Discotheque Confusion

advent season: day three: christmas morning style

2009-12-04T08:50:00.006Z

knitted shorts!? can it be so? since those chunky woolen versions at chloe made their way down the runway in february, I've been waiting for something similar to hit the high street. uniqlo is the answerer or prayers with these adorable little numbers. they come in fourteen different colours, though wine and dark grey are my personal favourites. come christmas morning I'll be mixing and matching with a little silky pyjama top ala this or this from topshop whilst I tucked into a full breakfast spread and a couple of presents. lovely..

ps, and you know the little shorts have elasticated waistbands. because we were all wondering..

the dungaree quest

2009-12-03T22:43:00.006Z

I've been in want of a pair of overalls for some time now. A little pair of short dungarees with french flavour. Khaki, demin, sky blue, red, off white, I'm not fussed.

This forest green overall dress is as close as I've gotten so far. It's cord and has a lovely big pocket, highly practical and a little unflattering in a sort of guilty pleasure way. A pouch in that area just below your belly button that is self consciously sucked in on other occasions, but when stuffed with old tissues and a couple of pens is sturdy and comforting.

However, the quest continues for the right pair of dungarees.

To be worn with a little cotton tee shirt, or a simple long tee, maybe printed with leopard spots or breton stripes. Gallic flair and carelessness, a non descript hairstyle, perhaps a ponytail or bun tied in a rush with paintflecked fingers. To be thrown on with tights and trusty brogues, riding around the city on the bike, running errands, collecting gifts for friends and ingredients for that bike salad you're already concocting in your head.

advent season: day three: gifts for the guys

2009-12-03T10:43:00.006Z

present buying for boys will remain one of life's mysteries. just as we may never know what exactly martin margiela looks like or whether the big bang was behind the creation of the earth (okay, okay, it pretty much was..) I am of the opinion that boys shall never cease to be so carefree and so laidback and downright tricky when it comes to present buying. I gawp at the thought of how I can continue to come up with original gift ideas for my Father for the foreseeable future (especially when they're met with a shrug and 'thanks, though you really needn't have..') Alas, I have wracked my brain and these are the fruits of my labour, a hearty american chocolate bar, a graphic tee shirt, a book of poetry by bukowski and a prickly little cactus to match (in my experience) their prickly present receiving disposition.

'great moments of the 20st century' tee shirt by print liberation, potted cactus from ikea, jw anderson woven belt from liberty, henri vibskov socks from asos, hersheys 5th avenue chocolate from cybercandy, wesc foldable headphones from asos, initial mug from liberty, mini fjallraven backpack from fjallraven, days away like horses, charles bukowski poetry from amazon from cybercandy.

advent season: day two: stocking fillers

2009-12-02T23:34:00.000Z

It's easy to get yourself in a bit of a tizzy when it comes to present shopping. I say avoid panic buying novelty socks and bath salts and have a little fun with it, even if your budget it meager. How about japanese candy, a book of WH Auden poetry, a 'grow your own crystals' magic garden kit, some pretty stationary, a paris themed silk scarf?..

pink bra from monki, magic garden kit from amazon, japanese candy (kasugai lychee gummy) from cybercandy, rhodia stationary from journalingarts.com, faded flag print scarf from topshop, brooklyn tote bag from maptotes, wristwatch from amazon, bunny ears headband from topshop, wh auden book from amazon, stacked animal rings from asos

advent season: day one

2009-12-01T13:45:00.003Z

image, tabitha gwyn osler

Ah, December is upon us. Let the festivities begin; watch as your diary fills with seasonal get togethers -friends frantically meeting up before the new decade is upon us, ladle up some mulled wine, root around for that Christmas hits CD and sigh at the familiarity of 'War is Over' and 'Fairytale in New York'. Also in keeping with tradition, I'll be posting those annual Discotheque Confusion Advent posts.

Some of you will know what to expect from the past few Christmases (remember the 'Paris Vogue Nativity Scene' from last year?..) but if this is your first blogging Christmas be sure to keep your eyes peeled each day for slices of seasonal posting (and of course usual posting shall also resume, so all in all it'll be quite a busy month!)

To kick of the festivities is a cover of Carol of The Bells by The Bird and The Bee..

current staple

2009-11-30T01:11:00.007Z

that this blog isn't more outfit post rich is something that niggles at the back of my mind. and seeing as over the past few days I've been getting such a lot of enjoyment out of new items in my wardrobe, it made sense to share. armed with my stepdad's camera (cheers andy) I spent this evening playing dress up and listening to echoes by pink floyd, that is until combined with the eery howling of wind outside it sent shivers down my spine. and I switched to human league.

this outfit is a bit of a staple at the moment. the shoes and jumper, I picked up yesterday as part of my 'uniform' (ah, the perks of working at Topshop) and the little brown skirt, as mentioned yesterday was from a charity shop. and to anybody in search of a lovely pair of brogues, I cannot recommend these enough, they're perfectly sturdy and simple, and all in all a bit of a health hazard (as you walk, you'll be looking at your feet instead of keeping an eye out for lampposts..)

night leopard

2009-11-28T01:42:00.003Z

and a couple of other recent charity shop purchases:

sheer leopard top
brown suede mini skirt
worn with 120 denier tights and justin boots for a (dare I say?) vaguely simple sixties inspired look.

now, after a couple of ciders with some friends in town I'm grabbing myself a bowl of granola and hitting the sack before work tomorrow.

ps, in hindsight, this post ought to come with some kind of warning or apology for the awful photo quality. what can I say, I am neither a cobrasnake muse nor the owner of a digital camera. disposables or computer cam must suffice..

an ode to the charity shop

2009-11-27T17:12:00.003Z

just picked these shoes up for a not too shabby £2.95 on a successful trip to the charity shops.
the last couple of weeks I've been suffering from loss of style mojo. bizarrely, inspired and sure of how I wanted to look (ie, a handful of boyish a handful of french) but unable to translate that using my own clothes.

The cure was a ruthless clearing out of my closet (37 pieces discarded with no hard feelings) and a few trips to charity shops with a mental wishlist.

I can't recommend this method enough having a mental wishlist before shopping really helps; sussing out where the gaps in your wardrobe are works wonders. For me, this means if I come across a jacket or skirt I really like, I know I can go for it as it'll be filling a void.

But back to the shoes. I really really love them. Because the heels are quite sturdy, they're that perfect mix of feeling fuss free but also quite unique (the colour! the suede! the snakeskin!)

Worn with the little brown suede mini skirt I also bought, simply mid-parted hair worn down and a casual little top they make me feel a little Anouck Lepere (stylewise at least) and I think you'll all agree that's quite a feat for under £10!

lions and birdies on your chest

2009-11-26T14:36:00.004Z

It's one of those unfortunate facts of life that just as a new season is in full swing and the last leaves are falling from the trees, you stumble across arrays of climatically inappropriate attire.

Case in point is 'We Are Handsome', an Aussie brand. With hands down, the coolest graphic printed designs ever, these swimsuits are the perfect antidote to itsy bitsy bikinis. If you have ever found yourself muttering in frustration at the lack of coverage available in the high street swimwear departments, these shall have you throwing your hands in the air in praise.

Sorry fellow inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere, I know that the beach is all but a distant memory, and I hate to rub salt in your wounds, but perhaps this will do for next summer? I suppose in a slightly obsessive compulsive 'things your Mother tells you' way it makes sense to buy swimwear out of season anyway?

We Are Handsome
EDIT: the We Are Handsome website currently appears to be down. I'd keep your eyes peeled though.

stella mccartney spring 2010

2009-11-26T11:20:00.003Z

What do you get when you mix together:

-a perfectly dreamy song, loved by all (girls by death in vegas)
-a breathtakingly pretty face (anouck lepere)
-a closet full of wonderfully cut, occaisonally sparkly, feminine loveliness (stella mccartney spring 2010)

Why, a mouthwatering lookbook video that will have you wanting to play dress up on the stairs in your very own Stella McCartney gowns. Splendid.

marcus constable

2009-11-24T11:11:00.000Z

images, glamour uk

on my mind

2009-11-23T11:44:00.000Z

yodelay

2009-11-23T11:24:00.003Z

Raise your hand if you ever dreamt of being a chalet girl?
I know, the rose tinted notion of pottering around in a wooden clad ski-side cottage, preparing baked treats and arranging flowers is, I'm sure, very far from the reality. But let's make like Heather Marks in Italian ELLE, plait our hair and just pretend. Christmas is around the corner and it only seems right.

images, fashiongonerogue

chloe

2009-11-23T00:50:00.003Z

this may be the Chloe spring summer 2010 collection, but I'd say you could and should easily adapt the looks into your winter wardrobe.

numero tokyo

2009-11-20T21:13:00.000Z

devon aoki by sebastian kim, december 2009

via fashiongonerogue

daul kim

2009-11-19T20:42:00.004Z

To have somebody who was not only a top model, but a lively spirit and active member of the blogging world leave us so abruptly is shocking. but death is always that way, I suppose.

Daul Kim will truly be missed, she was one of those models brimming with personality, humour and life; there aren't enough like her. To die aged 20 is tragic, it makes you remember to appreciate the things you like and love.

charlotte gainsbourg and beck

2009-11-19T18:46:00.006Z

Sometimes when things are looking up and the world is a generous mood, certain collaborations seem tailor made to suit our tastes. For me, this means Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony. Or Wes Anderson and Fantastic Mr Fox. And in this case, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck. With each of these projects my enthusiastic impatience saw me constantly googling release dates and drumming my fingers in anticipation. Perhaps because the latter collaboration is the most recent it has been consuming the largest portion of brain space.

As a biased fan of Charlotte Gainsbourg I have to say, girl did good. Girl did good the moment she chose Beck as her partner in writing and producing her second album. Though my first listen to the first single IRM left me feeling a little disappointed, it's grown on me, and I'm looking forward to hearing the record in full to make my mind up properly.

The video for 'Heaven Can Wait' has just been released and I'm sure you'll agree that it's quite a treat on the eyes; acoustic singalong bed-ins, suspended dens and vibrant Los Angeles natives. Rather than Parisian, the vibe is distinctly Californian and the Beck influence is clear. Charlotte's sartorial style has it's own starring role in the video, her preference for a simple button down remains but with a tennis dress and some more glitzy pieces are thrown in for good measure. Hurrah!

thirty five

2009-11-18T22:37:00.004Z

I know, it's kind of odd wishing somebody you don't know Happy Birthday, but really this is an excuse to show her in this fabulous Miu Miu get up, which I'm sure will arouse mixed reactions. And besides, this is Chloe Fucking Sevigny, and 35 year olds don't get much cooler than her.

ursula andress

2009-11-18T10:53:00.000Z

the fashion spot

gimme five

2009-11-18T10:37:00.001Z

facehunter

aeroplane accessories

2009-11-18T01:27:00.000Z

images, 1. self service magazine. devon aoki by the most handsome max farago
2. dutch glamour magazine. sophie vlaming by annemarieke van drimmelen

Now here's a novel idea. why on earth wouldn't you want to wear an aeroplane?
I'll be keeping an eye out for other pretty pins (horses, birds perhaps..) to somehow wear in my hair.

and that was the first and last time I saw her

2009-11-17T17:35:00.001Z

I can tell you very little about vampire weekend's new record. I can tell you however that the cover art for their single Contra is absurdly mesmerising. who is this girl?

cream crush

2009-11-17T11:24:00.000Z

turnedout.tv

now try and tell me that you're not dreaming about ankle cowboy boots and pale knee socks.

marlene marino

2009-11-16T23:22:00.001Z

Friends- a day with no plans, easy company, belly laughs and the absence of self consciousness, sharing stories, mutual acquaintances, a spot of lunch, playing records (see below) and sitting in silence with you each read a few chapters of your books. I prefer to do this clothed, but Marlene Marino's models have no biggie with being naked. Clothing optional.

Have played this song about 475834 times over the last 24 hours. Listen and see what you think. You'll either be repulsed and irked by her voice or in awe of it. I fall into the latter category, though don't go a bundle on their other songs. So if anyone springs to mind as similar, do share the details!

revisiting

2009-11-16T12:02:00.004Z

recently these things have been buzzing around my head:

+ margaret howell
+ carey mulligan in 'an eduction'
+short dunagrees and little overalls
+french tailoring
+the 'buy one great thing a month' mentality
+sturdy style
+chunky clogs

2006 was the year that I became fully interested in runway fashion and would pour over the Vogue collection supplement, getting to know the key pieces and developing an idea of my own taste. I remember really enjoying the 'cute' nature of the Marc Jacobs spring 2006 collection and it's still in tune with this current list of fancies.
look 2, in particular, (seen on snejana onopka) makes me gasp with admiration for such a perfect ensemble.