A few weeks ago I was hungrily gleaning ideas for my column taking part in a live chat on Times Online with their fashion team who were discussing the hottest trends for autumn/winter. At some point one of their uber-fashionable journalists mentioned that a great seasonal accessory to update your wardrobe with was the snood.
A snood!? It sounded like something out of a Dr Seuss children’s book. As in, “a snood, that’s no good. Why a snood, when I could wear a hood?” Or something along those lines. So I decided to investigate a little further and turned to that ever-faithful knowledge bible, the Wikipedia. And this is what I found:
Now, in the past I have often encountered a trend and thought, “There’s no way in hell I would ever wear that,” but then found myself making the purchase (skinny jeans are a case in point). But this time I didn’t even think, I simply guffawed, copied the Wiki link and tweeted it to the Times Online team with the words, “Are you serious?” They never responded.
So for a while I rather fearfully perused the accessories aisles of Accessorize, TopShop and H&M, nervous that at any minute I would spot a HAIRNET (god forbid!) and be forced to seriously consider the possibility of wrapping it around my head. And so it was with great relief that Vogue came to the rescue with a gallery of snoods hot off the runway. As it turns out there is a sentence on the snood Wiki page that I must have overlooked, where they explain that “in modern times the word has also come to be applied to a tubular neck protector or warmer, often worn by skiers or motorcyclists.”
And so to cut a long story short… the snood IS hot, hot, hot! I know that if you’re in South Africa, knitwear is probably the last thing on your mind. But I thought I’d educate you now so that unlike me you don’t walk around as a fashion ignoramus (and get ignored by fancy fashion journos on Twitter).
Interestingly, I haven’t seen many a snood on many a celeb, but I think it’s just because it’s not chilly enough yet… just you wait. The one snood I have seen doing the rounds though is the Burberry snood worn by the lovely Emma Watson in their latest campaign, and also seen worn by Blake Lively.
Not only is the snood incredibly funky and knitwear fab, but it’s also super-functional – it keeps your neck AND your ears warm. It goes with everything, and it’s a versatile substitute for an annoyingly tight polar neck (I hate intensely dislike a polar neck). Keep the colours neutral for a flexible wardrobe addition and you can’t go wrong.
And hitting the fashion headlines this past week…
Stella Mcartney has released her resort collection
A little summery for the likes of us London folk, but it does keep us feeling optimistic for warmer days. Loving the nude silk-satin sleeveless dress. I want, I want, I want.
Audrey Hepburn collection on auction
Some of the actress’s most desirable items of clothing, including those created by designers Hubert de Givenchy and Valentino, as well a wedding dress that was never worn, are going under the hammer at the beginning of December.
And finally… this has nothing to do with London, but I just had to share this with you: click here for a fashion giggle.
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I adore snoods!! If I colud I would be wearing all of myne in summer : )