Wednesday, February 09, 2011


Hats In Boston

I'm sure I can come up with a better title than that, but give me a few minutes. My head is still half-frozen from the blasted freezing cold, despite wearing my excellent new hat.

So I wanted to write about one thing. Hats in Boston. It's one of the best things about the cold weather here -- and hell, we have had so much cold weather here. The hats in Boston in winter bloom in reds, blues, yellows, pretty oranges like a wooly garden of happy, cozy comfort. Spring will bring pretty tulips one of these days, but in the meantime, enjoy this hothouse of hats!

So, all I wanna say is, you see some amazing and insane and cool and funny hats in Boston. Wonderful crazy hats ... which people actually wear in order to keep warm.

I don't want to be a cold climate snob, but honestly when I see skateboarder types in wool hats in 75 degree L.A. and S.F. weather, it's slightly ridiculous. Just like seeing people in California wearing "winter boots" which sadly they sometimes try to sell here on the East Coast. You know what I mean -- suede boots with tall heels and no tread -- people here take one look at them and LAUGH! These are not boots. These boots would last about 5 seconds in Harvard Square. Give it up. You want boots -- start in Maine -- at L.L. Bean.

Speaking of boots and hats and cold weather -- may I please mention my too favorite sexy guilty pleasure brands -- which I've been forced to admit are wonderful thanks to this weather pushing us to the brink of snow madness. Here they are ... wait for them: Sorel Boots and Smartwool.

Like check out Sorel's wonderful "Joan of Artic" boots which also have that wonderful funky name. And Smartwool ... I can't say enough good about them. I crave them. [And no, dear readers, they don't pay me to say nice things. Full disclosure = I just happen to LOVE them!]

Like many people, you probably looked at Sorel and Smartwool and thought, "Jeez, they're kinda on the pricey side." But not anymore. I'm a believer. They are wonderful and warm and ESSENTIAL to living on this side of the U.S. without freezing to death or falling on your butt repeatedly when negotiating these icey tobogan run streets.

Picture Credit: Steve Garfield in a wonderful fur hat. So Boston!