This year the demand for snoods (スヌード), not to be confused with retro hair nets, has become so high among women that a department store in Okayama is experiencing a shortage of the headgear. In August the store stocked a range of over 500 snoods priced between ¥5,000 to ¥10,000, but supplies are already running low due to the high demand from female customers. Yomiuri Online reports that Daimaru department store in Marunouchi, Tokyo, is also doing a brisk trade in snoods, selling about 40 a week to a clientele of mature women aged 30 to 50. Both woolen and furry varieties are popular in a range of different lengths and all options tie in well with this year's trend for Nordic fashion.
While the trend shows some resemblance to the snoods worn on last year's Western catwalks, what Japanese women are actually wearing is more of an evolved take on the classic snood. The loose scarf-like material is sewn in a circle, ready to be wrapped around the head or neck several times. What is known as a snood in the West is actually called a neck warmer (ネックウォーマー) here, we know, it's super confusing!
Snoods are also popular with dogs but the canine snood is, again, different, being closer to an elasticated head-band used to keep long ears back when eating dinner, keeping dogs warm and as a cute fashion accessory when out for a walk. According to a pet store owner interviewed by Sanyo Shinbun, sales of snoods for dogs have quadrupled since dogs began to don the headgear three years ago. For a look at the range of styles on offer, check out the selection at Rakuten. We especially dig this cute watermelon dog snood in the video above. Ahhhh kawaiii.