Ever Present Past: Dr. Marten & Me

By the beginning of the 1980s, real punk was dead and no longer an underground scene.  Everyone had a choppy haircut and an album by The Clash. So what were boys and girls to do when unemployment and hopelessness brought on by a conservative government hit? Join a band and sing about it! And so that’s just what The Smiths, Richard Hell, The Wake and Joy Division did. They mixed the depressing elements of suburbia, lack of a good job and no future with super romantic elements. From post World War II with heroes like James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and poetry by Shelly, Keats and Wilde into one hell of a beautiful song. Women dressed more and more like the boys in these bands and sized jumpers and shirts were stolen from their boyfriends and brothers.

Their days were spent dreaming of getting out of the dirty city they were born in. At night, getting dressed up was not as much of a chore any more. They wore ripped black tights with a lose fitting dress or big floral print tops with tight high-waist black  jeans. This was a time when a girl did not worry too much about getting her heart broken, in fact she welcomed it just so she might have something to write in her diary that night.

Dr. Martens– Both boys and girls wore Martens for the first time; I think you can wear them anywhere, with anything… even pretty dresses. This year, they have a new campaign starring none other than the brilliant, Agyness Deyn. It’s all about first heartbreaks. It somewhat brings the Martens brand full circle again to the depressingly romantic way of thinking as you walked in them for the first time.

Bob Hair Cuts- Made a huge resurgence in the ’80s as it is such a classic hairstyle with a touch of a tomboy-ish feeling to it. I personally had a bob cut for the past two years and loved every moment of it. I took a picture of Carolyn Allen from The Wake and Alexa Chung to my hair dresser to really get the point across. I highly recommend everyone try it at least once.

Sheer Fabric- Is such a trend right now H&M and American Apparel has it all over their stores. However it does not come cheap, so I recommend going thrifting for this piece. I found a great sheer black button-up top with two front pockets for $3 at my local thrift store. So find your local Goodwill and don’t be scared to bring a friend and really dig through the racks of the ’80s clothes that await you.

I have to say I’m a bit partial to this type of look due to the fact it tends to be the type of style I lean towards in my closet. I think it’s a very romantic and ‘Rock&Roll’ look that can really be an effortless trendsetting ensemble on anyone. So get your Bad Kid on, slip on your combat boots on and splash in some mud!