A snood () is a type of traditionally female

headgear Headgear, headwear, or headdress is any element of clothing which is worn on one's Human head, head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protective clothing, protection against t ...

, with two types known. The long-gone Scottish snood was a circlet made of ribbon worn by Scottish young women as a symbol of

chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains from sexual activity that is considered immoral or from any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for exampl ...

. In the 1590s, snoods were made using Florentine silk ribbon for the gentlewomen at the court of

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

by Elizabeth Gibb. The other type was intended to hold the hair in a cloth or net-like hat. In the most common form, the headgear resembles a close-fitting hood worn over the back of the head. It is similar to a hairnet, but snoods typically have a looser fit. Decorative hairnets, popular among women in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

, were referred to as snoods. This term was then applied to any netlike hat, and, in the 1930s, to a net bag headgear. This latter meaning became popular during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

when women joined the workforce ''en masse'' and were required to wear the headgear to avoid their hair getting caught by the moving parts of the factory machinery. For a short time during WWII, the snoods were at the height of fashion (a hit of Paris collections in 1939).

Beard snood

Another similar garment which is also referred to as a snood is used to cover facial hair such as beards and moustaches when working in environments such as food production. Although it appears that "hairnet" has replaced "snood" as the common term for hair containment on the head, the term "beard snood" (essentially a "ringed scarf") is still familiar in many food production facilities.

Religious use

Women's snoods are often worn by married Orthodox Jewish women, according to the religious requirement of hair covering (see

Tzniut ''Tzniut'' ( , , ; "modesty" or "privacy"; ) describes the character trait of modesty and discretion, as well as a group of Jewish laws pertaining to conduct. The concept is most important within Orthodox Judaism. Description ''Tzniut'' i ...

). Since these snoods are designed to cover the hair more than hold it, they are often lined to prevent them from being see-through. Contemporary hair snoods for Jewish women come in a wide range of colors and designs. In the 21st century, women use snoods primarily for religious reasons.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Snood (Headgear) 16th-century fashion 1860s fashion 1870s fashion 1940s fashion Fashion accessories Hoods (headgear) Jewish religious clothing Anne of Denmark