Fashion
Will 2010 be the Death of the Ugg?
By Ang Sucllion
Over a month ago, a friend told me that she was going to purchase a pair of Uggs. My reaction to this revelation was, “You can buy them. But you are only allowed to wear them in your house. If you decide to leave your house with them, I will pretend that I do not know you.” Of course this sarcastic comment did not fly well, and after a debate on my Facebook page over these furry little boots, I decided to explore the fashion history of the Ugg and predict when this pathetic trend will finally die.
On every college campus in America, girls are rocking Uggs. These boots come in many different colors and lengths, and are lined with fluffy fur or some stripy knitting. But little do you trendsetters know, these boots have quite the history to them. They originated in either New Zealand or Australia back around World War I for aviators to wear. Sadly, these two countries are still fighting over this origination, but if I were them, I’d be more concerned about Japan blowing us up. Anyway, then surfers started wearing Uggs in the 1960’s, and finally by the 1970’s, American companies started seeking claim to the boots. Then by the early 2000’s, celebuwrecks, like Britney Spears , was spotted wearing them with her stylish cut off jean shorts down Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles. The Ugg trend would then explode throughout our country, and I’m sure by now even Sarah Palin has worn them while grooming the caribou in her Alaskan/Russian tundra. Furthermore, there’s even a Wikipedia page and a movie made about Uggs. Yes my friend, they really are that popular.
But we all know how long a fashion trend lasts! Perez Hilton summed it up best when he stated, “Uggs are so 2004.” I know in the fashion world that this man is no Anna Wintour, but in my eyes, he is God and what he says goes. He knows celebrities, he knows fashion, and he knows what is hot and what is not. And what will be cold by the end of the year is this sick obsession with these furry little sacks of heaven. A trend can only last for so long, and when everyone in their mother is wearing the same thing, and companies are starting to produce replicas of the trend, then we all know that our 15 minutes of fashion fame is about to expire. Or will it?
Since Uggs are so popular right now, and because they have been around for about 100 years, Uggs may very well chug their way through the decade. But keep in mind, if you are one of the outcasts that have yet to purchase a pair, then please do your research before buying them. A search of Uggs on the internet turned up tons of hits for fake Uggs and imposters. And the only thing worse than wearing an outdated fashion trend is wearing a knockoff. Further, Uggs do retail for over $100, so before you hand over your parent’s money to these Australia/New Zealand/ American companies, you may want to stop and think for a minute. Do you really want to waste all of that beer and pizza money on some boots that probably will not be in style among your sorority sisters in the Fall semester? If you do then hey, it’s a free country and you have the right to wear what you want! That is, until you get arrested by the fashion police.
