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Wearing: Ashish X Topshop Studded Jumper, Wowch Leggings, Dr Martens Floral Boots, Vintage Frilly socks and various silver necklaces.
I've been very cautious when it comes to wearing my Dr Martens boots without adequate thick woolen socks to protect myself from blisters, hence my reluctance to wear such an outfit for university. The combination of a studded jumper and combat boots is enough to ward off any fellow commuter so this outfit would be reserved for only the worst of my bad moods. The frilly socks almost didn't make it into this outfit but I'm rather glad they did; it makes my odd feline friends look a little sweeter. I'm also sporting a new haircut with tidier ends, but it will take a few more days for it to properly settle in to a recognisable shape. It's the same dark, brooding brown colour as it has been for the past few years that doesn't really do much for such a dark and sombre outfit, but I have faith that a colourful vintage knit will contrast well with hair that's almost-inky-black.
Since I'm pottering about the house and being anti-social, I'd like to put together some facts about myself and the distinguishing features of cool kids that will lead you, dear reader to come to the conclusion that this is the blog of the lamest person on Earth. For one thing, cool people either host or get invited to costume parties where there are drunken hook-ups and people acting without inhibition and I have never been invited to a costume party (or crashed one) and have never been drunk. I've barely been tipsy when I drink alcohol but that's because I don't really have the intention of making a fool of myself.
Cool people are often skinny and attractive, wear layers of make up to school and not a lot of clothing when they go outside. At the age of about fourteen and fifteen they wore leggings as pants with white socks they wear to school with cheap canvas shoes and mid drift shirts because they have a flat stomach and at the age of about sixteen or even younger they may engage in the activity known as belly button piercing. At the age of eight when I got my ears pierced my mother made me promise never to get any other piercings aside from my ears and since she's the kind of person to hold a grudge for years I am bound to keep my word.
Cool people often can perform amazing feats and tricks when using their mouths and tongues such as tying up long strings of lolly such as snakes into knows, blowing bubbles using bubble gum or chewing gum and are fantastic kissers due to their promiscuity and rebellion against a traditional romantic relationship. I had my first kiss at age sixteen, have only ever had one boyfriend (although to me he is pretty cool, the bees knees as it were) and cannot perform any cool tricks involving my mouth and food. There is the disappearing act in which I swallow, digest and process food but that's nothing too special really.
Through years of breeding with other cool people, a race of super cool people has been perfected in which they are immune to the painful blistering at the back of the heel caused by popular culture combat boots by Dr Martens. The last recorded appearance of my combat boots on my feet was the day was followed by an incredibly painful blister and a few days of limping hap-hazardly around the house.
Many cool people pursue university/ college education in which they will spend three years or so earning a white elephant degree such as an Arts degree or possibly going to art school and living vicariously through selling bad drawings and paintings.While some are educated in practical trades and more complex subjects, some remain to practice the photographic arts and have mastered the use of multiple exposure shoots as well as using fisheye distortion lenses.
Lots of cool people have dogs and or cats that they don't bother to discuss in everyday conversation and they also contribute very little to the quality of life of his/ her pet. There are people like me who have one or even both parents opposed to the possession of an animal fearing they are dirty and flea-ridden or who have had a multitude of rabbits or other small pets in their lifetime. People like me spend their time talking about what their pet rabbit chose to eat on that particular morning as well as ignoring all human life when meeting a four-legged friend at someone else's house.
Now that I'm free of wearing school uniform I'll probably never subject myself to the torture of wearing a school uniform unless I plan on doing something weird and/or shady. Still, it would have been nice to be different and buy Dr Martens brand Mary Jane t-bars instead of the generic brand everyone else wears and maybe some frilly socks from American Apparel. Instead I choose and made the informed decision of being like every other girl in my year level and a little on the mediocre side. Well let me tell you, that's not going to happen this year, instead I have plenty of wonderful outfit posts planned which I'll try out tomorrow and dress reasonably well in vintage and new clothing alike.
When I can avoid my feet sweating and creating small puddles in my own boots, I'll be brave and once more wear my own pair of black Dr Martens in black leather and embossed in a floral motif. I don't own anything as colourful and eye-catching as the floral boots you see above but they are typically the most expensive of the British company's boots and also the most artistic in my opinion. How often do you see such great detail and painterly lengths on something that isn't a pair of vintage combat boots? New Zealand model Zippora Seven favours this design because the feminine floral design softens the style of combat boots. Perhaps for added irony a camouflage shirt worn over a feminine blouse could be worn?
Although I do quite like the neat and folded buds of these fakeroses I'm not quite up to decorating my plain Dr Martens in such a manner. As pretty as it is, it's simply not practical and this year I'm going to need to be practical to survive this new chapter in my life.
Never before have I attempted to DIY stud something, let alone a pair of shoes or leather jacket. Maybe to set myself on the path of becoming a DIY expert and start on 'training wheels' as it were, I could stud a pair of thick woolen socks to wear with a pair of Vans sake shoes or some creepers for extra grunge effect.
A pair of floral Dr Martens; to add a feminine touch to the hardy work boots and complement the soft focus of the background in comparison to the white daisies held in what appears to be an ink well next to the rare and elusive floral boots. They go for a pretty penny on eBay since they are one of the rarer prints of the English boots and are worn by models such as New Zealand model Zippora Seven. I like the contrast of the floral motif of the boots which seems to include flowers of every colour with the grain of the wood of the floor."Ever since 1st April 1960, When Dr. Martens boots first rolled off the production line and on to the feet of postmen, policemen and everyday workers, our reputation for durability has become footwear folklore. Over 100 million pairs later, our belief in making things to last is as strong as its ever been."
Part of the British boot companies success may be attributed to the hardy nature of the Dr Martens, as well as the variations in colour and design. There are docs available for children as well as adults and they come in just about every colour and pattern you can imagine. There's floral, metallic pink, purple, red, green, roses, pastel, cherry red, orange, black, brown, leopard print... every colour of the rainbow in every sheen and effect possible! The popular range of footwear has also dabbled in shades of suede in addition to the traditional leather. My favourite pair that I've seen have been a sweet ladybird motif. As well as boots, Dr Martens have created variations on the popular ballet flat, crafted high heeled boots and Mary Jane t-bars. Although I swore on my last day of high school I would move away from that kind of fashion, I love the Dr Martens t-bars. They'd go well with a lovely pair of frilly socks in maroon with white lace from American Apparel.
It's a bit hard to believe Dr Martens have been around for over half a century, but at the same time everyone seems to have subconsciously known them for your entire life. The boots have been etched into the background of history: when asked to think about punks in Germany or skinheads from England, my mind immediately leaps to images of sky-high mohawks of neon green coupled with tall, curb-stomping boots that look like they're stolen from the nearest local army base.
I love to see a good pair of Dr Martens and some tights with long ladders and sizable rips. That's when the real gritty character of the boots is unleashed and you achieve the punk look and make them look tough and domineering. When walking around in a pair of authentic docs you sort of clunk around clumsily and I personally think you'd have to be mad to wear them all the time- but I guess if you did then you'd have a mean sort of outer shell and get a sort of a reputation. Boots like those can build a reputation, brick by brick as it were and like my mother always says it's good to be tough-skinned and not let things get to you. Endure the real character-building incidents in your life and these shoes let you breeze through that sort of stuff with ease.
Within the last thirty years or so, Dr Martens have been worn by many different peoples with various kinds of personal styles. Although I may first associate the boots with grunge and punk, they have been become part of the hipster movement as well for lovers of vintage and unique clothing. At a store in Melbourne known as RetroStar I always loved pouring over the pairs of Dr Martens scalped and pilfered from Op Shops across suburban Victoria and collected to be resold at the pricey vintage palace. Pairs of black docs were plentiful, but the staff would change the laces on a few pairs and sometimes there would be a few different colours worn out after many years of faithful service and eagerly awaiting to be worn again for the next generation of artistic youths.
A pair of shiny, black Dr martens dressed up with shoe laces that seem reminiscent of Where's Wally picture books. I like the new lease on life the boots have been given: the flair of individuality as well as the pairing with a wild pair of striped socks rolled down the calves. There's a lot you can tell from a person's shoes. If you're a forensic investigator, it's how the person walks and any sorts of injuries they may be carrying. If you're a magazine editor it's the style, grace and elegance of the wearer as well as their attention to detail and quirk.
I wish all the docs pictured in the photograph above were in my room and not in some shop! It's a bit hard to tell from the film photograph and the sort of soft-focus and uneven flash but some of the pairs, particularly the green pair may even be suede, an elusive sub-species of the Dr Martens animal kingdom. I have a friend who loves velvet- I hope that she would be impressed by them. 
I like the notion of
I am a bit dubious as to whether the see-through boots pictured above are authentic docs. The soles seem to have the same height and grip to them but the toes seem to be rounded a tad too much and also there is a suspicious circle motif near the eye holes of the boot that seem to imitate the trademark star symbol of Converse's Chuck Taylors
I myself own a pair of the famed boots of folklore and urban legend: patent leather with an embossed floral motif bough from Myer in the city a year ago on Boxing Day. When I bought them I got more than I bargained for really, not just a pair of iconic shoes with punk attitude. They can sometimes have a human quality to them almost, specifically their rebelious nature to being worn all day and a bi-polar tendency. One day wearing them will be a walk in the park so to speak, all sunshine, kittens and rainbows stomping around San Diego Zoo exploring with not a care in the world and then the next it will be all blisters and limping agony dressed as Luigi the Italian plumber begging Mario to slow down during recess at school. Oh yes, I wear my Dr Martens with pride for many an occasion but sometimes they can not be as friendly for your feet as maybe you'd like to think.
Therefore, with their slight tendency of violence towards feet, the best thing to do is to arm yourself and wear a pair of thick, woolen socks when rocking out with your docs out. Do not gain confidence in the leather and think that it may have softened after the the cycle of nature and the seasons have 'may' have weakened them. At no times are you every truly safe- don't you see this is just what they want you to think and do?! Those devilish boots are tricky little buggers; they lull you into a sense of false security so they can give you nasty nipping blisters that take a fortnight to heel. No longer will they claim me as a prisoner of war. I advise you to be the same, but dear reader, do not be discouraged! They are good boots of strong and hardy leather and can survive many a scuffing and still have the same glimmer they always had. They can be found in Salvos, Vinnies and Op Shops or eBay so if you do seek them, the hunting grounds are wide. I wish you luck in your intrepid travels if you do intend to wear docs.
