Adult patterned wellies-are they here to stay?
Hannah Petty
Traditionally manufactured in green and brown, wellies for women
are now available in all kinds of colours and designs. From
pin-stripes and funky swirls to pretty flowers and polka dots,
ladies wellies are available in all of these styles and more,
previously reserved for children.
The history of the wellington boot has been just as colourful.
>From its humble beginnings as a man's high cut tasseled boot
(called the Hessian boot) in the eighteenth century, the
wellington boot was given its first makeover by The Duke of
Wellington in the early nineteenth century. The Duke had the
boots made with calf leather and changed the design to have them
fit better and closer around the calves. The resulting new
design was both comfortable and practical and became very
popular among the gentlemen of the time. This boot became known
as the wellington boot.
The second "wellie makeover" happened in America later on that
century. Hiram Hutchinson found Mr Goodyear ( of the tyres) and
decidied to make footwear from rubber. The news of watertight
and economical footwear for farmers spread fast and is still
very popular today.
Lady Diana was the last key figure to popularize wellies before
patterned wellies arrived...
Patterned wellies for women became popular in 2002 in Britain
and received the first media attention at the Glastonbury
Festival where they were worn by revellers in the mud. Since
then, many new companies have emerged and expanded so that today
there are a huge variety of styles and designs to choose from.
Fashion designers like Pucci, Ralph Lauren and DKNY put wellies
on the catwalk and so the revolution began.
So, still going strong in 2006. Are ladies patterned wellies
here to stay?
>From this muddy field, the answer looks like yes. Why would
people go back to wearing boring green or brown when presented
with so much colourful choice?
Patterned wellies was a niche in the market that has now been
filled. They simply weren't available before now, and I can only
see room for improvement. We are already seeing variations on
the design such as zips, laces, high heels, sporty soles and fur
linings.
Wellies are worn by practically everyone in Britain at some time
in their lives. It is compulsory for most children to own and
bring their own wellies to school and pre-school. They are worn
by gardeners, dog walkers, festival goers and thanks to
year-round wet weather in the British Isles they will always be
needed.
The creation of patterned and colourful wellies is yet another
example of how giving a practical product that everyone already
owns a colourful makeover, you can create a whole new set of
customers that will be back for more. Take saucepans for
example. Some clever people in the sixties decided their
saucepan sales needed a boost ( How many saucepans does one
need?) and brought out a pink range with sales going through the
roof. This very simple formula and a bit of imagination can be
applied to all necessary, practical products that have a long
life to drum up new sales. And this has certainly worked in the
wellie world!
Ultimately, wellies are a traditional and practical part of
British life and it looks as if patterned wellies for adults are
here to stay.
About the author:
Send an email to Hannah Petty of
http://www.funky-wellington-boots.co.uk
Tel. 01749
831658
email. info@funky-wellington-boots.co.uk
Traditionally manufactured in green and brown, wellies for women
are now available in all kinds of colours and designs. From
pin-stripes and funky swirls to pretty flowers and polka dots,
ladies wellies are available in all of these styles and more,
previously reserved for children.
The history of the wellington boot has been just as colourful.
>From its humble beginnings as a man's high cut tasseled boot
(called the Hessian boot) in the eighteenth century, the
wellington boot was given its first makeover by The Duke of
Wellington in the early nineteenth century. The Duke had the
boots made with calf leather and changed the design to have them
fit better and closer around the calves. The resulting new
design was both comfortable and practical and became very
popular among the gentlemen of the time. This boot became known
as the wellington boot.
The second "wellie makeover" happened in America later on that
century. Hiram Hutchinson found Mr Goodyear ( of the tyres) and
decidied to make footwear from rubber. The news of watertight
and economical footwear for farmers spread fast and is still
very popular today.
Lady Diana was the last key figure to popularize wellies before
patterned wellies arrived...
Patterned wellies for women became popular in 2002 in Britain
and received the first media attention at the Glastonbury
Festival where they were worn by revellers in the mud. Since
then, many new companies have emerged and expanded so that today
there are a huge variety of styles and designs to choose from.
Fashion designers like Pucci, Ralph Lauren and DKNY put wellies
on the catwalk and so the revolution began.
So, still going strong in 2006. Are ladies patterned wellies
here to stay?
>From this muddy field, the answer looks like yes. Why would
people go back to wearing boring green or brown when presented
with so much colourful choice?
Patterned wellies was a niche in the market that has now been
filled. They simply weren't available before now, and I can only
see room for improvement. We are already seeing variations on
the design such as zips, laces, high heels, sporty soles and fur
linings.
Wellies are worn by practically everyone in Britain at some time
in their lives. It is compulsory for most children to own and
bring their own wellies to school and pre-school. They are worn
by gardeners, dog walkers, festival goers and thanks to
year-round wet weather in the British Isles they will always be
needed.
The creation of patterned and colourful wellies is yet another
example of how giving a practical product that everyone already
owns a colourful makeover, you can create a whole new set of
customers that will be back for more. Take saucepans for
example. Some clever people in the sixties decided their
saucepan sales needed a boost ( How many saucepans does one
need?) and brought out a pink range with sales going through the
roof. This very simple formula and a bit of imagination can be
applied to all necessary, practical products that have a long
life to drum up new sales. And this has certainly worked in the
wellie world!
Ultimately, wellies are a traditional and practical part of
British life and it looks as if patterned wellies for adults are
here to stay.
About the author:
Send an email to Hannah Petty of
http://www.funky-wellington-boots.co.uk
Tel. 01749
831658
email. info@funky-wellington-boots.co.uk
posted by The Editor at
8:06 AM
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