Uggs: A Tale of Bad Fashion
I’m sure we are all familiar with this Australian (or possibly New Zealand) innovation in footwear that comes in the form of a sloppy sheepskin boot that has somehow passed for fashionable for the past few years. As a nineteen-year-old university student I am the perfect target for this atrocious accessory, but I have so far managed to avoid its sloppy and shapeless grasp. Although I realize that many people will read this post and continue to wear Uggs, I hope that some Ugg wearers will see the light and put their boots away in the closet forever.
The ultra-sloppy "tucked-in sweatpants" style.
Uggs appear to have originally been used by aviators in the First World War to keeptheir feet warm in their unpressurized planes, however the boots have also been identified with sheep shearers in the 1920’s and surfer’s and swimmer’s who used them to keep warm out of the water, before finally becoming a fashion trend in the USA in the early 2000’s. In my opinion, until Uggs became fashionable they seemed to be very practical, so the fact that their reputation has been tarnished is very unfortunate.
A few months ago Sean and I performed a stakeout at the mall to photograph these monsters in their natural environment; in a mall being worn by fashionable young women (but many middle-aged women were caught too) as part of a carefully calculated “carefree” and messy look that is so popular these days. In a perfect demonstration of the popularity of the Uggs, Sean and I happened to be at the mall on one of the most dead weeknights in history, but we still managed to get a dozen pictures due to the fact that every second person that walked by was wearing them. My all-time favourite Uggs were definitely the pair with the illustration of some kind of character, as if that adds some kind of originality to an otherwise completely unexciting boot.
An attempt to make a hopelessly ugly shoe prettier.
In short, I hate Uggs. I think that no man, woman, child, or anyone in between should ever have to gaze upon these shapeless shoes that should have stayed in the cockpit in World War One. Although I’m sure they are the most comfortable article of clothing on the planet (next to the sweatpants that people also insist on wearing in public) they are only appropriate as a slipper in one’s house, or as a therapeutic shoe for someone with trenchfoot. Please do yourselves a favour and open your eyes to the brainwashing the fashion industry has done: just because Sarah Jessica Parker wore them, does not mean anyone else should.
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:32 AM
mission says:
its not ugg’s that are the problem, and infact neither of the boots you managed to photograph at the mall on “the deadest weeknight in history” are even uggs, but rather a fake and cheap knockoff.
this is where the problem lies, ugg’s are (were) a luxury item, made with world class materials, the highest level of quality and designed for comfort and wearability in both warm and cold weather. fast forward to today, where countless companies have attempted to knock off this look, and make a quick buck with a cheaply made, poorly designed and overly gaudy product. so now at a lower price point, this ‘look’ becomes available to a much wider customer base. therefore its overdone, and usually worn in a poorly executed manner.
classic uggs, they look fine, but only if worn correctly. these cheap knockoffs that you see every day, that is what looks awful.
please educate yourself a little better about the actual product you are writing about. uggs are not the problem, its the cheap looking, knockoffs, and the general lack of taste and style of the end consumer who is drawn to purchase this inferior product and at a cheaper price.
end rant.
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:41 AM
Vaughn says:
They are way better than Dawgs or Crocs as the Ugg-style boot has roots in actual fashion and reputable designers such as the prolific UGG Australia brand.
http://www.uggaustralia.com/womens/boots/
There’s also some great examples of knit-style Uggs in that section. Otherwise, give it a year or two and you won’t ever see them again (until 5-10 years later). I can’t wait for the Crocs to come back!
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Taylor says:
Admittedly they are better than the Dawgs/Crocs thing, but at least no one was really deluded into thinking those were fashionable. Sure lots of people wore them, but most of the people I asked admitted that they were a comfy, ugly shoe that isn’t really a “good” fashion choice. Uggs, on the other hand, are very ugly, but I can’t count the number of otherwise fashionable women I have seen that paired Uggs with miniskirts or short shorts. There has to be something wrong with that! Hurry up Ugg fade-out!
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:12 PM
Sean says:
@Von: That site is great, the girl is wearing woolly uggs on a beach, or for climbing around rocks or in trees. Sign me up! Maybe Mission runs one of those stores in the Mall that sells uggs/crocs/dawgs/etc. exclusively?
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Taylor says:
I apologize for blanketing all of this general style of boots as “Uggs”. I am actually pretty knowledgeable about fashion and this was an an oversight, not a lack of investigation. I realize there are numerous knockoffs and they do not look as high quality as the original Ugg. However, I stand by my opinion of Uggs and all knockoffs. In my opinion, no matter how one wears Uggs they still look like a shapeless boot. There are plenty of flat boots out there with clean lines and flattering shapes that would look much more “expensive” (in the sense that if one wears clothes properly even cheap clothes can look expertly styled). However, I will admit that knockoffs do not hold their shape as well as Uggs, and as a result do not look as good as true Uggs, but to me that is a choice between two unappealing looks. In the end, fashion is what you make of it, and the beauty of it is that it is a form of self-expression.
May 3rd, 2010 at 2:14 PM
Dusty says:
I think when you’re complaining about how other people dress then you have way too much time on your hands. Particularly since not everyone cares about fashion, not everyone gets up in the morning to impress other people that they don’t care about or will ever even meet.
I think fashion is expensive, uncomfortable, unpractical, time consuming, and rude.
Admittedly I hate those boots. Therefor, I don’t wear them. Instead, I’m just happy to look better by comparison.
May 3rd, 2010 at 2:28 PM
Taylor says:
In fact, I’m unemployed and out of school. Of course I have too much time on my hands! Regardless, its a rant based on something I’m interested in. I don’t really expect the world to care about what I care about, but apparently people are caring enough to comment and that’s good enough for me!
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:31 PM
Sean says:
@Dusty: then you have way too much time on your hands.
Coming from the person who plots and plans against Scott’s Facebook wall… At least Taylor writes for MHM, you’re just on the About page by association. And you wear Megaman boots anyway. ;]
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:32 PM
Vaughn says:
There’s thousands of people employed by producers, magazines, etc. that get paid to do this exact thing.
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:35 PM
Dusty says:
Vaughn forced me to throw out my Megaman boots, apparently they were a crime against fashion or something. <3
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:43 PM
Sean says:
Von’s fashion is having Elvis Presely cock-a-doddle-doo hairdoo that flops around when he turns his head. Although he is usually pretty fancy in his dressing for work.
Is it just me or do we often act like It’s Always Sunny unintentionally?
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:44 PM
Dusty says:
Also, I can promise that any plotting and planning against Scott’s Facebook wall is COMPLETELY Sean Potts orientated.
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:07 PM
Vaughn says:
This is why we don’t have any commentators.
May 24th, 2010 at 1:04 AM
Vaughn says:
Speaking of Uggs, here’s a relevant carTOON:
http://www.homestarrunner.com/tgs11.html