Wednesday 5 January 2011

Opening Gambit

Budge up, everyone, Scot wants in
and his first question is:
what do we think of Doc Marten?

As it happens, I do have strong opinions
about this iconic brand:

you can wear 8 hole DMs with suits
if you do a lot of walking on cobbled streets

but not 14 holes in white
unless you work in a fishmongers;

you could wear floral
if you are a primary school teacher
but not, I think, if you are Headmistress;

patent lilac is only suitable
for ditsy receptionists

and I think that a Union Jack pair
is quite a statement
but you can probably get away with it
if you are a policeman

or an eccentric old lady
who lives on the cliffs and keeps chickens.

OK, Scot?

*****

Many, many apologies
if you are waiting for an email from me
You are not alone.
I am trying to squeeze in
as much time as possible with MasterM
(and MasterM's laundry)
before he flies south.

I would like to thank my good friend, Bobby,
who knows about Kente cloth
and left a fascinating comment
on my post yesterday.

18 comments:

  1. Most notably: one cannot wear DM's if all three of one's sons have worn them.

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  2. No, no, no...Doc Martin, the BBC show! You know, Martin Clunes as a cantankerous old doctor in the fictitious town of Portwenn (Port Isaac, Cornwall). THAT Doc Martin!
    Seen every episode, can't wait for season 5. Loved it when he ran over that dog! (you really gotta watch it to understand that one...)

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  3. I unfortunately have not seen The Doc :-( But I do love those floral ones :-)

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  4. I live in 8 hole black DMs as a student, paired with skirts made from curtains and an anorak. I still have the scars on my calves from breaking in multiple unforgivingly stiff pairs of boots.

    I wonder whether I could get away with them now ... no, you're right.

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  5. Funny old world isn't it? If I had been asked, then I would have been waxing lyrical about Dr Martin's inks and the lovely colours they come in........ However, if I had to choose a pair of boots then you have "sold" me the pair suitable for the little old lady and her chickens...... sigh............ dream...... sigh..........

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  6. Ah yes, 8-hole DMs, I wore them solidly from 16 to about 24 when I changed to biker boots. I think Dottycookie and I may have had a similar student look going on.

    I fear that wearing such comfortable shoes during those years rather ruined me. I do own some lovely heels but wear them only when attending dinner parties indoors, I quickly slip them off below the table at the first opportunity. The rest of the time I wear very comfortable flat boots for 6 months of the year and Converse or Birkenstock for the other 6 months. Sarah Jessica Parker I am not.

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  7. I have no relationship with Doc Martens at all. Move on.

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  8. Could a textile artist get away with the floral ones?

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  9. if I did not know MrsM better I might have thought that she was being wilfully obtuse on the DM issue.

    Have always hankered after a pair of toetector boots myself - preferably with the leather worn off to expose the steel underneath. Might be a bit cold in the winter though. Could double up for diving boots for my "Men of Honor" impersonation though

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  10. How timely your post Mrs M. I have just been discussing w my sister the pros & cons of Doc wearing as a no longer 20 yo. Strangely points raised by other commenters were also made - comfort of said footwear, length of breaking in time and style & colour.

    My sister is taking her niece to the Doc shop in Covent Garden on the weekend to purchase boots before 18 yo niece heads back to Aust.

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  11. Fourteen holes!?! Just outrageous.

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  12. OMG, I love the floral ones, I had no idea Doc Marins came in any color but black. Must have a pair, don't know if I'll wear them but I love them!

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  13. oh I loved my docs.
    straight black 8 holes. they were things of beauty. I wore them all through my 20's and my starbucks years... they were covered in coffee and syrup by the end of their life.

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  14. presumably there is a golfer's pair of DM with eighteen holes ...

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  15. I've always loved them and never bought them as I could only buy them online and frankly would have liked to try them on first.
    Anyway, we're talking about something else, which I have no clue at all.

    You SHOULD make the best of the time with MasterM, laundry permitting ...

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  16. I suspect MrM is masquerading under anon-er name !

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  17. GNS - you might well say that but I could not possibly comment

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  18. I got green Ellie May (or something like that) boots from DM from my mother from Christmas. Big fan here! Also big fan of Doc Martin show- which has started again this week on some channel I must discover which, because I came late to it and am rapt to see the beginnings!

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Thank you! I love reading your comments and even though I don't always have time to reply I am really grateful to every one who joins in the conversation.