Men’s Fashion Accessory – The Snood

There has been a bit of a big deal made about the snood recently on a lot of the other fashion blogs I read and even on the large retail sites. It was an item that was not around as strongly last year, although All Saints featured it heavily in a lot of their knitwear range for Autumn/Winter 08. The snood is basically like a scarf, but completely circular – as in it is connected to each end so you don’t “wrap” it around your neck, it goes on over your head and sits around the neck and shoulders. Think similar to a desert scarf in appearance.

This year it has started to come on strong within the world of men’s fashion (and women’s as well), as a lot of the major retailers have released versions in a multitude of colours and styles. I am not completely sold on the item, as I think scarves are obviously more versatile in the ways you can drape them and tie them when creating looks... but they do serve a purpose and give you a slightly different look in comparison to a scarf. They are quick and easy to throw on, which means they are actually practical when the weather changes in an instance and you do not have to stand there tying them or tucking them… or worry about them unravelling or flapping away in the wind!

The big difference between the scarf and the snood though is the ability to wear one as a modified hood… hence the name right! In this instance you can throw the snood over your head, and have it resting like a scarf around your neck, but because the material is gathered you can then pull excess fabric from the back up and over your head to keep your ears and top of your head covered at the same time. It also means you can create a different look to a scarf, as these will turn ANYTHING into a makeshift hoodie.

Personally I love the new knitwear that is available with snood/funnel necks instead of actual hooded tops. These offer something very different in comparison to the normal hoodies you can find, and so will set you apart in the crowd. I have included a selection of these, as well as stand alone snoods in the picks below. I am still not sold on the snood itself, as I am a BIG fan of scarves, and think they can enhance and create some flair within a look a lot easier… but what do you guys think? My mind is racing now about how you could create an outfit using a great statement jacket and then throw the snood on over the top and “modify” the look of the jacket on the fly… overcoats, macs, blazers can all become hooded varieties in an instance and redefine your look with one accessory.

The Snood

So today we have two types… clothing with the snood attached to it and the snood accessory itself.

All Saints
All Saints have gone crazy for this trend and have released multiple varieties and styles. As you can imagine this is probably a trend that is right up their street because it is slightly different and unusual. They tend to be really fashion forward in their designs and create pieces that will get you noticed. A lot of the knits have more of a “funnel” cut but they give off the appearance of a snood. Take a look at their range below:

The Rest