Stuff (Female) Mason Students Like #3: North Face Jackets and Uggs

Uggs and North Face, together or separate, are one of Mason's most widespread fashions. (Cathi Acosta)

What’s black and tan and found all over campus? Mason female students wearing a black North Face fleece jacket paired with tan Ugg boots.

With the temperatures finally reaching something that actually feels like spring next week, this outfit should be making less of an appearance. Key word here however, is should.

With Mason girls’ love of Uggs and North Face, even warmer weather may not stop them from wearing these winter pieces.

When I arrived as a freshman, one of the trends I immediately noticed among female students at Mason was this outfit combination.

I rarely saw this in high school back down in Virginia Beach, but as soon as I came to Northern Virginia I saw it everywhere: girls with half their legs encased in bulky, tan boots and a black, streamlined fleece covering their upper body.

After visiting friends in other schools, I came to realize that the trend was more far-reaching than I thought.

Participating in the trend requires some investment. The black North Face fleece commonly seen on campus runs an average $80 and a genuine pair of Uggs to go with the fleece ranges from $130 to $180. In total, the cost of this outfit will set you back by at least $200, provided you did not purchase them on sale.

Why is this costly outfit so popular on campus? Its comfort and warmth, or so I hear. I do not own either of these pieces but I have friends that do and can attest to the warmth and comfort of both pieces. During the Snowpocalypse, I remember walking around campus wearing a puffy jacket and spotting girls keeping themselves warm with just a North Face fleece. My jacket had a fur hoodie and I was wearing a few more layers underneath. ‘They have to be cold,’ I thought.

Although the North Face fleece appears thin, it apparently does keep its wearer very warm. North Face has tailored its thermal fleece fabrics to retain warmth and remain dry by driving moisture towards its outer layers. Ugg boots are treated with durable twin-faced sheepskin both on the outside and inside of the boots to provide maximum warmth and comfort. The sheepskin inside the boots is dense and soft, cushioning the feet and allowing for air to circulate.

Though I personally am not a fan of the bulky Ugg boots, I do find myself wanting a North Face jacket (preferably not a black one, though). I cannot afford the North Face sticker price, but luckily a company called The South Butt offers products similar to those of North Face for a less expensive cost.

The South Butt, as its name hints, pokes fun at the immense popularity of purchasing expensive North Face jackets by selling similar products for less. Even its logo is a direct inversion of The North Face company’s logo. Head to TheSouthButt.com and you will see what I mean.

Not surprisingly, The North Face is suing The South Butt. Still, The South Butt serves as a humorous poke at the masses and gives those that desire a quality fleece to obtain one without completely conforming to the trend.

Again, next week’s temperatures should be warm enough to the point where these winter pieces are not needed. By the time next fall semester rolls around, of course, the trend will return in full force. But Mason loves them so much, I’m willing to bet the $200 the outfit costs that we’ll see them in the peak of the heat.
 

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Writer's Note: Inspired by the popular blog, Stuff White People Like, “Stuff Mason Students Like” is pretty self-explanatory in drawing attention to the stuff that George Mason University students like. This column aims to foster a common culture among Mason’s student population, publish what people are thinking and say, and most importantly, to poke some fun at the Mason student body.