As if wear a scarf

I have a weakness for intricate neck accessories. I love anything that frames the face and creates a bit of a statement, from chunky rosary beads and buttoned up shirts to over-sized hoods and turtleneck woolens (preferably not all at once). And in the chill of my first European winter, I have become obsessed with snoods.

A snood is historically a type of European female headgear which in modern times takes the form of a tubular neck scarf. The cozy garment has been worn by working women since the Middle Ages but first came into fashion during World War II when material for clothing was being rationed. European women donned snoods, along with turbans and headscarves, in order to show their commitment to the war effort by dressing in cheap materials aside from their headgear.

 

In opposition to its utilitarian wartime purpose, the recent revival of the snood is all about being excessive and ostentatious. And this time, boys can play too! Here are few of my favourite "circle scarves", as the less cultured among us call them.

I own the one on the left.

 

 

What came first - the snood or the hijab?