my best friend Lily was the perfect travel companion and the flat we stayed in (which belongs to her family) was just what we needed; quintessentially French in that slightly outdated way- walls full of framed maps and shelves full of pottery mugs. We bundled ourselves up each day and braved the cold to see the sights. Come the evening we would retire to the flat, listen to the family's selection of CDs (now converted fan of Scott Joplin and Charles Trenet) drink Gin, eat pasta and apply some red lippie before hitting the Latin Quarter for some drinks. We went to a place called The Wall near Cardinal Lemoine two nights in a row after enjoying ourselves there. We made friends with the guy on the door 'Call me Kemps' and while Joanna puffed away on cigarettes with a guy I had his friends teach me naughty French slang.

Photos to come once I am back from Sweden and have had them developed. This will have been a very exciting couple of weeks for me, and proof to myself that I have done something interesting during my gap year.

Thanks everyone for your recommendations for both of the cities. Sadly, I concluded after Paris that it's not the best city for Vintage (understandable, classic pieces and lots of dark colours seems to be more their forte) though I did manage to pick up this little Rabbit fur hat which I'm wearing in the picture. Sadly can't remember the name of the shop but it was a bit of a gem. Run by a guy called Laurent (naturellement) and just off Rue Saint Antoine (which is the street connecting Rue Rivoli to Place de le Bastille). I have higher expectations for shopping opportunies in Stockholm, though. Ellis is literally peeing herself with excitement over Monki and Weekday (quite right too) though I may have to hold her by the scruff of her neck to prevent her from spending her entire January wages there..
Back at the weekend!

sunday night

Tomorrow I'm off to Paris. Feeling a wee bit unprepared as it's after midnight and I'm yet to pack and sort out all of the tedious paperwork that accompanies modern day flying. I have on the other hand had a lovely evening at mine, served up big dishes of lasagne to friends (mix of best friends and some interesting new ones). We shared our appreciation for
lamebook.com, politically incorrect jokes, me and Josh had some geeky chat exchanging our love for Haw-Lin and Christo and Jeanne-Claude while Jo chuckled at our schoolchild-ish excitement. We'll meet same time next week at mine with plans to have a merry lunch, all mucking in and saying goodbye before Josh goes to Borneo for a few months and myself and Jo head off to Stockholm for a quick break.

Posting may resume while I am away, who knows. Taking the laptop with me so that in between visiting Versailles and Père Lachaise Cemetery (and wherever else, we have a long list of 'to-sees' but please recommend where you see fit!), myself and Joanna can plan our trip to America this Spring.

So I may be back tomorrow or indeed in a week..

upstate NY

Wouldn't mind hanging out in Upstate New York, wearing raccoon fur, wading in ponds, sitting on the stoop of a wooden clad cabin. Dan Martensen and Celeste Cooney's spread for Twin Magazine is the closest I'll currently get to such a fantasy.

There is an accompanying behind-the-scenes video over at Twin, which is all Behati Prinsloo running through fields and swinging her legs from tables to 'My Boy Builds Coffins' by Florence and The Machine.

Images:source

jordan robin

A look back at Jordan Robin's closet. Not all of her clothes are completely my cup of tea but she has a very distinct style and I always admire that. Watch it as much for her enviable Brooklyn appartment (interior styling ideas!..) and leather boot collection as for her wardrobe.

mini trends of 2010

This time last year, I created an 'Alternative trends of 2009' post, which was a mini compilation of trend predictions based on Street Style rather than the catwalk (although clearly the two are in a constant cycle of inspiring each other.) With the new season around the corner, here are this year's trends, suggestions and predictions to get you excited about your 2010 wardrobe!

If you're somebody that likes Navajo jackets and Native American references, I highly recommend you watch this video. I haven't stopped thinking about it since watching it; Lauren Buxton's personal interests and influences are great and the video has left me wanting more.





look out for more 'trends of 2010' posts over the next week!

images: unknown, mr newton, stylelikeu, cobrasnake, life images, own photography

just so you know

Make Lemonade is a great little vintage site if you're looking for some basics (leather belts, Churches brogues, knitted spotty jumpers or 70s pullovers) and you're sick of other sites taking the piss with prices. There isn't an huge lot of stock but if any of the above mentioned pieces sound like your cup of tea, you should have a look.

Have a look here..

fyi

If, like me, you enjoy a good snoop through people's twitpic accounts all in the name of procrastination, of course, then perhaps you'd like to take a peek at mine?

twitpic.com/photos/dconfusion

dressgate

Hands up if after watching the Golden Globes you're filled with even more love for Chloe Sevigny? She handled dress-rip-gate with great humour and without delving too much into gossip website tittle tattle, it puzzles me that some people seem to have viewed her reaction as diva-ish. For anyone who is in turn puzzled by what I'm talking about, Chloe Sevigny's Valentino dress was ripped after her usher stood on it during her Best Supporting Actress in a TV series award acceptance. You can watch the clip here.
In terms of Chloe Sevigny's dress, I must say it's not what I would have expected her to wear and I'm not mad on it, but I've read in the past that she likes to wear something glam and classic to award ceremonies, favouring timelessness over her usual 'quirky' fare.

I smiled as I watched her reaction which was completely natural and funny and fair and I think acts as a great testimony to what a lovely and honest person she is.

Now, on this drizzly Tuesday morning (so far away from Friday..) let us watch Golden Globe clips and love Chloe a little bit more. If you watch the acceptance speech, note how lovely that she thanks her New York friends.

"Well, what a tinkering of applause.."
This clip is interesting to hear Chloe talk about the process of dressing up for Awards ceremonies.

zac posen x target

I've never gone mad for Target designer collaborations. Of course, the names (Proenza Schouler in particular) have had me watering at the mouth. I remember back in my Teen Vogue buying days wanting to get my hands on a piece from the Luella range, but in hindsight that was because owning an item of clothing that had somewhere along the line been tweaked by Bartley seemed like the ultimate aspiration.

As is the case with many designer collaborations, after all of the initial excitement I haven't found the finished product to be worthy of the same head over heels adoration that might be initiated towards the designer's main lines.

It is with this context in mind that Zac Posen's Target collaboration is in my eyes rather curious; the little hawaiian shirts and flirty spring minidresses have me feeling excitement that wouldn't usually be reserved for Posen. Who knows, perhaps it's the lovely styling*, maybe it's model Elsa Sylvan's casually tousled hair, because although I've a little voice at the back of my head, whispering 'don't fall in love, the fabric will be cheap and static shock inducing!' this is one Target collection I can't help but like.

*Though a pair of nice wooden wedges wouldn;t have gone a miss instead of those unfortunate black T-bars..

View the rest of the collection here.

seasonal loyalties

Images, Behati Prinsloo by Matt Jones for French ELLE, from The Fashion Spot

With the season on the turn (fashion wise, that is, I can't see the climate perking up any time soon) I feel like a child caught between divorcing parents! where on earth to my loyalties lie? it's incredible what a couple of SS10 collection magazines coming free with the January Issues can do to ones head. Me and Jo spent most of our shift at work yesterday leafing through the Vogue one and dissecting each look, cooing over the models' summery tanned legs and trying on the new sunglasses that have come in.

On the other hand however, I've really enjoyed Winter this year, just getting the knack of my own little 'capsule' wardrobe and this spread with Behati Prinsloo in French ELLE is a further reminder of the success of layering that only the chilly seasons will permit.
For now, I shall enjoy the diplomacy of embracing each season; continuing to wear knits and chunky tights while dreaming of that glorious feeling of sun on skin (oh, remember?..)

snow stories

A couple of snaps of myself and my dear Ellis.
The two of us, along with Jo, went for a stroll around the local park last week which was punctuated by intervals of sitting on various benches, marveling at the clear sky and hijacking other people's super size snowballs.

On the subject of snow-appropriate dressing, this outfit has been a godsend over the last week. The coat I picked up from my local charity shop, a bit of a preemptive purchase before the snow arrived, it is astonishingly warm and fit for Shackleton.

burnt orange

images; 1. sylvia from streethearts, 2. kinga rajzak in POP magazine, 3.rianne ten haken at proenza schouler SS10

Back in August, I was standing in a long long line at the cashpoint in Spitalfields, London when a woman ahead of me caught my eye. This fact alone isn't unusual for East London, but this woman in particular had the most incredible hair; a sort of burnt orange colour, very plainly dyed, long and simply parted at the centre. I was instantly in love and proceeded to watch with anticipation as the line grew shorter debating whether or not to ask for a photograph (I didn't know quite how I was going to explain her hair to my own hairdresser with my 'I want to look exactly like her!' style request.) Alas, the queue eventually shrunk and I watched her walk past me as she replaced her card into her wallet without saying anything. These three photographs however are (if my memory, six months later is to be trusted) an pretty accurate representation of said woman's barnet. And now I must enter a new debate, a debate that I am fully aware is intensely boring to any second parties as whether or not to take the plunge and book that hair appointment. Armed with a packet of hair dye last night, I went for a Butterscotch ginger shade, but unsurprisingly not much came of that bar a slightly redder shade to my hair which is lovely albeit barely noticeable.

maya villiger: behind the scenes of turned out

Maya Villiger, ever the modest blogger turns the focus of her lens away from her herself and onto others as a street style photographer. But given her impeccable eye and tendency to wax lyrical about the joys of denim on denim (think in the vein of sturdy Menswear, not Alexander Wang) I've always suspected there was something a bit special about her own style. Luckily for us, Tommy Tom of Jak and Jil has done the groundwork for us and found out by choosing her for his latest 'Favourite Things' feature. The answer is a confident Yes, for Maya of Turnedout.tv has a grown up style as lovely and clean cut as the collages she carefully creates for her blog. In my eyes, she's a bit of a female counterpart to that Male style aesthetic I've talked about in the past; an appreciation for good quality items, well cut and simple. Converse and leather shoes replace desert boots, and a short bob and tweed blazer sustain the essence of that boyish look channelled by Annie Hall and loved by all (including Maya, naturally.)




MY FAVORITE THINGS: MEN’S INSPIRED BLUE SHIRTS, ISABEL MARANT RIBBED KNIT LEGGINGS, PHOEBE PHILO, MY WEDDING BANDS, LANVIN LILAC FLATS, DIANE KEATON AS ANNIE HALL, J. CREW KHAKIS, GREY BOTTEGA VENETA SATCHEL, BLUE RIBBON SUSHI, CHANEL 2.55, A PHOTOGRAPHER’S LIFE BY ANNIE LEIBOVITZ, PRADA CRANBERRY SATIN TURBAN, DEREK HENDERSON, J. BRAND WIDE LEGGED JEANS, PRADA TRAPEZE PEACOAT, SAMUEL HODGE, MIU MIU FAUX CROC CHAIN BELT, ISABEL MARANT PLEATED HIGH WAISTED SHORTS, MAKING COLLAGES, MONOGRAMED GOYARD TOTE, BURBERRY TRENCH COAT, PRADA LACEUP ANKLE BOOTIES, MY MUSE AND SISTER GRETA

cinema style: somersault

When outside feels a little gloomy- overcast skies and the snow in that in between stage, stubbornly clinging to the ground but dirtied after days underfoot, I think of Somersault. I haven't watched it for a good few years, but the bleak landscape and the Australian winter doesn't look all that different to the view from my window at the moment. It's the perfect film for watching on a winter's night in a big jumper and a pair of knickers, a warm beverage and a thoughtful mood. There's a certain calmness to the film which is very appealing in January. The low-key interiors stick in my mind; bedrooms unchanged since the 70s and Abbie Cornish is fantastic as the peculiar Heidi who roams around in simple knitwear and unkempt wavy hair. The soundtrack from Decoder Ring is beautifully peaceful and a perfect match to the stillness of the film.

Watch it for yourself here
Please note, I recommend you watch with as few other programs in use as possible to prevent your computer being too slow, though you probably didn't need me to tell you that!)

bookbag revolution

images, purple magazine and dazed digital

It's time like these (and bags as weak-knee inducing as these) that cause me to curse the sense of decency of whatever greater force it was that plonked me onto the 'poor side' of my family. Ah, I sit here and imagine how my life could be. A gene pool with a dusting of frivolity and the means to have Apc, Acne, Margaret Howell, Rachel Comey and these little Olympia Le-Tan wonders punctuating my wardrobe. Alas, all in all I don't think I have it that bad. A Granny with an erotic blog and impeccable eye, a Mother with an admirable intolerance of bullshit, and a lovingly flaky Father (whose wallet has the ability to compress and expand more often than an Accordion.) My own finances shall have to patiently consider the sacrifices.

But I digress, because in short I wish to stop each and every one of you for a moment or two. Breath deeply, unhunch your shoulders and marvel at these fine, fine bags. They give a new meaning to 'Book bags' (remember those little plastic velcroed totes provided when at Primary School?) and their perfectly rectangular shape has me wanting to fill them to the brim. Pens in pockets, some mini fragrance dispensers and perhaps a politely sized apple in the far corner for my own nod to bookbags of years past. Please ignore any past utterances from my direction regarding shoes trumping bags, because evidentally I had not laid my eyes on these.

The icing on the literary cake? They are lined with Liberty print fabric. Yeah, I know. And word has it our dear Chloe Sevigny specially requested a Moby Dick version be made. If like me, the idea of finding £900 (which is around the mark at which they'll be retailing) to fund such a want seems a little impossible, then why, take my hand and we may mourn together.

Olympia Le-Tan

ytligheter

note to self. I really rather like this blog, ytligheter. it's been hovering on my computer screen for a few days now, a little tab within the browser window as I've enjoyed scrolling through the archives and afraid to click that little 'X' in the corner just incase it gets lost in the abyss of cyberspace and I forget it. just so you know, because you might like it too. Eleonore has a lovely sense of style. Quite boyish in that Gallic 'appreciation for well cut clothes' sort of way but with telltale signs of her Swedish identity thrown in in the form of Acne dresses and occasional pieces from Monki (she works for them, lucky soul..)

click to visit ytligheter

discotheque confusion in stella magazine

I'm over the moon to have got a mention in today's Sunday Telegraph Stella Magazine!
Luckily one of my best friends sent me a text to inform me otherwise I would have remained oblivious. Thank you very much to Lois and Nisha at Stella Magazine for thinking to include me, it means a lot!

defining devon aoki

I've never given Devon Aoki that much thought. I don't know an awful lot about her but it's occured to me that I'd subconciously and perhaps illegitimately placed her into the 'LA party girl' category. In hindsight, I couldn't tell you the basis of these perceptions; maybe I'd assumed she was a model whose previous edgy credentials had dissolved with roles in films like The Fast and The Furious. I just didn't have her down as the type of person to catch my attention or to be my cup of tea but after noticing her in some stand out Numero and Self Service Magazine editorials I've been intrigued.

A sift through her Fashion Spot thread has me scratching my head; I would never have had her down as the owner of an extensive (and enviable) collection of wide leg trousers (from silky coloured shrimp to denim Birkin-alikes) or modestly sexy spaghetti strap dresses.

Part of Devon Aoki's appeal (new found in my eyes..) is her unusual beautiful, and a quirkiness reminiscent of models like Missy Rayder and Guinveire Van Seenus.

This series of photographs by David Mushegain particularly stand out in my eyes; the wide brimmed hats, the 70s utility tunics, floorlength dresses and jumpsuits in Missoni stripes and Birtwell prints are all a feast for the eyes. And a perfect boho vibe for spring that steers clear of the Sienna Miller/Kate Moss associations and instead gives a nod to the past, of the more authentic and clean looks worn by and Michelle Phillips and even Jane Birkin.

images, fashiongonerogue

Check out her Fashion Spot thread:

http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f52/devon-aoki-32928-95.html

talking point

own photograph

"You blog bores me. Where's the talent? Where's your old style of writing quirky posts? They were the only reason I came on your blog. Now, you're just mindlessly conforming by joining the troops in posting photograph after photograph and whipping a sentence or two to go with it! Bring back your originality!"

I wanted to address the anonymous commenter who left a comment on the blog last week because it's been playing on my mind since and I wanted to justify myself. Though I was initially a little hurt to have somebody telling me 'your blog bores me' and 'where's the talent?' I find the rest of the comment to be critical in a positive way.

The fact is, I don't have as much time to spend on my blog as I used to. It began when I was in secondary school when I had a lot more time to dedicate towards it. These days, I spend more time working while I'm saving to travel and as I've got older I also have a busier social life. That's not to say that I don't get any less pleasure out of blogging, and I always pride myself on writing posts that I'm satisfied with. The subject matter has to be something that interests me or that something that I'm genuinely compelled to share. This means that I'll never post something based purely on it's popularity. I wouldn't post about Balmain because I no can no longer identify with the hype, but if I want to post a few photographs with minimal text because they have in someway inspired me, and I think they will inspire others, then I will.

This is why I don't think it is fair to accuse me of 'mindlessly conforming the troops in posting photograph after photograph and whipping a sentence or two to go with it'. I don't mind if you genuinely find my blog boring, because I know it's not possible that every single person will like it, but there is still a thought process behind my posts and I will never post for the sake of it. When I do write a line or two, it may even be because I'm having an off day; it's perfectly natural for bloggers to lose confidence about their writing abilities, just as it is with professionals.

Please know that this post isn't a way of slamming the commenter, or fishing for reassurance. I think a genuinely interesting point has been made about there being a sharp uprise in the amount of blogs posting photograph after photograph and not a lot in the way of content. However, fashion blogging is constantly evolving and changing and there is often demand for this-I think it explains the popularity of tumblr accounts. Though the comment initially hurt my feelings, it has reminded me of how much I appreciate you having viewed Discotheque Confusion as being original and how important it is for me to hold on to that! Heres to 2010 and to hopefully more 'worthy' posts!

taffy bye

woe is me. tonight I ate the remaining piece of cinnamon saltwater taffy from the marvellous christmas package given to me by abby.

I haven't really spoken about christmas presents (will do soon!) but if you have a look behind me, you'll see what is without a doubt my favourite gift, from my mother and stepdad, a lovely framed map of the United States. All of the states and their major cities are shown in detail so it's perfect for kneeling on my pillows and tracing my index finger along the east coast, trialing routes for my upcoming though not-quite-yet-planned trip.

I know it was almost two weeks ago (bloody crazy!) but what did you guys get?

oh boy

It's taken me a while to stumble across this photograph, but the sight of Mary Kate looking all Annie Hall in this menswear inspired ensemble brought me tears of joy. I must add however, that the short burst of excitement upon learning she was wearing Olsenboye, the line she and Ashley have created for JC Penney was shot to pieces after a quick browse through the range. Lots of tacky logo tee shirts and not a lot in the way of the classic androgyny that the name would suggest. Luckily Swedish brand Weekday is abundant with possibilities where unisex shirts and tapered trousers are concerned. My usual sad pangs of 'if only they shipped internationally' have been replaced with excessive plans of buying up the whole range when I visit Stockholm next month, hurrah!

image: mary kate and ashley in pieces from their olsenboye range via alice in wardrobe

click to visit the weekday site.