The Snood Is The Hot Way To Stay Warm

Remember when Snood was just a computer game you played?

Well, now, a Snood is the fashion-forward lovechild of the scarf and the hood. We’re not really sure where the “n” came from.

The Snood first made its appearance all over the Fall 2009 runways, emerging on the catwalk shows of Missoni, Burberry, Donna Karan, Yves Saint Laurent, and many more. High-end stores like Saks, Henri Bendel, and Bloomingdales have added the scarf-hood crossbreed to their “hot for fall,” lists, and the trend has appeared in the pages of elite fashion glossies.

They look has gotten so popular that it’s trickled down into the mainstream market, being sold at places like Gap, American Apparel, Banana Republic, The Limited, and more.

Analysts suspect that the Snood is an indication of the fashion industry’s attempt to create new and innovative clothing that consumers don’t already own in hopes of enticing people to start buying clothes again.

The Snood isn’t actually new, though: the tube scarves were first popular back in the 1940s when women often used them to cover their hairdos. Today, they’re funkier than they were back in the day, being produced in plaids, furs, and prints. They’re definitely more for the look and less for the practical aspect these days.

We actually totally like the snood. There really is an element of 1940s glamour to it – it takes us back to Judy Garland singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas in Meet Me In St. Louis. A well made Snood with a gorgeous updo and some Old Hollywood makeup and damn – you have yourself quite the elegant little stay-warm outfit. Plus, these days, they’re totally unisex! What a cool updated alternative to the standard hat and scarf.

What we don’t like, however, is the name. Snood just sounds so ugly!

And we’re not alone – many retailers are renaming the piece, opting for terms like “circle scarves,” as American Apparel is calling them, or “infinity scarves,” as Banana puts it.

We’re definitely going to be picking one up, but we’ll have to think of a new name for it.

What do U think the scarf-meets-hood garment should be called??

[Image via AP Images.]