Anyone else frustrated by what winter hats do to hair?

[Lippytoes]

It's really cold in Finland right now, so I have to wear pretty much every possible layer of clothing I own. :D Especially important are hats that are warm enough to keep out the freezing cold wind.

However, there's an obvious problem with wearing winter hats: every single hairdo looks flat and blah when I take my hat off. I want to do more than just basic braids and buns, and I don't want to have to wait till spring... But everything comes off either flat or messy, and/or staticky after it's been under a hat.

I like hats (especially the one I just knitted for myself, yay) - but it's really frustrating that they're so detrimental to pretty hairstyles. Can't wait till the weather warms up...

So. Anyone else experiencing frustration with regard to winter hats? :D

[CrisDee]

Yup, me. I've taken to simply wearing those ear muffs that go around the back of your head - I still lose a bit of heat out the top of my head, but having my ears warm seems to be enough.

[Ishje]

yes totally! but not just with winterhats, also with summer hats.
the only thing I can wear with them seems to be braids or down.

[Gabriel]

I use a Calorimetry when it's really cold. Covers the top of the head and ears but leaves updo areas open, even with a really big hair toy.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5464&pictureid=92192

Here's a couple of threads with more info on long hair friendly winter hats:

Show me your Calorimetry! (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=38109&highlight=winter+hats)

A perfect cap for longhairs with cold ears (yes, pic inside!) (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=12402&highlight=winter+hats)

[Cupofmilk]

I have had to find an extra large fleecey hat to cover my hair in a bun when up. I wish I could buy another but this was an old one of my mothers.

[Finoriel]

Oh yes :agree:
Winter can be very long and cold and annoyingly restricting with updo possibilities. If it's not too cold I wear a calorimetry style or fleece headbands or a Buff. Those are not too badly messing with my updos and I can wear a bun with them.
Unfortunately that's not enough to prevent brainfreeze (:p) when it's really cold. Then I wear hats with ear flaps and nape-cover with a braid. And it means fuzzy squished hair when taking off the hat.
It's annoying, but since everybody else around me is suffering from the same phenomenon it somehow makes it less bad.
I also think that long hair squished by a hat is not as bad as short hair squished by a hat... I remember that my pixie-cut always looked extremely ahem "personalized" :laugh: after taking off a hat.

[ktani]

I wear a fake fur hat similar to this in design, http://www.etsy.com/listing/62392383/berber-pillbox-winter-hat.

Mine has a satin acetate lining. It matches my winter coat in colour (my coat has fake fur trim) and is machine washable and dryable. There is room to put my hair up and if I wear my hair down, the top does not get flattened because the hat does not fit "tight".

If it is very cold, I also wear bandless ear muffs in the same colour.

[GRU]

I used to have a hat/scarf combination that was more like a hood on a cape than a hat. The scarf was attached to the hood, and when you wore it, you could put the hood on first, cross the scarf ends under your chin and down across your chest, then put your coat on over the top of the scarf to hold it on.

It worked much better than an ordinary hat because it didn't need to be tight on my head (and therefore crushing my hair-do) in order to stay on -- even the harsh winter wind couldn't pull it off once the scarf ends were secured under your coat.

[CareBear]

I found a knitting pattern for a hat with a slit up the back so the 'ol pony tail or whatnot could hang out. It was spiffy because the entire head is covered. Of course, when I knitted it, my gauge was so off it ended up being suitable for someone, oh, 5 years old! lol! I'm not the best knitter. But I want to try again because stocking caps have the annoying tendency to sliiiide up my head, bringing my hair with it, then plopping off altogether, leaving snarls and mayhem behind. Currently I wrap my scarf over my head and around my neck, it leaves the 'do free but keeps my ears warm :D but it's not suitable for serious cold. (Un)luckily we haven't had much of a winter. (hey, I like snow. I can say that cuz we rarely get any; otherwise I'd probably hate it!)

[Lippytoes]

Calorimetries are really handy, definitely - trouble is, it's just so cold right now that I'd freeze my head off if I tried to wear just that. :D But yeah, it's true that winter hats may be even more destructive for short hair in terms of looking good...

[Lippytoes]

I used to have a hat/scarf combination that was more like a hood on a cape than a hat. The scarf was attached to the hood, and when you wore it, you could put the hood on first, cross the scarf ends under your chin and down across your chest, then put your coat on over the top of the scarf to hold it on.

It worked much better than an ordinary hat because it didn't need to be tight on my head (and therefore crushing my hair-do) in order to stay on -- even the harsh winter wind couldn't pull it off once the scarf ends were secured under your coat.


Ah, I'd like to knit one of those hat/scarf combos! If it was knit tightly enough, it does seem like it'd be warm enough even in a sharp wind.

[krissykins]

I think I should invest in a calorimetry. Darn you, LHC! Enabling me again!

I normally wear a scarf up to my ears or a coat with a hood. Sometimes I just let my ears get cold. I haven't really worn any winter hats, although I should considering I love knitting them!

[ingvild]

I also like the calorimetry, but when the wind is blowing my head needs coverage! It really makes a big difference.

How about a really slouchy hat?

[terpentyna]

i also dislike static and flatness in winter... I have no better Idea than keeping the hair up though.

correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm convinced that not keeping your head warm in winter is one of the worst things you can do for your scalp/growth... the cold narrows blood vessels and we don't want that... just saying that hat hair is probably the lesser evil.

[homeschoolmama]

Oh my, I have this problem too! But like Ishje said I have the same problem with summer hats.

I have just started crocheting earlier this year, and have been considering making a really chunky crocheted hooded scarf. My thought was that if it caused tangles I could try stitching in a silk liner, and if it's not warm enough I could always pad the liner!

[slythwolf]

This winter I started wearing a head scarf instead of a hat. It has worked out well for me so far.

[Cirafly24]

My winter coat has a big warm hood that velcroes under the chin...it's roomy enough for any bun (even a fully rolled sock bun!), and the satin lining doesn't rough up my updos. It's also down filled and has faux fur around the edges. Mmmm....toasty!

[Lippytoes]

I also like the calorimetry, but when the wind is blowing my head needs coverage! It really makes a big difference.

How about a really slouchy hat?

Oh yep, the bitter winds really make a proper head covering a necessity.

Super slouchy hat, true! I'd totally forgotten about my plans to make one. :) Apparently I'm currently too fond of the stylish brimmed hat I just knitted to remember other knit projects...

[Honestwitness]

I do a cinnamon bun at the nape, held with small bobby pins, so nothing pointy projects out beyond the bun. Then I use two snap clips, one on either side of the bun, to keep my face-framing layers back. I let the sides stay down over my ears, for warmth.

Then I use a silk scarf - about 22 inches square - folded in a triangle - as a bandana. Then, I slip over that a slouchy beret I crocheted out of very warm acrylic yarn. Then I secure the beret with larger snap clips at the temples. I sometimes pull a neck warmer down over that to keep my neck warm.

Once I get to work, I always re-do my hair in a less compact do.

[anodyne_ame]

I like wearing buns close to the crown of my head, but my winter hat doesn't allow for any of that, sadly. I decided that keeping my head warm in this weather was more important, though. If I lower my buns to the nape of my neck, then I can wear my hat so that the bun sticks out (and I cover it with my scarf). If I want to wear something simple then I leave my hair down and do the hairstyle when I get indoors.

But I sympathise with the helmet-hair-effect and especially the static. My hair gets really annoying, it's either standing up or plastered against my face. Both impressive styles, but not in the positive way :P

[Luna12345]

Yes, I live in Canada and our winter is very cold so just like you I always haveto wear a hat or hood because if I don't my ears and head will freeze. It's really annoying , i can't have a pretty hairstyle in the winter when going out. I just stick to a low pony tail untill the weather is less cold.:(

[krissykins]

Yes, I live in Canada and our winter is very cold so just like you I always haveto wear a hat or hood because if I don't my ears and head will freeze. It's really annoying , i can't have a pretty hairstyle in the winter when going out. I just stick to a low pony tail untill the weather is less cold.:(

There are plenty of braids and buns you can wear with a hood! :D

[Luna12345]

There are plenty of braids and buns you can wear with a hood! :D

My hair is layered so it's really hard to have a pretty braid:(
I'll haveto wait for some of my layers to grow out.:)