Overthinking my Doc Martens

April 6, 2018 1:45 PM

I've just bought some new black Docs and now I have no idea how to wear them. For reference I'm a middle aged, over-weight woman in a suburban New Zealand city where anything goes. I tend to wear straight leg or skinny jeans most of the time with shirts and jackets.
posted by chairish to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

Just put them on your feet and go!

...Seriously they go with anything; whether to tuck your pantlegs in or place them over the boots depends on personal preference and how wide your pantlegs are/how tall the boots are. Lacing them up partway and leaving some fun-coloured socks peeping up over the edges is a look that I like, if you're tucking in. But it's hard to go wrong! Some people do a kind of clamdigger thing where they wear almost-capri-length pants and there's a little gap where you show some skin; I feel like this would chafe, but it's a look. They even go with shorts or skirts/dresses, if that's your fancy, with tights/stockings/knee socks/bare legs!

tl;dr boots feel great and stompy and empowering to wear and you should wear them with all your favourite outfits
posted by halation at 2:11 PM on April 6, 2018 [15 favorites]

Not sure what your question is. You can wear black Docs with anything and everything. With skinny jeans, if they are long enough they go inside the boot. Straight leg I guess it depends how narrow they are and how long they are - either inside or outside or just above. You can also roll up the bottoms of the jeans to show off the Docs. Just google Docs skinny jeans or how to wear doc martens and there's lots of pics.
posted by Athanassiel at 2:15 PM on April 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

Docs are awesome; I bought my first pair in 1994 and the velvet upper is wearing off a bit, but the boots are otherwise in good shape, despite me subjecting them to the occasional abuse of New England winters for the last two decades. They are solid-ass mofos that I've worn with everything from floral baby-doll dresses and socks just long enough to peek out the top to avoid chafing (hello '90s), to baby-bootcut trousers with officewear up top (hello '00s), to tucked-in skinnies with a tunic (hello '10s). I'm built like a gnome, short and curvy, and I love wearing my Docs with the stereotypical goth-rock-punk outfits and with fluffy frippery dresses and with plain old jeans and a tee. You've got the black leather most classic style version possible, you can seriously wear them with anything and everything. *hearteyes*
posted by Pandora Kouti at 2:40 PM on April 6, 2018 [5 favorites]

The current NOM*d lookbook is styled with a lot of black Docs, so you might get some ideas there? Not a lot of pants, but there are some cool overcoat looks that would look nice coming into NZ autumn/winter.
posted by BeeJiddy at 2:46 PM on April 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

I prefer to wear my docs with leggings and skirts, mostly because I don't wear a lot of pants, but also because I love my docs and they deserve to be on full display. With jeans I cuff them to show more shoe.
posted by phunniemee at 2:55 PM on April 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

Yeah, they go with everything. I'd cuff jeans rather than tucking them into the boots or having the jeans go over the boots, but really, that's just personal preference.

I used to wear mine with jean shorts in the '90s. And dresses. And everything.

I've actually been wanting a new pair because they are workhorses that are never out of fashion.
posted by darksong at 3:24 PM on April 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Doc Martens go best with attitude.
posted by srboisvert at 8:08 PM on April 6, 2018 [10 favorites]

Doc Martens go best with attitude, definitely.

I also got a pair recently, and I'd also add that Doc Martens also go best with fluffy, thick boot socks, especially during the breaking in process. I have 4 pairs of these, and they have been invaluable: Super thick, super fluffy boot socks!
posted by spinifex23 at 9:19 PM on April 6, 2018 [1 favorite]