“Should I know what a balaclava is?” a colleague asked me after I told her I planned to wear one for a few days. “It’s basically a ski mask,” I replied. “Oh! Like Calvin Klein, huh?” Yes. Also featured were styles from Gucci, Marni, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, and Dior, among other designers. The knitted headgear was one of the weirdest accessories on the fall 2018 runways, right up there with the ugly shoes. In context, though, it makes sense, as many of the season’s collections are based on ideas of safety, protection, and doomsday preparation. In reality, it’s also a highly practical accessory that’s long been worn by winter sports enthusiasts and soldiers on the front lines of combat in cold climates. The balaclava was actually invented shortly after the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War, when locals knitted a hat for soldiers to wear under their helmets. In modern times, it has also become a symbol of protesters like the Pussy Riot girls, who wear pink balaclavas to hide their faces. It provides protection and warmth, but is it reliable and durable enough in a place like New York City these days? With the fourth nor’easter bringing spring last week, I figured that even though fall is still a long way off, now would be a good time to check it out.
The balaclava I tried on was a little more understated than the Calvin Klein or Gucci variety. It’s from New York brand Kule, and it looks like the one Jackie Kennedy wore in Harry Benson’s 1968 photo of her skiing down a mountain: sporty, with a retro edge. I wore it while walking down the street in a snowstorm last Wednesday, and I’m so glad I did — it really works. I wore it again to the Vogue offices the next day, wandering around and waiting for reactions. People laughed, and my picture was posted on Instagram. I almost lost one of my antique silver earrings trying it on. And then it got really hot. Talking through the fabric makes my face feel like I’m in a sauna. It should also be noted that I just had lunch, and breathing in your own air after eating spicy lentil soup isn’t very healthy.
Outside, it was a different story. The next day, a coworker and I walked out of the World Trade Center and into Brookfield Place for lunch. I could barely feel the wind blowing down the West Side Highway, but it was hard to show any emotion. My coworker made a witty remark, and I turned away, wanting her to see me smile, but she didn’t. “I feel like I’ve had Botox,” I told her. “Nobody knows if I’m happy, sad, angry, or indifferent.” A few kids looked at me, seemingly a little scared, and one old man squinted at me suspiciously, as if he thought I was going to rob him. Other than that, I got far fewer sideways glances than I expected. On the busy assembly line, I tried to order a salad but couldn’t make out the word “avocado” through my cashmere sweater. I took it off, took a deep breath of fresh air that I couldn’t get with the balaclava on, and went back to work without it.
I had a bit of a cold over the weekend, but I decided to brave the still-frigid temperatures and ride a SoulCycle bike. I donned a balaclava and sulked my way through Tribeca to the gym. Pros: The hat acts as a filter, so cold air doesn’t get into my mouth or nose and make coughing and sneezing worse. Cons: It can be a bit messy if you have a runny nose (sorry, it’s true). The smartly dressed moms in my neighborhood looked at me with disgust, and some giggled at their friends pushing identical strollers. Of course, the ever-cheerful SoulCycle staff was thrilled: “What a great hat!” After a grueling workout, I put it back on (again, in less-than-ideal hygiene conditions) and trudged home. In sweatpants, hiking boots, and a balaclava with a little pom-pom on top, I definitely didn’t look like a Calvin Klein model getting ready for an apocalypse party. But I felt pretty comfortable. While you won’t see me in a full-face, bejeweled hat this fall, I’m sure plenty of street style influencers will. The only problem? You won’t even know who they are.