Monday, July 5, 2010

On Uggs and Canada Goose Jackets

So, when I first returned to Canada from living in the Philippines for x number of years, one of the top items on my to-do-list was to get me some sexy leather boots (in an unconscious attempt to fulfill some repressed girly superheroic fantasies). You see that's one wardrobe item that one doesn't get to wear back home obviously due to the make-up melting tropical heat unless you live, I guess, in the mountain resort city of Baguio where it is considerably colder due to it's higher elevation or if you street-walk for a living (for money for old rope!) along the red-light district of Ermita - neither case applied to me, the latter, thankfully not so! Thus, I had absolutely zilch excuse or occasion to wear boots back in the old country! So, at the first chance I got after arriving here in the fall of '99 admidst the Y2K hype and fears of an impending armageddon, I headed to Rockland's and made a beeline to Aldo's and bought my first pair of black, leather, high-heeled winter boots. They were pretty nice, maybe not the most efficient in keeping my feet warm, nor the most practical for trudging through knee-deep snow or negotiating frozen iced over sidewalks, but dang! They looked good!!! I'm glad however, to see how these past few winters, women have smartened up in this regard owing especially to the scrumptious offerings of snow-worthy bootmakers that now combine both comfort and practicality and not to mention warmth and safety with to-die-for style, style, style. One no longer has to sacrifice on aesthetic value, just to avoid the risk of the resulting need for a toe (or two!) amputation from frostbite. Viva toasty toes!!! Oooh, I'm getting a warm fuzzy feeling just thinking about it and Uggs....

Now, I didn't always like the look of Uggs after the ever effervescent Sarah Jessica Parker set the trend. But they eventually grew on me. I'm sure many will agree with me that they are an acquired taste. I just didn't jump into the bandwagon jampacked with happy, shreiking, stylish, comfy-footed girls between 15 and 45 right off the bat. I waited it out to see whether it would be just a passing fad that would soon die off, plus they didn't come cheap. It's a bit annoying because UGG's lucked out and was flying high with SJP's virtually free plugging that sparked such a craze for the original, fuzzy-lined-interior with a beige and suedy outer, boots (which now come, mind you, in an array of different colors, styles and heights) and with such a high demand for them, they could get away with whatever MSRP they didn't just "suggest" but impose. That's exactly what happened to Canada Goose. The popularity of their jackets rose to astronomical proportions after my babe Matt Damon was spotted wearing one somewhere, where exactly, I forget but that's besides the point. Those down-filled poofy jackets don't come cheap either. But if you ask my humble opionion, like Ugg's, I believe they are well worth the price. I am hardly surprised that these styles have endured a few winters now. These are pieces that you'll really enjoy for years and years. I know Kumar likes his Canada Goose bomber, and personally, I have my mind set on getting the more fitted and longer parka (in black) in the near future.

It's a shame, though, how with the advent of every trend, comes the proliferation of imitations. Some by rival manufacturers that blatantly copy the styling of the original, and others that run more clandestine operations and who try to pass off their products as the real thing. Even Canada Goose jackets are being imitated! I guess the Chinese needed to find a way to put to good use the perfectly good Peking duck down feathers that are usually discarded by their rotisseries and in a flash of genius, one dude came up with the idea of using them as stuffing material for their imitation jackets. Eureka!!! When it comes to certain things, I let go of my bargain-hunting, H&M-frequenting self's philosophy (also held by every other penny-pinching style puss): "A real Timex is better than a fake Rolex." Ugg boots and Canada Goose Jackets, being some of those things. Like I said, these items are worth the price and are defintely good investments, think of them as gifts to yourself that keep giving back, you just can't go wrong!!!

But why am I talking about Ugg boots and Canada Goose Jackets in the middle of a brutal heatwave which is leaving my naturally wavy hair with waaaay too much to be desired??? Sandals that come in a plethora of shapes, styles and colors and made out of every imaginable material - canvas, plastic, leather - even pleather would've been a more apt subject to blog about, one might argue. But hey, I'm actually keeping up with the ridiculously fast moving pace of the fashion industry which keeps churning out new styles outdating the last trend every millisecond, it seems!! Trust me, give it about a week more and you'll see storefront displays awash with mannequins decked out to the nines in the "transition" collection replete with the matching blingy accessories, bags and/or hats, even the latest hairstyles and footwear to boot (no pun intended)! And then you'll find the remaining summer stuff reduced to a sad rack at the back of the store under a sign that not too discreetly screams LIQUIDATION!!! Personally, I have no prob rummaging through sales but I know of some weirdos who do - they simply don't realize how exorbitantly high the clothes have been marked up to, to begin with, duh!!! But going back to the transition collection, all this is really, is a big fancy term for what is a smaller sampling of the next major season's (e.g. between spring, summer, winter and fall) must-have's which help fashionistas to gently ease into the new weather, and more importantly, the new styles. The next transition collection will be featuring some pre-fall goodies with heavier fabrics and deeper colors of, hmmmm, I don't even know! Hang on, let me consult my fashion plate hubby first, will get back to you on that one! But to tell you the truth, I'm not even remotely close to ready to give up my daisy dukes, cotton baby T's and flip-flops which I've been living in the past few days. Those cutesy blazers, cashmere turtlenecks, tweedy skirts, opaque tights and knee-high leather boots and not to forget, the Canada Goose jackets and Ugg's can totally wait - indefinitely - if only I had my way!!!

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