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*Snoods*

GOK

One Too Many
Messages
1,308
Location
Raxacoricofallapatorius
I often wear a snood and as with most of the other stuff I wear, I just get comments about looking like His granny. Needless to say, Himself is not impressed with my vintage looks. My housekeeper, OTOH, says I look lovely in a snood...and I don't even have to pay her to say that! lol
 

Faye Valentine

Registered User
Messages
42
Location
Glendora, Ca
I didn't even know people had no idea that snoods (or even hairnets!) used to be an everyday fashion thing. Then again, I grew up watching movies like "Gone with the Wind."

But anyway, back to the point. I thought people knew what they were until I started getting comments like "Who do you work for? The lunch lady?" Then, finally, my junior year in high school, a rockabilly friend of mine asked me where I got my snoods from. It was only a year later I realized it was because snoods were really popular back in the 40s. And you know how those rockabilly scene kids love that retro look. Snoods are great though! They easily give you an authentic 1940s hair-do!
 

r lush

New in Town
Messages
33
Location
Seattle
a little search for snoods online...

I get my snoods on ebay....
search with "hair snood"

(From what I have read online) snoods became popular in the 1940s because of WWII for two reasons rationing and practicality...

"While snoods first came into fashion in the 19th Century, they became popular again in Europe during World War II. At that time, the British government had placed strict rations on the amount of material that could be used in clothing. While headgear was not rationed, snoods were favored, along with turbans and headscarves, in order to show one's commitment to the war effort". (link)

"Many female factory workers copied Veronica Lake's peek-a-boo hairstyle during WWII, that got actively promoted the snood as a means of preventing such long hairstyles getting caught in the machines. The interesting element of such an influence is that it was unplanned and unintentional". (link)


(This photo of her hair caught in the machinery is part of that promoting...)
LifeMagVeronicaWWII.jpg



as for modern gals wearing them, I was watching Americas Top Model reruns and one of the gals looked very stylish sporting one in her casual clothing. also as much as I dislike her, Christina Aguilera has been spotted wearing one as well. Here is a link to a page that makes fun of her for it.
 

Tough Cookie

One of the Regulars
Messages
147
Location
Los Angeles
I think it also has a lot to do with the materials used for the snood. You can do chunky yarn, fine thread with beads strung on it, ribbons, or poly-stretch. Poly-stretch probably looks more in line with the cafeteria lady image than the others.

My hair is so fine that it slips right through any holes, so I'd have to wear a wiglet or something inside to give shape/weight, and to hopefully prevent my hairs from sticking out, lol! I'm not opposed to that, but if I'm going to the effort of rolling my hair (or wearing a wig/wiglet), I'm not much inclined to cover the work with a snood anyways.
 

Rebecca D

One of the Regulars
Messages
190
Location
San Francisco
One thing I recommend regarding the snood is to shop carefully and make sure you’re wearing it well. I’ve seen way too many modern-made snoods end up looking more like rasta hats than snoods! The vintage ones are gorgeous and you can find good repros on ebay if you look hard enough, but a lot of the cheap ones you find at retro shops usually look, well, like poorly made rasta hats. I have no problem with rastas, but I’m assuming most snood wearing women aren’t trying to go for that look.

img00474.jpg
 

r lush

New in Town
Messages
33
Location
Seattle
Tough Cookie said:
I think it also has a lot to do with the materials used for the snood. You can do chunky yarn, fine thread with beads strung on it, ribbons, or poly-stretch. Poly-stretch probably looks more in line with the cafeteria lady image than the others.

humm I think you have something there! The ones online with pearls are pricey but, I could add some pearl beads to one of the ones I already have. Think I will do that, thanks! ;)
 

BegintheBeguine

My Mail is Forwarded Here
GOK said:
I often wear a snood and as with most of the other stuff I wear, I just get comments about looking like His granny. Needless to say, Himself is not impressed with my vintage looks. My housekeeper, OTOH, says I look lovely in a snood...and I don't even have to pay her to say that! lol
My best friend also said "Hey, Grandma" when he saw me in a snood, and not just because of the song. I put the kibosh on that criticism by replying that it is entirely possible I am a grandmother. :p
Now I want to make one of theose turban/scarf thingies that hang down the back of the head from a headband, like a fabric snood. A character wore a beautiful one in Abbott and Cosetllo Meet Frankenstein, of all things.
 

Sunny

One Too Many
Messages
1,409
Location
DFW
BegintheBeguine said:
Now I want to make one of those turban/scarf thingies that hang down the back of the head from a headband, like a fabric snood. A character wore a beautiful one in Abbott and Cosetllo Meet Frankenstein, of all things.

Oh, that's one of their best movies! And would that be this?

meetfrankenstein05.jpg


Very nifty! The stand-up part on the headband really sets it apart. Will yours be black satin like the good doctor's? lol
 

BegintheBeguine

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Thanks, Sunny

That's it! I love it! I have some black satin, of course. She also wore a beautiful one to the Halloween (or whatever it was) party. My library has that movie and Mr. Wong the pug and I watched it last year; I'll have to borrow it again. (Mr. Wong named after Karloff, if anyone cares ;) )
 

Sunny

One Too Many
Messages
1,409
Location
DFW
Ooh, I'll have to check on the Hallowe'en one. Didn't that one go with her white Grecian costume? Do you want a cap of it?
 

Nashoba

One Too Many
Messages
1,384
Location
Nasvhille, TN & Memphis, TN
The only comments I've ever gotten other than compliments was this: I was wearing one while at the mall with my best friend finishing up our christmas shopping and one of the workers at a kiosk asked me if I was Jewish. I grew up jewish so I answered yes...umm why? He said I reminded him of the Israeli settlers in his home country and asked me if I was orthodox. I had totally forgotten that some sects still wear them as modesty headcoverings. Go figure. It was odd but not an insult.
 

Sunny

One Too Many
Messages
1,409
Location
DFW
I got a little confused. The Hallowe'en snood goes with Joan's gypsy costume, not the doctor's Grecian costume. To be a Greek, one wore gold circlets. :) I wish I could find better pictures; there weren't any really close-up shots.

meetfrankenstein18.jpg


If this is the one you want to re-create, it's a bit of a conundrum, m'dear!

Unlike the black satin one, this one is not a simple bag. The fabric is very light, which allows it to flow. It is very full; if laid flat, I'd guess a good 20" or more wide. The thing that puzzles me is how it hangs in definite folds.

A very lightweight fabric could hang in folds, when allowed to hang straight - and there's no hair inside to weigh it down. Joan's hair is very curled and quite short. However, even when she turns her head and the snood flies out behind her, the folds remain. Look here for an "action" shot.

Look at the pictures where she's bending down to look at the cabinet and book. If this were a simple bag, it ought to slide and hang smoothly over her back and shoulders. Instead, you can see large folds.

Right now I'm speculating that there's a seam on the underside/invisible side of the snood, with the material either gathered or in large pleats.

It also hangs in square corners at the side. In the side view you can see how these corners hang over her shoulders.

The good news is that the concealed headband looks very simple, and there's no tiara to fool with! lol

I thought Photobucket would let me share an album, but it seems not. I'll just link to the pictures here. Go ahead and save them to your computer if you can.

Black Satin Snood
01
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Gold Gypsy Snood
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Decobelle

One of the Regulars
Messages
234
Location
USA
snoods

I ordered a beautiful one from Retro L'Amour in the UK. They're knitted from original patterns, and look terrific (NO resemblance to the cafeteria ladys'). They also stay in place really well, unlike most of the repro snoods you usually see, and are very large - especially great if you have long, thick hair. Lots of colors to choose from as well as different styles - it was hard to pick just one. They don't start knitting until you place the order, so it takes about a month. The shipping to west coast USA was really fast, though.

http://www.retrolamour.co.uk/Shop.html
 

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