Defend Vancouver Fashion: Support the Thuggie
Not since lululemon has Vancouver fashion attracted so much attention. Earlier this week, Internet guru and Twitter magnate Guy Kawasaki posted a story on his website titled Canada Goes Gangster with the Thuggie and Tweeted it to his 400,000 followers.
The story, which went viral, was all about Vancouver’s latest loungewear fad, the Thuggie. If you haven’t heard of this yet, it’s a very odd-looking, ankle-length hooded sweatshirt. Its designers describe it as a cross between a hoodie and a Snuggie (those blanket with sleeves things).
Well, the Internet hasn’t taken too kindly to the Thuggie. Some fashionistas on the web have slammed the product as a new low in Canadian style and a crude impersonation of urban, “gangsta” culture (On the other hand, plenty of people have also come out to rally around Thuggies after seeing the blog post). Seeing as how Thuggies originate right in our backyard, handmade in a small studio off Venables Street, I thought maybe we should show our support and defend a Vancouver fashion statement.
A little background on the whole Thuggie phenomenon (courtesy of some great research by Gillian Shaw): The product was developed by three Vancouver locals, Kim Bowie, Bryan Pudney and Brad Westerop. The inspiration for the Thuggie came from the oversized T-shirts, hoodies and outerwear worn by snowboarders on Whistler Blackcomb.
Now, the important thing is that the Thuggie is supposed to be kind of a joke. It’s meant to be a tongue-in-cheek thing, poking fun at the whole snowboarder fashion culture. If you’re taking it seriously, you’re kind of missing the point. The Thuggie website explains it best:
“Unlike other semi-ironic leisure apparel, the Thuggie equips the wearer with a sense of security, satisfaction, extreme comfort and a gentle sense of smugness. You are guaranteed to feel smug in this Thug.”
And no self-respecting thug would be caught drinking a warm beer. Keep your beer cold with the Chuggie! 
Interested in getting a Thuggie of your own? They sell online for $75. For $45, you can pick up a Thuglet for your favourite gangsta baby. You can get a 6-pack of Chuggies for $45.
But wait, there’s more! The good folks at Thuggies.ca have provided us with a Thuggie and a few Chuggies to give away to a couple of our lucky readers!
To be eligible you just need to post a comment below and we’ll choose some random winners next week. You know you want one.
For a second chance, retweet the following:
I just entered to win a Thuggie from @myVancouver http://bit.ly/mQ3uo2
Article source: http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2011/08/29/defend-vancouver-fashion-support-the-thuggie/
