Baby, it’s cold outside – and desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s almost impossible to contemplate leaving the house these days without covering your head with a hat of some kind. Even those who dread the seemingly permanent effects of ‘hat hair’ have succumbed to wearing hats.
And because nothing is warmer than fur, and nothing keeps you cozier than a hood, the fur hood is the perfect solution when the temperatures fall below freezing. And don’t think this only applies to women – braving the frigid air has even driven men to take cover in a fur hood (did you see the picture of a cozy and warm fur-hooded Zang Toi in this past Sunday’s The New York Times ‘On the Street’ section taken by Bill Cunningham?) He was smiling because he was warm!
I myself have always loved and worn fur hoods and have luckily found wonderful vintage versions in all sorts of skins – complete with pom poms- on Ebay and through vintage dealers. Which is one reason I was so amused when I saw Michael Kors’s ‘mod’ inspired interpretations of the fluffy fox hood – complete with pom poms – on the fall/winter 2003 runway for the house of Celine in Paris last February. Of course, these will no doubt set you back well into the 4 figures.
But as luck would have it, at Goldin Feldman (150 West 30th street, 212 239- 0512), Anne Dee Goldin has created her own saucy version of the fox hood – with pom poms (which was editorialized in the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar) at a far more affordable price ($695). And it’s available in irresistible shades like mint green, lilac, pale pink, baby blue, plus black and white- or you can have it custom made in any fur of your choice. (FYI, Anne Dee is running a ‘Moving On Sale’ right now on all her furs, shearlings, outerwear, and accessories- which are being offered well below wholesale. Call for an appointment).
Another reliable source for the fox hood is Eugenia Kim (www.eugeniakim.com), the celebrated, inventive and creative ‘mad hatter’ (who has a major celebrity clientele) and whose philosophy is “hats are the ultimate cosmetic, as the right hat can transform the shape of the wearer’s face”. She sells her fluffy white and pastel fox and rabbit hoods (priced from about $325 to $595) at her eponymous shop in the east village (203 east 4th street, 212 673-9787), and online.
And if you click on to her website, you will find a complete listing of stores around town (including Barneys New York, Kirna Zabete, Takashimaya) and across the country where her designs can be found.
While you’re at it, check out her other designs, including my personal favorite (because I love trompe l’oeil): the whimsical $185 wool knit ski cap with trompe l’oeil sunglasses which is available in black, turquoise, and camel. With such fanciful headgear you may never want it to warm up.
