I've always been a big fan of hoods on clothes, and living in a place with next to nothing by way of a proper winter tends not to be a good thing if one is fonder of wearing winter clothes than summer clothes. Hoods have had a bit of a bad name in recent years thanks to their sweatshirt avatars (which I love anyway, so-called chav/other associations notwithstanding), but a slightly structured hood is, IMO, one of the coolest ways to add drama to an outfit while simultaneously letting it be practical. In fact, no one puts it better than Dreamecho, who once said, in response to my drooling over the lovely Prairie Underground hooded jacket she'd showcased on her blog:
"The drama of the hood...where at one moment we can cloak our faces in shadow and at another be visible to all the world."
That pretty much sums it all up, really- it's odd that a simple attachment to a garment has so much potential to look austere (I keep thinking of monks) and relaxed at the same time. And I suspect this dichotomy is what keeps my fascination with hoods going (that and the fact that they saved my ears from freezing off through five successive North Indian winters), and it's unlikely to stop any time soon. Spring might be not too far away, but large chunks of the Northern hemisphere are still cold, and sometimes hats are just too much of a pain to take on and off.
And now, in pictures:
That pretty much sums it all up, really- it's odd that a simple attachment to a garment has so much potential to look austere (I keep thinking of monks) and relaxed at the same time. And I suspect this dichotomy is what keeps my fascination with hoods going (that and the fact that they saved my ears from freezing off through five successive North Indian winters), and it's unlikely to stop any time soon. Spring might be not too far away, but large chunks of the Northern hemisphere are still cold, and sometimes hats are just too much of a pain to take on and off.
And now, in pictures:
Needs no explanation, really: probably the first character one thinks of when thinking of the word 'hood'. 
Though I bet Queen Michelle could kick a wolf's ass: the hood might not have been the main focus of her outfit here, but I do prefer her version of the look for its lack of 'scared little girl' vibe.
Hoods are whimsical, cutely worn, and above all, they look warm.
And dramatic, too (L: by Michelle Lowe-holder, R: by Prairie Underground)
And who says they're for girls/winter only?(Yoshio Kubo SS09)
9 comments:
They're making t-shirts with hoods now. My friend was looking for one at H&M. (My utilitarian side promptly made fun of him.)
I like hoodies. For some reason I've never thought of little red riding hood though. And I find they're not as useful as a warm cap/beanie/touk in winter. (So I'm not very utilitarian either.)
Also, hoods are just really frigging flattering to a woman's face.
I must confess...I've never owned a hoodie.
Oh, a hood will instantly win me over to an outfit.
A hood does give an outfit a special punch. Great post and awesome pics to illustrate it!
Han: Hoodie t-shirts sound like fun..and I suppose the warmth of a hood depends on how big it is, too- a good-sized one in heavy fabric will probably keep your ears toastier than most caps.
The Kindly One: I know, especially the larger hoods.
WendyB: I know it's an odd trip to go on, hoods....
Ambika: Agreed there :)
Deep_in_Vogue: Thank you! I'm glad you like the pics, though none of them are mine :)
I love a vaguely medieval hood, like the one from Bored and Beautiful that you've posted.
I love hoods.
The coat I have been wearing this winter has a hood- and i love it. It´s supercomfy, and when wearing the hood up I feel kind of mysterious, like a character from another world. Or something. And, furthermore, it's great when one wants to hide. So, hurray for the hoodie!
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