Nate Schuster puts his North Face on everyday before he goes outside. But this Miami University first-year isn't skiing in Vail, Colo. or rock climbing in Denver, he's just going to class. For Schuster, outdoor brands like The North Face and Patagonia aren't about versatility or comfort - they're about fashion.
"I like The North Face jackets because they keep me warm," Schuster said. "And I'm a label whore."
Schuster, like any Miami University fashionsta, transforms the Slant Walk into the cat walk each time he goes to class, embodying what he refers to as the "college style" that seems to be sweeping campuses across the nation.
According to the 2005 Boston Globe article "Outdoor clothes for the indoor set," the outdoor industry grew 11 percent in 2004 from 2002, to reach a record $20 billion. The majority of the growth, according to the article, was due to fashion merchandise like jackets and shoes, and not technical merchandise, like tents or equipment.
Karisma employee and senior Andy Spahr agrees. According to Spahr, as of January more than 1,200 items of North Face apparel had been sold at the uptown boutique to a campus of 14,385 undergraduates. There, North Face apparel, which has typically been referred to as outdoor wear, hangs on racks next to designer brands like Lacoste and Lily Pulitzer, sending The North Face brand into the upper echelon of fashion.
And with a quarter of a million dollars worth of North Face apparel already sold at Karisma as of January, one has to wonder, why North Face?
"Because that's what everyone wears," Spahr said. "Didn't you know?"
With athletes such as 2006 Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and cast members from this season's MTV's The Real World sporting North Face, the authenticity of the brand has become as synonymous with quality outdoor gear as Nike with running or Adidaswith soccer.
According to assistant marketing professor Sabrina Neeley, fads such as this outdoor gear trend start in one of two ways - copying celebrity style, like North Face sponsored athletes, or copying an influential peer's style. The idea of what Neeley referred to as a "local trend" could be a certain member of a Greek organization who wears North Face or a respected Associated Student Government (ASG) member who is influential on campus.
And she's right.
"The reason I wanted UGGs is because I saw everyone else wear them," said senior Brittni Weber. "I tried them on and they were comfortable. I wear them everyday I go to class."
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
For assistant psychology professor Kurt Hugenberg, most fads, including this outdoor gear trend, force people to conform to the social norm of the area.
"In short, people just want to be liked," Hugenberg said.
According to the 2007 article "The History of UGG Boots" at www.ezinearticles.com, UGGs are a generic term for Australian-made sheepskin boots. In the 1970s UGGs became a cult trend among surfers in California as well as a popular boot for skiers in the winter. By 1995, the UGG Australia brand, which is most common around campus, started to become as fashionable as it is currently. With celebrities such as Cameron Diaz and Kate Hudson rocking the fuzzy boots as early as 2003, they transformed from a Timberland status to Gucci almost overnight, similar to The North Face.
While Milan may put these boots in the "out" section of their winter line, Oxford continues to term them "in" year after year.
"People bought UGGs because they thought they were in, now people see how practical they are," said junior Natalie Mender. "People don't care what they look like as much now - they'll wear them with sweatpants."
To stay in style while rushing to class, Mender wears her UGGs with just about anything - jeans, sweats, shorts, leggings - and although she owns a pair of Steve Madden boots and Rampage, according to Mender, UGGs are worth the cost.
"UGGs are better quality; they're softer inside than others," Mender said. "I've had my UGGs for five years and they're still in good shape."
However, fifth-year Brad Suder objects to the overpriced fleece frenzy that seems to take over Oxford each winter. Yet when put on the spot, his attitude differed.
"Would you buy your coat at Wal-Mart?" he asked his friend.
"Did you?" his friend replied.
Suder laughed.
This outdoor gear fad, often referred to as "wilderness chic," didn't appear overnight. Abercrombie and Fitch first opened as a British sporting store in 1892 until transforming into what is arguably one of the nation's top clothing store for teens and college-aged students in the 1990s. And according to 2005 Boston Globe article "Outdoor clothes for the indoor set," The North Face now has its own separate fashion catalog from its technical gear due to recent sales.
But would students really take their supposed outdoor gear outdoors?
"If I went skiing I wouldn't wear my UGGs," said first-year Kathleen Garner. "I wouldn't want them to get ruined."
And although this trend has been going strong for nearly two decades, Neeley questions if there is an end in sight.
"The trend seems to perpetuate each year," Neley said. "First-years see upperclassmen wearing certain brands and think they need to, and then high school juniors and seniors coming on campus visits see the jackets and think they need to wear it too."
But like all good things, even fads come to an end. Suder understands the process all too well.
"In the '90s people weren't wearing North Face, they were wearing starter jackets," Suder said. "Maybe instead of this hiking stuff, I should bring that back."
And while some Miami students like Suder dream of days where puffy, rain resistant jackets with giant team logos were "acceptable" fashion, others are relishing in their outdoor gear glory days.
But don't expect Miami students to be too loyal.
"I'm going to keep wearing my UGG boots," Mender said. "As long as they're still in."
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.