Hats, Coats, Hair (winter styling)

[Firefly]

I'm having a dilemma dealing with my hair this winter. This is the longest it's been so it's a new issue for me.

First, I wear scarves all the time. Even inside I have little lacy ones I like to wear because I find if my neck is warm, it helps me feel warm all over. I wear my hair up inside but feel like the scarf still rubs against the hair underneath the canopy, fraying the hair at the base of my neck; loose is worse... the whole underside gets tangly.

Outside, I have to wear hats. My ears are very sensitive to wind/cold (even on a very windy day on the beach in summer they will ache) so the hat is a must. I'm not fond of the ear/headband thingies. I can't wear it up because then I can't wear a hat. If I wear it down, I have a terrible time managing the length... IN the coat? Hanging outside of it? It can't hang down the back as I have a hood there, so I've just been wearing it pulled to one side in the front, but it still gets into trouble there with zippers and buttons. It feels like no matter what I do, it is getting rubbed/zipped/frayed or otherwise damaged.

So, what to do? I'm just looking to hear how others wear their hair in winter and hoping to get some different ideas to try. Thanks!

[Quixii]

I'm not much help because I haven't really invested in protective styling, but for hats I do two braids, because I think it looks cute and it doesn't get in the way of the hat. :)

[verene]

I don't know if this will work for you at all, but this is how I manage my hair in the winter: I braid, or bun it (at the nape), and cover my head with a large scarf, one loop covering the head, and then tie the ends around my neck. When I get where I'm going I can either take the whole thing off, or pull down the head loop to be a looser loop around my neck if I want to leave the scarf on. I've never been a fan of hats so this is how I keep from freezing my ears.

Is it possible to make a braid? They usually don't bunch up under hats, and if flat you can run it down your back under the coat, or pull it in front. Twin braids are my option I need to wear a hat. They still get in the way a bit but are more protective than anything else I've found. A crown braid, or pinned milkmaid braids could also be an option for keeping your hair up, but not bulging under a hat. I used these when I was in marching band and needed to fit my then mid-back-waist length hair under my helmet. It was a little fuzzy on taking the helmet off, but I could still wear the style the rest of the day.

[Isilme]

do low nape buns and side buns and wear silk scarves. Room for both hats and something to keep the neck warm. Silk prevents the hair from getting tangled

[heidihug]

I have the same problem, my ears have to be covered if it is the least bit windy outside. I always wear my hair up, especially in the winter and I have learned that hats are a no-go, unless I wear a floppy beanie type of toupe. Most of the time I wear ear muffs or a headband. If you knit, there is a pattern for a hat that has a hole in the back for your bun or pony, poke around in the hobbies threads here and you should be able to find it.

I wear sweaters and scarves and winter jackets and wool coats for up to eight months a year. I know that the nape hair will get tangly and knotted, it's just a fact of life for me. When I sit down at the end of the day, right before bed, I carefully unknot the tangles at the back, so I do not have to deal with them in the morning before work. There is some damage there from the friction and the constant tangling, but I trade the damage for warmth I get from snuggy clothes.

Sorry I can't be more of a help for you!

[ButterCup02]

I wear scarves all the time in winter too...I just wear my hair up usually so it's okay with the scarves.


I'm not much help because I haven't really invested in protective styling, but for hats I do two braids, because I think it looks cute and it doesn't get in the way of the hat. :)

I agree I usually do 2 braids if I am wearing a hat, winter or summer! I think it looks cute :)

Also when I am riding or doing other winter activities outdoors I will wear a head band type ear warmer. With those I can wear my hair in a high bun. They aren't that formal looking though so I just do it when I am riding, skating, snow mobiling, etc....:)

[Islandgrrl]

Braids work. One or two. But I'm also a big fan of buffs. I can wear it like a hat, scarf, headband or scrunchie. In fact, in winter I often wear it UNDER a hat to keep my ears warm.

[heidi w.]

I'm having a dilemma dealing with my hair this winter. This is the longest it's been so it's a new issue for me.

First, I wear scarves all the time. Even inside I have little lacy ones I like to wear because I find if my neck is warm, it helps me feel warm all over. I wear my hair up inside but feel like the scarf still rubs against the hair underneath the canopy, fraying the hair at the base of my neck; loose is worse... the whole underside gets tangly.

Outside, I have to wear hats. My ears are very sensitive to wind/cold (even on a very windy day on the beach in summer they will ache) so the hat is a must. I'm not fond of the ear/headband thingies. I can't wear it up because then I can't wear a hat. If I wear it down, I have a terrible time managing the length... IN the coat? Hanging outside of it? It can't hang down the back as I have a hood there, so I've just been wearing it pulled to one side in the front, but it still gets into trouble there with zippers and buttons. It feels like no matter what I do, it is getting rubbed/zipped/frayed or otherwise damaged.

So, what to do? I'm just looking to hear how others wear their hair in winter and hoping to get some different ideas to try. Thanks!


I don't wear my hair down overly often in public. In winter, my hair is up. The rare occasion it's down, whether down loose or down in, say, a braided length, when stepping outside, it is pulled into the coat. I have a couple of ways I do this.

All on one side, in front, zipped up underneath.
If loose, divided down the middle in the back and each side drawn in the front, pulled aside, and zip up a jacket over that.
Braided length allowed to stay down the back (also works for loose hair), then put on coat, zip up, and pull the length or braided ponytail up so it kind of flops over the collar, yet the majority of the length, particularly the oldest length, is under the jacket in back.

I can't wear a hat and wear my hair up. I wear my hair up most of the time, and my ears too are sensitive to the cold. SO I have a very long, knit scarf, and I double it (it's pretty wide too), put it over my head, on the top, so the bun sticks out the back, and then the length, one side I wrap around my neck, and likewise, opposite direction of the other length. This allows me to also pull things over my mouth or nose if it's that cold out. My jacket is a heavy-duty jacket with a high collar, and ALSO has a really big poofy attached kind of nylon hood, and sometimes I'll pull that over the head somewhat. (This is a ski jacket, actually, that I wear every day in winter.)

I recall somewhere this cool thread about a certain kind of cap that effectively does what my scarf does for me.

If you're concerned about the knit roughing up the hair, in my case, I get to work and take it off and it's fine, so I'm not usually wearing this scarf for a long time. You can wear a cotton or silk scarf underneath if you want, that touches the hair.

As for that bit of problem under the bun in the back, compared to loose and tangles and detangling, that's fairly acceptable usually. It's usually rather not a bit problem with damage in that zonage if hair is otherwise up.

heidi w.

[bumblebums]

Hoods are great. My hair is nowhere near as long as yours, but I bun all the time now and use hair sticks, and a hood fits over all that and keeps my ears and neck warm. The hood should be lined with something appropriate, like satin or polyester lining, as opposed to fleece.

The right hair accessory is a must, too. I just got a Flexi 8, and the bun I made with it fits under a hat without snags or pulls. The hat has to be pretty loose, though--beret style.

[heidi w.]

Bumblebums, right, my jacket is made of a slippery type of fabric. The only hiccup is the velcro sleeve tighteners. Occasionally, a hair end flips out and I have to re-twirl it round and under and sometimes the velcro then snags.

Anyway, yep, smooth fabric whenever possible. Partially also depends on your hair type. Curly, fluffy hair types may not do so swell with a knit scarf the way I describe.....

heidi w.

[Anje]

As far as hats go, there are multiple options. One is to knit or acquire something like the "Hannah hat" (the instructions are on Ravelry, it's basically a hat with a bun hole, that fastens under the bun), another is to wear hair in a down style (braided, loose, etc), a third is simply to have a hat large enough to accommodate your hair while it's in an updo.

My standard winter hat is big enough to fit over my bunned hair, and while it's a little awkward with a hairstick, I often just pull it over the whole thing. My day-to-day sticks don't have toppers to get bent, which helps. Floppy berets are useful, if you want more hair room.

[Firefly]

A big thanks to all that responded-- I am so psyched to check back in and find all these great ideas. I especially like the suggestion of protecting the hair with something like a buff or a scarf; I'll give that a go first. Braids are something I hadn't thought of but will play around with as well. And, yay! I have a new knitting project! :hollie: THANK YOU!!

[pepperedmoth]

I do what Anje suggested- I have a loose, stretchy hat that goes right over my bun. It does snag if I have pins or anything sticking out, but I don't usually.

[darkwaves]

Depends what I'm doing.

If my hair is up, I wear ear muffs -- the kind with that drape behind your head, not over it. Mine have very slim -- but warm! -- ear pads, and the back piece interferes with my nape hair less than my coat collar does. (Mine are 180s - www dot 180s dot com), and they scrunch into place really well.) Better visibility than a hood when I'm driving!

I also have a hood on my winter coat, and a couple of great hats, which work with loose or braided hair. (The hats are very hair-friendly, with satin linings, and cold friendly, with fleece flaps that fold down to cover your ears... www dot lillieandcohoe dot com.)

My hair is thick enough that if it's mild I don't wear any hair covering... So tonight, at 12F (-11C), no need for a hat... A week or so ago, at -32F/-56F with wind chill (-35C/-49C), the ear muffs worked well for the three minutes at a time I was between car and home/office/grocery store!

[RocketDog]

My hair is tangle-prone and I *must* keep my ears covered when it's cold because my earlobes are stretched and as such they are more susceptible to frostbite. Since my hair is still pretty short by LHC standards, I can either twist it up into a loose bun and put a hat on, or do one or two braids and just have the tails hanging outside the hat. If I am cold enough to need a scarf and hat I'll do the bun so that the scarf doesn't rub on the braids and make them frizz/tangle.

[ap1524]

It seems like someone else has been struggling with the same problem!

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/D577879.pdf

Actually, now that I found this patent I wonder if I can find a hat like this! If I do, I will post it here or PM you.

[ap1524]

Found one already - just google "ponytail hat" and you'll be surprised by the number of hits you get.

http://www.rei.com/product/726116?cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-726116&mr:trackingCode=7C81E595-EDAD-DE11-93DB-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA