UGG Boots Blog

Archive for November, 2009

VOGUE Magazine has been operating for the past century, under the guidance of a small handful of leaders who have kept the stylish magazine alive through wars, depressions, and the transition to our current electronic age. Since the late 1980’s VOGUE has been spearheaded by Anna Wintour, a woman known for her fierce business sense and impeccable sense of fashion.

VOGUE's Anna Wintour

Fashion is an oddly controversial subject. For some, fashion is life, and great inspiration is drawn from the modern art creations of haute-couture. To others, it is simply a shallow endeavor undertaken by those who have nothing to do but think about their hair.

The discussion of VOGUE, and fashion in general, should be less about anyone’s external perception of it, but rather that it is simply a different reality. It is world of $15,000 dresses and trips to Paris and New York, a world where a $300 pair of designer heels is considered a bargain. While this may seem to be disgusting excess in a time of such economic instability, you have to look at it as you would any other art form. As a popular magazine, VOGUE functions as a journalistic and artistic publication, an example of very expensive and high powered industries of both business and art.

Fashion design is a form of wearable art. If people are willing to spend millions and millions of dollars on a Jackson Pollock painting that will simply hang on the wall, how is it any more ridiculous to spend $5,000 on an Oscar de la Renta dress that functions as a ready-to-wear representation of the designers’ vision? Rather than viewing fashion shows as skeletal women in overpriced, unwearable clothes, why not view it as a unique art form displayed on its own, moving canvas?

Oscar de la Renta

Modern art has crafted a very interesting niche in the contemporary art world. From minimalist oil paintings to vaguely formed sculptures and twisted metalwork, the very definition of “art” has come to be far more fluid and personal. The intensity of the experience is also magnified from a personal viewing. Textbook pictures of paintings by Mark Rothko used to evoke an amused reaction from me, but when I saw a piece of his work at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I was floored. An image I used to view as oddly simplistic and boring took on a completely new dimension when I was able to see it up close.

This same idea applies to fashion; a 3×5 image of this season’s offering from the House of Dior can in no way compare to seeing it in person and in motion. Any media form that offers the this specific combination of journalism and images helps portray the beauty of design that an entire industry of individuals work tirelessly to achieve.

Fashion emphasizes the idea that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. Coco Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, Betsey Johnson and UGG Australia have all appeared in New York’s Fashion Week, and yet one would hardly think to pair a Chanel suit with the UGG Australia Classic Tall. Like the differences between Monet and Rothko, each designer offers a new interpretation for what can be created within their unique art form.

UGG boots on the runway

As stated in a previous entry, I am a little bit in love with the new show Glee. With musical numbers in every episode, dancing boys, and three Broadway alums, I just can’t contain myself. So, as a true devotee to my generation’s past times, I’ve taken to looking up Glee and related videos on youtube and hulu. I’m sure there are much better things I could be doing with my time. Like reading, cleaning my kitchen, balancing my checkbook, picking at my toenails…but instead I choose to behave as a fangirl on caffeine pills – energetic, youthful and just a little bit creepy.

But how else do I get to hear the show choir version of “Golddigger” and watch 2 minute interviews with the cast? Besides, my random searches weren’t entirely in vain. As I was deciding which cast member to youtube stalk I found a clip of the cast of Glee singing the National Anthem at Game 3 of the World Series, featuring the New York Yankees vs. the Philadelphia Phillies. Aside from the stunning vocal work I also noticed something exciting below the knees of one Ms. Lea Michele: a pair of UGG Classic Tall boots in what looks to be Chestnut.

Lea Michele in UGG Classics, third from the left

Lea Michele starred on Broadway in the new musical Spring Awakening, has won our hearts as Glee’s diva outcast, and she wears UGG to the World Series! Though nothing can really win me over more than a white-boy version of “Thong Song” or the heartfelt statement of “I am full of ennui,” those UGG boots in Game 3 are definitely a runner up.

Yesterday was a bit of a let down. The finale of Project Runway aired, and much to my dismay the wrong person won. I was convinced it would be Carol Hannah, with her gorgeous dresses and amazing determination. I guess Irina deserved her crown, but c’est la vie.

Then there was Althea, who it seemed had difficulty creating original ideas. (ie, my that sweater looked a lot like Irina’s…) However, she did have a strong redeeming quality: her love of UGG boots. In the last two episodes she is shown wearing a pair of Classic Tall UGG Australia boots in Chestnut with skinny jeans. Later, in what may very well have been the same skinny jeans, she is shown in what looks to be a pair of Classic Short with the cuff rolled down, or might even have been the discontinued UGG Classic Mini boots.

So, another season of Project Runway has finished, and the drama will start all over again next season. We are left with the memory of gorgeous (and questionable) design choices, and the lingering view of Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, and UGG.

It’s cold these days. The rain is starting to soften into preemptive snowy shapes, and the wind is kicking up to move your hair into decidedly unique peaks.

Due to this, my entire focus in the morning is how to dress to stay warm. This means that I start with my UGG boots and work my way up. Today it started with my UGG Swell Tall boots, which I have had for a year and love as much as the day I first bought them. To go with my “UGG of the day” are leggings, skirt, long sweater and purple scarf. Tomorrow I’m thinking jeans with a button up shirt and my Classic Short UGG Australia boots.

This is how my brain works: how to wear the shoes I want in a way that reflects my mood and keeps me at a stable temperature. I sometimes think that getting dressed is a lot more confusing for me than it might be for other people…but who cares? As long as I’m happy and comfortable (and cute!) that’s really all that matters.

How do you wear your UGG boots?

I begin by confessing: I am a fashion television addict!

Sew it, snip it, strut in it, obsess over color, photograph it all—I’m watching! But in my personal fashion life, I’m lazy. I want to know every trick to being well dressed in 15…okay, more like 45.

By now, most of us know the #1 rule to building an economical, functional wardrobe is asking these questions: Where would I wear this item? What would I wear it with? How often does this event actually occur? I might wish I attended state dinners at the White House or spent Wednesdays on a yacht with the Prince of Casablanca, and therefore had a reason to own Chanel suits or swimwear by Gucci, but it simply isn’t so.

Mostly I am at work, at home, in my car, in school, with friends. I like to read at the park—if I actually hiked around the park, UGG Stormburst would work better than Classics. The grocery store is another ritual. I go to the movies, to barbeques, or the beach. Twice a year I find myself schlepping through an airport or two to visit family—hence my attachment to Mayfaire; the zipper makes removing them to get through security that much easier. That leaves dance clubs and restaurants to inspire flashier, strappier footwear.

Aside from those occasions, I wear jeans, flare or fitted, with an occasional dress or sweater over leggings. Personally, I only wear UGG boots with a dress if I have leggings in a color flattering to the shoe, which keeps the eye moving over your silhouette instead of dividing your leg into three portions. And I don’t have to wear Classics—Raya or Tess both have 3-inch heels and look fantastic with a dress.

And if you’re still worried that some night, at the local convenience store, you will run into the very wealthy, very single Prince of Casablanca, known for his vegan-ethics and love of barely-there footwear—well, that’s why you keep a box of six-inch T-strap sandals in your trunk dah-ling!

The ultimate proof that men can, and do, wear UGG boots: the actors who play the wolf pack in the upcoming Twilight movie “Eclipse” wear UGG boots between takes!

The Twilight books, and subsequently the movies based on them, are touted as being pure teen guilty pleasure. But really, who cares? If the side effect is seeing some shirtless men running around in some great boots, I’d say the teen scene is on to something….

Fake UGG boots are starting to irritate me. In fact, theft of any kind is generally incomprehensible. If it’s not yours, don’t take it, and if you want something similar, act like the rest of us and work so you can get it. This is especially irritating to me in the case of artistic endeavors.

The idea of creative copyright is a relatively new idea, and really came into existence as a result of our modern technology. With the use of the Internet people are now able to download music and movies illegally, create blogs with plagiarized content, or even find completed papers to steal for school work. It’s a growing problem, and it’s difficult to claim your creative output as your own.

Of course, it’s not just music and writing that is subject to theft. From fake Prada bags sold on city streets to fake UGG websites, protecting your product has become more and more of a struggle.

Honestly, I don’t get the point. If you don’t want the quality of a certain brand, (and fakes are generally pretty poor replicas), why would you advertise your love of a cheap, knock off? For those who make these fake products, I’ve got to wonder if they simply lack a basic level of creative drive. I almost pity those that can only manage to copy someone else’s work rather than inventing their own.

It is satisfying to make something completely new, whether it’s a bag, a shoe, an article, or a song. There is a great sense of pride in that new addition to the world, and knowing that it is completely yours. There is also a sense of ultimate betrayal to see your creation stolen for the use of others without any recognition of the original source.

I think that often there is an assumption that a larger company won’t care if you create some knock-offs, since they’re already well off and don’t need the money. This is a very convenient viewpoint. What about the designers who crafted the item in the first place? What about the consumer who wants the real McCoy and is tricked by a crafty fake?

Creative ownership is certainly a hazily defined term. However, there are some things that are very black and white. If you take a preexisting design, name, and packaging and pretend to be a company you are not, that is fraud. Fake UGG company’s do just this. So, to all consumers: take control. Before buying, make sure you are buying from an authorized UGG retailer. For example, you can find FleeceFootwear.com listed on UGG Australia’s list of authentic authorized online retailers. (To see list click here.)

UGG buyers, support the authenticity and creativity of the REAL UGG Australia!

The history of shoes is a peculiar and often stinky field of study. Over the years footwear has been designed for protection and aesthetic purposes to suit the current era. However, one must admit that through a modern lens certain shoes seem more as though they were designed by drunk 2 year olds.

We can start with antiquity, reminiscing on the days when gladiators fought to the death while monarchs cheered. These would be the days when the fiercest of warrior went to battle in strappy sandals.  Move to the sharp steel-toed boots of medieval knights, and some of the more bizarre platform Chinese platforms and you start to see the transition away from comfort and toward style…well, a type of style at least.

Fast forward to the 1600’s and everyone is in heels, men and women alike. For the next few centuries not much changes. It seems the height was the fashion, as well as back and joint pain. (Which may very well explain the French Revolution: who wouldn’t be ticked after scrubbing floors in 2-inch heels all day?)

The trend for high heels didn’t really dissipate 50 years or so. Near the turn of the century men’s heel height lowered first, while women’s shoes just got higher. By the 80’s the heel wasn’t enough, now you had to have a platform to make it in the shoe world. The Japanese kick started the modern platform trend in the 1950’s with the geta:

Finally with women’s liberation movement came the concept of comfort over fashion. Thanks to the 60’s women were finally able to relax their sore and overworked Achilles tendon.

Now, to be fair this is a very biased and cursory few of shoe history, with at least a handful of misinformed opinions. Regardless of the factual merit  of this review, the point is this: footwear has rarely been created for comfort. Style and protective function have operated far more prevalently than c0mfortable fashion. This started to change as Dansko and Cole Haan became perpetrators of comfortable fashion, but even these shoes can cause discomfort on some people’s feet.

There is one other brand that snuck up during the 80’s. As the fad  for glam rock androgynously rocked the western world, a subtle brand of surfer boot started up in Southern California. For the past few decades UGG Australia boots have grown from a SoCal trend to an international fetish. Comfort and style finally meet, and amazingly have been taking over the world of high fashion as well.

UGG RAya

Of course, UGG has gotten on the high heel bandwagon as well, with fashion styles such as the Tess and Raya, but the Classic UGG Australia boot will remain the iconic style for the brand for years to come.

There are certain movies that you can expect to see UGG boots. Any movie with LindsaySarahMichelleSelena teen queen will generally have at least one pair of Classic UGG boots. There are also movies you do NOT expect to see UGG boots, such as anything with Bruce Lee or Sean Connery.

So, imagine my surprise at seeing a pair of UGG Classic boots on Danny McBride in Pineapple Express. Granted, this movie is neither a chick flick nor an action film. But even an homage to dorkdom  is more associated with Seth Rogen’s jewfro than UGG Australia fleece.

Yet, there they were: three “kind-of” thugs, with one of them in a gold chain and what looks to be a pair of Mens Classic Short Chestnut boots.

I’m not really sure how scared you could be of a man in a kimono and UGG boots, but hey, anything for a laugh, right?