Uggs for guys? 'Female' brands chase male customers

Executives at Deckers Outdoor Corp. recently asked a provocative question: Will guys embrace Uggs?

Few brands are more closely associated with women these days than the Australian sheepskin boots. While American guys will wear Uggs, Deckers found, they're loath to come clean.

"They like the fuzzy stuff inside," said Angel Martinez, chief executive officer of Deckers, which bought Ugg Australia in 1995. "They don't really want to admit there is fuzzy stuff in there, but it sure feels good."

Attracting men to a so-called female brand isn't easy. Ask Talbots Inc., which failed to make the transition last decade. Still, more men are shopping again post-recession, while the Metrosexual Effect has made it OK for dudes to take grooming and fashion seriously. That in turn has prompted the likes of Lululemon Athletica, Coach and Decker's Ugg brand to discover their inner guy.

In the fall, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady began pitching a line of male-oriented Uggs. Coach, the largest U.S. luxury handbag maker, brought in a new vice president to lead its men's expansion. Lululemon, known for its $98 women's yoga pants, said it is revamping its men's line.

American men are spending more on their wardrobes and exhibiting an appetite for accessories. While ladies' annual apparel sales, at more than $110 billion, are almost double those of gents' clothes, menswear sales are growing faster.

During 2011, men spent 4.2 percent more on clothes than a year earlier, compared with a 3.1 percent gain for women's fashion, according to market research firm NPD Group Inc. Celebrities like soccer star David Beckham are helping drive the trend, said analyst Omar Saad.

Ugg, Coach and Lululemon's ability to attract male customers is creating a larger long-term opportunity than investors realize, Saad said. The brands combined could sell $4.5 billion in goods to men annually by the end of 2016, his firm projects.

While Ugg-style boots were originally worn in the 1960s by Australian surfers keen to keep their feet warm after battling the waves in the cold Tasman Sea, the brand became popular with the female set. Women, especially in their teens and 20s, have snapped up the "classic" Ugg boot, which is made of sheepskin and features a flat heel and rounded toe.