Qantas lounge shoe row turns UGG-ly on Weibo

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China’s fashion-conscious young women have united with a British music star who complained at having been barred from a Qantas business lounge for wearing UGG boots.

Joanne Catherall, a singer in the band The Human League, tweeted on Thursday about her experience in Melbourne Airport, where her comfortable, fluffy slip-ons were deemed sleepwear by Qantas staff and inappropriate for their smart lounge.

Screenshot of Catherall's Twitter

UGG boots were originally designed as indoor shoes, but the brand has become popular for people to go outside in the cold. They can be seen on feet across China as the country turns wintry.

Australian airline Qantas’ list of banned clothing nevertheless includes UGG boots, along with flip-flops, slippers, head-to-toe gym wear and beach wear.

Qantas domestic lounge dress guidelines /Photo from Qantas website

Qantas representatives commented directly under Catherall’s tweet, stressing the dress code.

Screenshot of replies from Qantas staff on Twitter

However, Chinese netizens seem indifferent to the airline’s clothing police.

“According to Qantas, all those Chinese girls on the street now are wearing sleepwear!” @ledaofeiqilai said on Chinese Twitter equivalent Sina Weibo.

Screenshot from Weibo

"What should I do as a person who wears UGG to work?” @jiangxiaoaiai asked.

Screenshot from Weibo

"Are we supposed to wear evening gowns on flights?” posted another Weibo user.