Did you wear Dr Marten boots with Laura Ashley dresses in the late eighties?

[grassblade]

This was a thing where I lived in the North-East in my late teens - long Laura Ashley dresses (the sailor dresses were the most coveted) with Dr Marten boots. We wore them to go clubbing at the smallest, dingiest night club in town, which played things like The Smiths, The Cure, jangly acoustic eighties music and anything considered worthy of the title 'alternative'. I've always wondered if this was just a local culture or whether it was more widely spread. My DH is bemused by it.

Yes! Tea dresses and DMs here too. With straw basket handbags.
I’m in South Wales and me and my best friends all wore the same. Loved that look- still do

No, but I do now!

I had a sailor dress from ‘Richards’ shop ( bought with my BHS staff discount card) that I loved

Yes, my favorite was a purple one with small flowers on it and a lace collar. I also had some older pinafore dresses an Aunt gave me.

Yes I did in Glasgow. Usually second hand and wore woolly tights with them .(Glam eh?). My 15 year old daughter kinda does a version of this with short ,flowery tea dresses amd Docs these days .

@Saucery

Yes, my favorite was a purple one with small flowers on it and a lace collar. I also had some older pinafore dresses an Aunt gave me.

This one? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1980s-Laura-Ashley-Dress-Lace-Collar-Size-14-excellent-condition-/324761128775 Love it!

@Canyrdogdothepussy

Yes I did in Glasgow. Usually second hand and wore woolly tights with them .(Glam eh?). My 15 year old daughter kinda does a version of this with short ,flowery tea dresses amd Docs these days .

Yes! I wore thick opaque black tights from M&S.

Yes! I also grew up in the North-East so can’t comment on if it was a thing elsewhere. Were you in Sunderland by any chance?

Omg, yes, that’s the one! I sent mine to the charity shop years ago, always regretted it. Very tempted………

Yes here in Liverpool too!

I remember the first time I saw the combo, we'd gone on a school holiday to the south of France and there was a school from Putney, and all the girls wore either black fitted dresses with docs or tea dresses....How we mocked! Little did I know how comfortable and practical those boots were... I had a good solid 5 years wear out of my DMs

I'm quite tempted to buy some now....

Laura Ashley dresses-yes Doc Martins-No (Birmingham suburbs)

@workshyfop

Yes! I also grew up in the North-East so can’t comment on if it was a thing elsewhere. Were you in Sunderland by any chance?

Ku club!

Yes that was the aspiration though my dresses weren’t proper Laura Ashley and my DM boots never fitted properly so it was mostly DM shoes.

Yep, in the South West as well. Still where Docs now

pinafore
Pinafore dresses were like the first purple one on this page. I wore those out though, they never made it to the charity shop pile.

Yep! Though DM shoes rather than boots. Jeans were worn with a leather tassle jacket and black hat.

In the late eighties I started uni in the North East. Used to wear a strappy navy and white large spotted dress., quite short with buttons up the back, with black tights and black DMs. Short hair and red lippy. Unlike the locals I did wear a coat. An ankle length black astrakhan that I bought for a tenner from an antique shop. I thought I was the dogs bollocks.

I loved dresses like this but I wore them with little white slouchy boots , I couldn't afford DMs , I small wicker picnic basket and white crocheted gloves .
I thought I looked absolutely wonderful 😁

Yes. Sunderland here too. Knew you were talking about Ku Club

Was certainly a fad in Camden for a while.

I did wear Laura Ashley dresses but no DM boots, also wore long skirts with a little bit of brodiere anglaise poking out at that time. My sister wore DM boots and long hippy skirts as they were called which had tassels on the bottom.

Not actual LA but I did wear tea dresses with Dms, though I mainly wore biker boots because students wore DMs and I didn't want anyone thinking I was a student

Yes. I was quite into the 90s grunge scene so there were a lot of little floral dresses and chunky boots

@Auntienumber8

I did wear Laura Ashley dresses but no DM boots, also wore long skirts with a little bit of brodiere anglaise poking out at that time. My sister wore DM boots and long hippy skirts as they were called which had tassels on the bottom.

Oh remember the hippy skirts that jangled? They had tiny mirrors or something sewn on them.

We used to wear men’s M&S cardigans over the top of our dresses too. No idea why