All wrapped up: how men’s neckwear got emotional

Last week, during a particularly tense moment in an equally tense match between Manchester City and Liverpool, the City manager, Pep Guardiola, threw his snood on the ground in a tantrum.

There was no need (City won), but when viewed alongside Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, a manager who tends to wear his own snood-like “gaiter” wrapped around his face throughout an entire match, it suggested there is more to the snood-gaiter-whatever than meets the eye. It is not simply there to keep us warm: it is a tool, a shield, and a glaring example of how accessories can be weaponised without the wearer losing face.

As a rule, we should probably avoid trendspotting during displays of anxiety. Comfort dressing and giant scarves probably have less to do with, say, the ache of Brexit and more to do with the weather. Still, it’s hard not to make some sort of link when you see men’s fashion emotionally played out in the Premier League.Scarves, snoods, gaiters, ties, blankets and shawls are obviously big business in winter. We know this because they are one of the few trends that are as reliable on the street as they are on the catwalk, even if they tend to be worn differently. The usual gender issues don’t apply here; this neckwear is not gender-specific, and men are having fun with it – scarves are a safe space for colour and are cheaper than a new coat.

The current run of men’s shows, which just wrapped up in London and are en route to Florence, were awash with all manner of neckwear worn in a myriad of ways. At Per Götesson, stubby versions were worn like neckerchiefs with little warmth. And at A-Cold-Wall* and Lou Dalton, large scarves were wrapped around the models’ arms like cuffs, a florid technique that did little other than showcase the pattern.

At Bobby Abley, however, they were long and cheerigly yellow, and worn with balaclavas – which makes more sense in a nuclear winter. Sometimes fashion does kowtow to the practical.

On the high street, scarves have a new elasticity. The bestselling accessory at Zara men is a small snood, while Weekday has just launched a line of men’s scarves in preppy block colours. Gaiters, the latest addition to Urban Outfitters winter armoury launched this season, are effectively snoods rebranded for millennials. They are compact, fleecey, and insidiously nerdy, tapping into the hiking trend that continues to run this season, although Zara does a fun version that looks like a padded swimming band.

More soothing are the swathes of oversized scarves at New Look, although styling these can be a minefield. “When it’s really cold, no scarf is insulating enough. I tend to grab the nearest blanket and wrap it round myself,” says the senior style editor at Matchesfashion.com, Chris Hobbs.

He flits between a yellow Loewe scarf and a large mohair version by Acne Studios, but remains inspired by Lenny Kravitz’s giant-scarf moment. The US fashion writer Max Berlinger sits in the opposite camp. “I hate oversized ones that are chunky and look like they’re swallowing your head,” he says. “I think scarves are best when they are securely fastened at your neck and keep you warm. Life is complicated enough as it is.”

It is worth noting that snoods were banned by the International Football Association Board in 2011 and that ex Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once called players who wore them “powder puffs”. See? Emotional.

This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set. More information.