No. of Recommendations: 1
UGG is a globally recognized name of a boot/shoe companys footwear. In Australia, the plethora of firms selling similar items creates a chaos of stores, styles and prices.
The "200" block of Pitt Street is lined with around eight different companies selling Ugg boots, shoes, and slippers. For a couple of decades, Australians used the term ugg (or ugh or ug) for the sheepskin shoes that surfers used to keep their feet warm. The modern UGG brand began in 1978, when Australian surfer Brian Smith moved to California and began selling sheepskin boots to the Southern California surf community. He and Doug Jensen founded the company that would later become the global UGG brand the moment when "UGG" shifted from a generic term to a trademarked brand identity in the United States, subsequently purchased by Decker Industries. While in most of the world the Decker version is the sole product legally available, in Australia the term is deemed to be generic, so there are many independent manufacturers and vendors.
Some of the varieties sold are made in China, some use fibers other than wool on their interiors, so it is important to not only try on the shoe but to read its label describing its construction. During late February and early March there are end-of-winter season sales. We found the best combination of style/price/quality was at UGG-Express, Ground Floor of Stockland Piccadilly Mall, 210 Pitt Street in the CBD.
Hats: Barmah and Akubra Dress like a drover (Aussie cowboy)
We happen to be partial to a type of Australian wide-brim, mesh-ventilated hat known as a Barmah drover. These are available made from canvas as well as a number of types of leather in both "crushable" and "foldable" versions. While there are a number of strategies to get nominal price reductions (including mail-order purchase, store "clubs," factory outlets, and so on), they were usually not all that significant. A shop named "Hat World" at 125 George Street at The Rocks has every size in every style of Barmah hat (though at full retail price) as well as a broad selection of Akubra hats Australia's hand-crafted rabbit-felt "Cowboy" hats.
If you are looking for an Akubra hat (the Outback's iconic choice, with styles named Cattleman, Traveller, Rough Rider, and Riverina), you can also pick them up at the Akubra company store in The Strand Arcade, at Shop 8, 412 George Street, and at their Bondi store (39 Hall St, Bondi Beach), which offers the complete Akubra range, fitting assistance, and in-store shaping services. I bought one years ago in their Adelaide store and it's the only time I've had a hat steam-fitted to my head they gave me my choice of hat-feather to tuck into the left side of the hat-band. It was an adventure akin to buying a Japanese cooking knife from a specialty store in Japan. Another place to pick up an Akubra hat is at R.M. Williams, 345 George Street and at the Queen Victoria Building, 455 George Street, Shop G-06. As R.M. Williams is Australia's premier "cowboy boot" purveyor, both locations offer master boot fitting, repair, and restoration.
Just to set your expectations: the Barmah hats cost between $50$100 AUD, but the Akubra hats and R.M. Williams boots run into the hundreds of dollars ($300$400 for the former and $700$800 for the latter).
If you are looking to complete your full "Outback" cowboy look, you can seek out a Driza-Bone duster an Australian brand known for their long, coat-style oilskin often called a riding coat or drover's coat. It's a full-length waterproof coat designed for riding and farm work, with a split back, cape, and sometimes leg straps to keep it in place in wind and rain. They generally cost $300$500. If you dress in these authentic clothes and walk through downtown Sydney, you will attract the same sort of comments as walking through New York City wearing a loin cloth and an American Indian feathered headdress. Perfectly matched but for another venue.
Jeff
