During the pandemic and with the obligation to wear mouth and nose protection, people have discovered the fun of covering accessories. That would explain the recent trend towards balaclavas, but the wrap-over trend has even more potential for fashion, as recently shown by the Balenciaga fashion house and other Fall-Winter 2022 collections.
The comfort of anonymity
The accessory is worn over the head, enveloping the head and neck, leaving a window for the face or just a viewing slit. What used to be useful as a functional disguise in winter sports or when robbing a bank is suddenly street-legal under the name Balaclava.
Perhaps people have gotten used to the convenience of anonymity when wearing a face mask? That was one of the findings of the fashion consultancy Hachmeister + Partner and the market researchers from Concept M when they examined people’s shopping behavior after the lockdowns in depth psychological interviews.
“The mask gives consumers a feeling of invisibility. His facial expressions are not visible to others. When I’m invisible to others, I stay in my comfort zone,” said Tobias Humpert, managing partner at Hachmeister + Partner.
Chic with knitwear
Now the balaclavas have fully arrived in the fashion mainstream. In a fluffy wool version, they are part of the winter collection from Arket, a fashion chain that belongs to the Swedish fashion group Hennes & Mauritz. With their collaboration, the Milan fashion house Jil Sander and the outdoor label Arc’teryx showed that the accessory also has its place in the Gorpcore trend.
The men’s fashion collections for the coming autumn show that the balaclava trend is just gaining momentum. The headgear is also available in a set, in the right pattern for scarves or other items of clothing – as with the fashion labels Ernest W. Baker, Sankuanz or Dolce & Gabbana. Some models also allow different ways of wearing, for example as a hat or scarf.
An accessory that is not entirely new
The name of the balaclava headgear should not be confused with the sweet pastry baklava. The name, which is commonly used in English-speaking countries, dates back to the Crimean War, when British soldiers wore the headgear to protect against the cold at the Battle of Balaclava. The functional accessory has been in use in the army or in sports for a long time.
In general, the past and use of the accessory are extremely versatile. In Peruvian folklore, masked hats called waq’ollo are worn with costumes; the shape of the balaclavas is also reminiscent of the chain hoods of knights from the European Middle Ages. In the past few decades, the accessory was often used for disguising, was popular with terrorists to conceal their identity, with ultras from the football scene or with demonstrators who prefer to remain anonymous.
A subversive garment on trend
It is this whiff of radicalism, violence, protest and subculture inherent in this hat that ultimately makes it interesting for fashion. The upcyling label Bean Baby, for example, presents a white balaclava with a slit and long rabbit ears, and thus a subversive accessory that is also trivializing. At the luxury fashion house Loewe, the balaclavas get a heart-shaped opening. In view of the discussions about face veil bans, the trend towards balaclavas also raises the question of the extent to which showing one’s face and ultimately one’s identity is culturally accepted and politically permitted. Would wearing a sea slit balaclava on the street before a fashion show be “okay” but wearing a niqab burqa at the same time be unacceptable?
The many names – even in German alone – such as bivouac cap, balaclava or Roger dust cap are further proof of the diverse areas of application. But for an emerging it-piece, a new name like Balaclava, which first appeared on designer Marine Serre’s Paris runway for Fall-Winter 2018, sounded better. The models’ hats featured their trademark crescent moon pattern. The masking accessory was also popular with designer Demna Gvasalia, who played with doomsday and fetish fantasies in his collections for Balenciaga and Vetements.
Taking the wrapping further
The trend towards covering up peaked last September when celebrity Kim Kardashian appeared at September’s Met Gala in a black body suit – accompanied by none other than Gvasalia. The woman who used to be known for her body suddenly disappeared behind her black silhouette, including her face… didn’t she?
Because despite her “invisibility” revealed her body shape, who was behind it. “People would instantly know it’s Kim because of her silhouette. You wouldn’t even need to see her face, you know?” Demna Gvasalia explained his concept in an article in Vogue magazine in early February. “And I think the real power of her celebrity is that people don’t have to see her face to know it’s her.”
Visibly hidden
So much for physical body coverings. Anyone who has had enough of balaclavas and masks but is looking for ways to remain anonymous in the digital world will find what they are looking for at the Dutch brand Balr. find it.
Founded by a football trio, the label has partnered with London-based tech and fashion brand Ishu for a collection that uses sunlight technology to distract the viewer’s gaze and distort the image. When taking photos, the outer fabrics of the jackets or ponchos — which contain thousands of nano-spherical crystals — reflect the flashlight back into the camera, keeping the wearer’s face in the dark.
Who better than celebrity soccer players to understand why clothes are needed to escape camera flashes?
This post was created with the help of Ole Spötter.