I bet most of you owned, or still own, a pair of Dr. Martens.  Which decade did you wear yours?  Do you still own them today?  I think all Docs have a story. Please tell yours in the comments.

Dr. Martens are an iconic symbol of youth culture and their rebellion against society.  In the early days they were a sign of working class pride.  Later they were worn by skin heads, punks and rockers (Pete Townsend from The Who was one of the first, then there was The Clash, and so on...check this great slide show from The Guardian for more ).  For many years they were a FU to the establishment.  Since Dr. Martens are now over 50 years old, I wonder how many of those rockers, punks and skin heads are now Doctors, lawyers and accountants?

Anyways, somewhere along the way, Docs became more main stream.  But unlike many other shoe brands they continue to be a bit of a rebellious brand.  And they never really seem to go completely out of style.   They continue to get adopted by each new generation of youth. 

While Docs continue to produce their classic styles, they have also evolved some of their designs over time.  But I always found it really easy to identify a pair of Docs. The stitching usually gave them away, even if the colours or patterns were new.  So I have to admit to being really surprised to see some of the shoes in their spring 2012 collection.  Some great classic Docs and some real surprises - they even have a collection of shoes still manufactured at their original factory in English. 

Now I find myself coveting (and I mean wake up in the night dreaming about level of coveting) this black current wedge suede Mandy shoe. Part of the new "Elevate" collection, the Mandy is a desert style shoe boot.  But never a desert boot I've ever seen. And the suede is water resistant. Perfect for Vancouver weather.

I can  immediately see myself wearing these shoes with skinny pants, cuffed at the bottom (of course), with a long purple cardigan, and maybe a Who t-shirt for lunch with girlfriends. Or maybe with a pair of long shorts, and a pair of scrunchy socks - but never for hiking. 

Or check out these other Spring options:

With a spring collection this awesome, I'm expecting to see many more Docs on the streets this spring.

Tell me your story behind your Docs in the comments.   I know you have one. 

And be sure to check out the new Spring Collection at DrMartens.com.  

Source - All pictures care of Lotus Leaf Communications, except for the Jessica boot which I borrowed from the website.

My Top 10

I  had a hard time picking my top 10.  There are several more in the "Looking Good" category that could easily slide into the top 10.    What I knew for certain immediately though was that once again Helen Mirren, in Badgely Mischka,  was going to be my top pick.  She looks dignified, chic, on trend and sexy all at the same time. 

See my earlier posts for slide shows of the Looking Good,  Not So Fabulous and The Couples.

The remaining 9 ladies, in no particular order.

Octavia Spencer

The colour of this Tadashi dress seemed so quiet on the red carpet. But when I saw it on TV it was such a lovely soft purple.  Loved it.

Tilda Swinton

Tilda always takes risks on the red carpet. And I loved this Pal Haider Ackerman's skirt suit and her look as a whole.  Even the hair seems to work in context of the rest of the outfit.

Nancy O'Dell

Nancy always seem to make the top of my lists.  But she always looks elegant, sexy and understated.  Considering she is always interviewing the stars she has a knack for looking fantastic, but not taking the limelight from her interviews.  Tonight she wore THEIA.

Laura Linney

Who says strawberry blonds can't wear purple?  Laura looked fantastic in this one shoulder purple J. Mendel dress.

Madeline Stowe

More purple.  Madeline's version is a Vera Wang dress that combines an on trend peplum with a great detailed skirt.

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster doesn't walk the red carpet very often. And she manages to look beautiful and still like herself.  The dress is lovely and glamorous, but I think what I liked most was how she looked so comfortable and happy in that dress.  She got into my top 10 for being a fabulous version of herself.

Elle MacPherson

Elle looked like a tall glass of cotton candy water in this Zac Posen gown.  And it works.

Diane Lane

Diane looks so Classic movie star pretty in this blush coloured Reem Acra dress.  It looks even better when she adds her husband Josh Brolin.  No better accessory than a handsome husband in a tux.

Debra Messing

To me Debra was a great  example of how to do black well.  This one shouldered Monique Lhuillier dress fit her well, and made her look like a grown up without being overdone. Loved the effect of the skirt.

Up Close and Personal

Can I also point out how fantastic both Glenn Close and Helen Mirren looked up close.  They both are embracing a few wrinkles and their foreheads move too. 

Source

Amanda Peet

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 19

Check for my other Golden Globe coverage of My Top 10, Not So Fabulous and The Couples.

Source

Amy Poehler

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 11

This dress puts the fabulous and funny Amy in a boring corner.

Check for my other Golden Globe coverage of My Top 10, Looking Good and The Couples.

Source

Owen Wilson and his mom Laura

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 17

Love this picture of Owen with his Mom Laura. She wore a bold orange dress and looked fantastic.

Check for my other Golden Globe coverage of My Top 10, Looking Good and Not so Fabulous.

Images

What to wear on that imaginary beach?  Why a cute and colourful dress, of course.   So why not throw a dress giveaway!?!   So I'm giving away the Nothin' Like a Dame dress from Shabby Apple.   Shabby Apple makes fantastic women's dresses that are actually designed for women.   Take a tour through their online store and you will see fabulous dresses with simple cuts and unique vintage inspired details.  

Nothin' Like a Dame

Enter to win this lovely Nothin' Like a Dame dress.  Love the simple sheath style with the fun detail around the scoop neck. Plus that red is perfect for spring. Or a Hawaiian vacation.  It is available in sizes from XXS to XL

How to Enter  - Required

This contest is only open to residents of Canada or the United States.  To enter please leave a comment below about which of the many Shabby Apple Dresses on their website you like. AND you also need to like Shabby Apple on Facebook.   Please indicate in your comment that you have liked them on facebook. 

The contest will close at 9pm PST on Friday, January 20th.  I will randomly draw the winner and notify them via email on Saturday, January 21st.   Both the comment and the like are required for entry.

You can receive an additional (optional) entry by tweeting the following:

I just entered @fashion_frwd40 contest  to win a vintage inspired Nothin' Like a Dame dress from @shabbyapple. 

Good luck!

Update - January 22, 2012 - Winner announced

• @theknowitallmom won the Nothin Like A Dame Dress from Shabby Apple.

 Disclaimer - Shabby Apple offered a free dress to giveaway to one of my readers on this blog. I did not receive any payment or free product in exchange  for running the contest.

Looking Good

I'll be honest I didn't really LOVE any of the outfits worn by the ladies 40 and over tonight.  And a lot of the actors seem to dress down a bit for this night. Which, for me, takes some out of red carpet fun out of the night.   But Carrie Preston, from True Blood, has some great legs and showed them off in this short black lace outfit.   I also discovered this week she is married to the wonderful Michael Emerson, from Lost and Person of Interest.  Check out EW article on them here.

Faith Hill wore a lovely red dress, and I loved the retro feel of her bow neckline.   But it felt like she was attending a nominees lunch or tea and not a red carpet event.

Best Cast over 40 awardgoes to the ladies from Cleveland Cast of Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick.  All 3 of these gorgeous, and funny, women looked great.   I was a bit concerned about Jane's shoes, but you will see in the 2nd shot they look better when shot from another angle.  Next time ladies, be sure to bring your best accessory - Betty White.

Not Loving It

I always hate to say anything bad about Shannon Tweed's attire, because honestly her husband scares me just a bit. But while this blue dress was a lovely colour on her, it also felt just a bit beauty queen/bridesmaid-esque.  Particularly with the matching shoes.

Sharon Osbourne also scares me a just a bit. Not her husband. Her.  I have absolute faith she could hold her own in any fight.  I hope to never be on the wrong side of her. And while she may be fearless and  fabulous. This dress is not. It does not seem to fit her properly, the colour doesn't work for her and she did not look comfortable in it - at least not in any of the pictures I saw.

Angela Kinsey.  I have to say that this bandage dress, while it shows off her fab figure,   feels a bit 90s and sort of ages her.

Honourary Mention

My honourary, not yet 40 award goes to, Alyson Hannigan, on the arm of her hot husband Alexis Denisof .  I'll be honest I'm a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I'm currently re-watching on Netflix (I'm on season 6).  And Alyson is only the third person (after Neil Patrick Harris and my friend Alexis) that can make me laugh so hard I pee just a little bit.  So I might be a lotbit biased.  But I thought this red flapper-esque dress made her best looking pregnant woman I've seen on the red carpet in  a long long time.  Although a smidgen of red lipstick might have made it even better.  I can't wait until she is 40 and I can feature her here all the time.

Over 40 Hottie Award

This was a tie between Ewan McGregor and Nathan Fillion.  Feel free to place your vote for your favourite in the comments.  Ewan got on the list for those eyes, and for sporting a scarf.  Nathan cause he is my geek god, and for wearing both a purple tie and purple pocket square.  Be still my poor geeking heart.

Stay tuned for a dress contest from Shabby Apple in the next couple of days. What better way to start off January, and red carpet season, but a dress give-away.

Source

Errand Day

For a day running errands I started with the shawl cardigan &  t-shirt, adding dark wash skinny jeans and flat black  boots - always useful in the rainy Vancouver weather.  Then I added some colour with a red infinity scarf - SOOOO easy to wear and warm too.  And a matching watch - I know we rarely wear watches anymore but they can be a great accessory.  Then I mixed it up a bit with a teal shoulder bag. 

Casual Friday

Then I took the same sweater and dressed it up a bit with dark wash wide leg trouser jeans and black wedge boots. Then for colour I added a teal scarf - looser and dressier fabric than the infinity scarf, the same red watch and a red bag.

Work Day Version

Here I added a grey pencil skirt and my favourite black and grey fluevogs as the base.   The colour comes from the red watch (I know I love this watch), a long red neclace and a teal bag. 

I have to say it is so much easier to style outfits on Polyvore than from my own closet. No messing around with my camera, no worrying about my bad hair day, no worrying whether something is clean or wrinkled. And I never have to leave my office chair to find new items to show.  I can see a lot of time spent here in the future.

The best part of the trip for me was hitting Vanier leather where I picked up a new black leather laptop purse for 65% off.   I have been looking for months for a practical but stylish bag that I can carry to events with my tablet and DSLR.  I'm really happy with the purchase, especially since Danier Leather bags seem to hold up to my purse abuse really well.   And I know this will still be in my closet 10 years from now.     It features:

• Padded interior sleeve for tablet
• Space for DSLR (and flat bottom + protective feet to keep it safe)
• Exterior pocket for cell phone and biz cards
• Small side pockets for small water bottle or keys
• Back slider pocket for magazine or papers

Front Exterior Pocket will keep me from digging for my cell phone and business cards.

I also picked up new leather gloves (since I lost mine),  a red wool tam (and yes I realize that is my 4th new hat in 4 months) and a striped European gentleman looking scarf for hubbie (I'm still in denial that I can make my "Big Bang Theory" husband over).

I got a few other lovely new things over the holidays or at the Boxing Day sales. Will post up them later in the week.

Photos - Mine from my HTC tablet so I could post quickly.  Unfortunately bags never look the same when shot on their own. Will try to capture better shots in an outfit soon.

In the past few years I have made a concerted effort to be a more careful shopper.  Shop for the things I need in my closet. The things that work for my body and my style.   And yes, I still shop at expensive stores - when there is a sale.  But the definition of "deal" has changed for me.  The definition of quality has also changed. I buy less - but I often pay more.

What I didn't realize until yesterday is that I am no longer a marathon shopper.  I am out of shopping shape.  I spent 3 hours with my Mom in South Granville looking at Boxing Week sales and was exhausted!!!   I was a puddle of jell-o sprawled on the couch afterwards.  This makes my sore body and blisters after my NY City 2010 shopping day more clear.  I had put that down to swollen feet (from flying in the am) and to the NY humidity.   When truly I just didn't want to accept that even if I didn't marathon shop anymore, that didn't mean I couldn't still do it. 

How did I get here?  After so many years of grooming and training from my Mom.  How did I let all that go to waste?  Clearly the answer is motherhood.  With a 4 year old son, I no longer have a full day (or half a day) devoted to shop.  So I shop in short conscious bursts.  I have a list. I take advantage of 10 minutes here and an hour there.  I keep track of when sales happen at my favourite stores and schedule them into my calendar.  I have become an appointment shopper.

In the end, I know my shopping is more efficient and effective.  But somehow there is still a lost joy in knowing I can no longer enjoy a day of wandering the stores and still have energy to get off the couch after - let alone go dancing with friends.