Manolo the Columnist: The Gissella from Ugg

Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

At Christmas, I broke down and bought my 16-year-old daughter a pair of Classic Ugg boots, and now she wears them everywhere. And I have to admit, she looks super cute in them. Which has got me to thinking, perhaps I should buy myself a pair, they look so warm and toasty. What’s your opinion?

Rachel

Manolo says, the Manolo’s opinion of the Classic Ugg boot has always been the same: if you are sixteen and super cute, then the Classic Uggs are “da bomb”. You may wear them everywhere (even with your sweat pants) and people will still think you are the cutesy cute cutey.

If , however, you are the forty-two year old woman of sophistication, then the Classic Ugg boots look silly with almost everything you try on.

Sweat pants? Sloppy!

Faded blue jeans? Trying too hard!

Shortish skirt? Trashy!

The truth is, the Ugg Classic boots, like the dirty ripped blue jeans and the whale-tail thong, are the young person’s fashion. They were designed by the youthful Australian surfers for wearing after the energetically youthful day at the beach, not for women of the certain age to slip on for the day on the town.

Happily, there are the Ugg models which can be worn by elegant ladies. For the example, here is the Gissella, the casual, wedge-heel ankle boot with the Aussie flair.

Comments

Victor 15 years ago

On the other hand, they’re still Uggs, and Uggs can qualify for, at best, “moderately attractive.” They will never qualify for “super-fantastic.”

TruthExaminer 15 years ago

Too bad, I just love wearing uggy type shoes. How the hell am I supposed to run, dance and skip around with a vive de joy in Manolo’s. I always feel handicapped in those kinds of shoes.

My favorite is summer when I’m barefoot. If I must wear a shoe then it’s a flip flop which i suppose is the equivalent of a ugg.

Oh dear I guess that makes me super square.

Alice 15 years ago

I own wedge-heel ankle boots as well and they are perfect for winter, comfortable but also make your silhouette look leaner – and still have that toasty warm look. Definitely prefer them to UGGs but I am 29 after all!

Lisa 15 years ago

Gosh! 29! Dear Alice! Practically the grave! ;-). You have a few good years yet.

Thank you Manolo for explaining with such clarity why moms and teen daughters can share some clothing items, but not all of them.

LaHolandaisa 15 years ago

Manolo you are dead on with this post!

Angela @ Homegrown Mom 15 years ago

I just found your blog via problogger and I LOVE it! A question: I’m 32 and my daughter is 13. I wear my uggs under straight leg jeans, not over them anymore because I do feel like I’m trying to look “young!” What do you think?

daisyj. 15 years ago

So true, Manolo. It is almost never a good idea to imitate the style of one’s offspring, especially if it is because they make it look “cute.”

BigFootDiva 15 years ago

Do they come in a size 11 or 12?

phyllis 15 years ago

Manolo your sage advice of a few years ago still rings in my ears “Do not wear the Uggs, do not be the Shannon Doherty” (from the “Gallery of the Horrors” link above)

The gold digger 15 years ago

I would submit that the whale-tail thong (if by that you mean, a thong that is visible to anyone but the wearer before she puts on her pants) is nobody’s fashion, not even the young person’s. Let’s put the “under” back in underwear.

Rubiatonta 15 years ago

Oh, dear. If only my 70 year-old mother would heed your sage advice, querido Manolo. She has just bought herself the Ugg clones, and also told me that she wanted to get some leggings to wear under a tunic-y t-shirt dress. Yes, she has greater gams than I could ever aspire to, but there are some looks that one should leave to one’s granddaughters, and these are they.

kitt 15 years ago

Oh my, my kind of debate, I have always been anti ugg…..- they are the devils shoes, making all women over the age of 20 look like tellytubbies. However I do suffer from winter chills and need SOMETHING! I found these emus – exactly the same australian sheepskin and wool as ugg blah blah blah but long and gorgeous and super ladylike, finally warmth for my tootsies! c

Amber 15 years ago

I am 35, and I have nothing but hugs for Uggs! They are the flip-flops of winter as they require no socks.