Ugg!

Last week, I made my first serious social faux pax – I wore my Ugg Boots to work. The weather has been frightfully chilly and I am seriously lacking in comfortable foot wear. I had no reason to suspect that a world recognized icon of Australiana such as the Ugg Boot is the fashion equivalent of a large brass belt buckle and a cowboy hat. My kind, yet condescending co-workers granted me a partial exemption from humiliation based on the fact that, being American, I am expected to be lacking in tact and sensibility. However, they felt obliged to enlighten me to the nuances of Bogan (read: white-trash) haut couture. Apparently, my Northen Suburb post code provides no protection against being mistaken for a Westie – a social distinction which must be preserved above all else.

I had no idea Sydneysiders were such snobs. It’s not like I showed up to work with a mullet and a neck tattoo!

Later that night (after changing into stylish, albeit ill-fitting black leather boots) Kevin and I met up with a group of his work friends for dinner and drinks in the Western suburb of Parramatta – the center of Bogan culture. They all too heartily confirmed the travesty of my style trespass, and pointed out several deplorable examples of Westie stereotypes cruising down Church Street. Apparently, in the minds of Sydneysiders, a Westie is on par with a typical guest on the Jerry Springer show. To me, they looked like average people with comfortable footwear.

Oddly enough, everyone who criticized the Ugg boot confessed to having never owned nor even worn a pair. Thus I cannot help but question the validity of their convictions against the complete lack of first hand knowledge of the superior attributes of such functional and cozy podean accoutrements. Kevin says Australia would have an entirely different opinion about Ugg Boots if they had seen Daryl Hannah’s spread in Playboy.

Nonetheless, I was disappointed in myself to learn that I am not as immune to the estimations of my colleagues as I would like believe. Therefore, my Ugg Boots will be relegated to the temporary role of house slipper, and I am now faced with the unpleasant and immensely dissatisfactory task of going shoe shopping.