I used to think the most annoying thing about campus was the Canadian geese that congregate on University Hill. But lately there’s been an even more annoying goose hanging around campus.
Of course, I am referring to the overwhelming number of Western students that sport the exorbitant status symbol known as the Canada Goose jacket between the months of November and March. Is it only at Western that the words “Canada Goose” change in connotation from majestic national animal to overpriced attempt at acceptance?
I’ll admit that the London winters do tend to be cold and if the warmth of the jackets was the single reason student wore them then I wouldn’t be really be complaining, but we all know that’s not the case.
Selling for upwards of $500, Canada Goose jackets are the ultimate cry for social acceptance. For a campus that is often stereotyped by outsiders as spoiled, Canada Goose jackets could be presented as exhibit A in their case.
Many students lay claim to the fact that the jackets are worth the hefty price tag for their warmth, but it should be pointed out that many other jackets are more affordable, equally as warm and, in my opinion, much more stylish.
Normally I would refrain from generalizing an entire company under one product, but I don’t have to because Western students have already done that for me. I’m not criticizing the entire company because they do have a wide variety of coats to choose from, but students at Western seem to be fixated on a singular jacket—the black Chilliwack Bomber.
If you have ever walked around campus in the winter months, it becomes painfully obvious that seemingly every other person on campus has the exact same jacket, down to the colour, price and puffiness level.
What is it with winter months that seem to produce stagnant, obnoxiously identifiable outerwear trends? First Uggs—which unlike Canada Goose jackets provide little to no protection against the harsh elements—and now these coats. Is there something about the social protocol of Western students that prevents us from wearing both practical and affordable clothing?
No, I am not a member of some sort of “occupy” group and I am not arguing against the one per cent. I’m simply saying that just because you have the money to afford a Canada Goose jacket does not mean you have to shut off all semblance of originality.
It is bad enough that most students’ cellphone choice is a binary between iPhone and Blackberry, students could at least try to be inventive in their choice of winter outerwear. It says a lot about our campus that one is praised as original for sporting a Canada Goose jacket that isn’t black.
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Nothing says i’m not cool and don’t give a toss louder than the velcro patch:
http://www.dropzonetactical.com/clothing/urban-ops-parka/urban-ops-parka.php
I’d just like to know what the heck the shape in the middle of the Canada Goose logo is supposed to be. Is it a goose turd? What the heck is it?
Someone told me it’s “the Arctic.” The Arctic is an ocean, covered by ice that changes in shape, so unless a continent grew up there when I wasn’t looking, it’s not that.
North Face coats are just as warm (appropriate for our climate), more stylish than CG, and most importantly… affordable!!!
I would agree about this topic if I didn’t own one myself.
That is – I own a fake one. As a girl who spent her childhood winter months in the Northernmost part of Ontario, I can vouch for these jackets as being by far the warmest I have ever owned. However I would never pay $500 for an article of clothing. Ever. It upsets me greatly that I’m sacrificing uniqueness in order to avoid bone-deep chills all day, but is it not ironic that any time someone says they don’t enjoy conforming, they are labelled as a “hipster” in a derogatory manner? Perhaps we should look at the extremes in this instead of simply people trying to fit in. It seems like no matter what you do, you conform to a label, either you’re trying too hard to be unique, or you’re trying too hard to fit. When really, we’re just trying to keep warm.
agree complete except that i had one of these jackets for a little while, till i realized it was a fake. didnt stop me from wearing it because it was just so damn warm. i stopped wearing it because the left arm ripped off. point is dont knock them because theyre popular, they serve a purpose. uggs on the other hand….
I bet many of the “Occupy” people are Canada Goose wearers too. I have never met more hypocritical, upper-class, entitlement-minded bunch of self-styled liberals than at Western.
Agreed. Watch out, the next craze might be binge drinking on Friday and Saturday night. It provides no benifit, it costs a lot of money and is seen as “cool” amongst students at western.
Great article, keep up the good work.
Because above all else, the goal is acceptance. In a world dominated by consumerism, and particularly by the upper-class social markers prized amongst Western students, donning expensive clothing and gadgets is the easiest way to dispel suspicion from peers. In a lifelong quest for social acceptance there is nothing more dangerous than being an individual.
“Society establishes the means of categorizing persons and the complement of attributes felt to be ordinary and natural for members of each of these categories. … When a stranger comes into our presence, then, first appearances are likely to enable us to anticipate his category and attributes, his “social identity” … We lean on these anticipations that we have, transforming them into normative expectations, into righteously presented demands.”
-Erving Goffman