Hej! Greetings from Copenhagen. I am in the Danish capital for fashion week, now regularly referred to as the “fifth fashion week” after New York, London, Milan and Paris – such is its influence in the industry and beyond.
While some of the catwalk trends have divided opinion (not everyone is down for a ballet flat/sneaker hybrid) on the streets, one item gets a firm yes: the bonnet. Yes, the head covering typically associated with newborns has been seen on everyone from the street-style set outside shows to the Danes queueing at bakeries for their morning buns. It’s not just in Denmark, either. The accessory is thriving and bumping beanies off the headgear charts in London and New York. One TikTok user summed it up: “Brat summer, bonnet winter”.
The most popular versions are knitted, and have under-chin straps. Some come with longer straps that can be tied into a large bow or tossed around the neck and worn like a scarf. There are some that sit tightly against the wearer’s scalp, while others are more relaxed. The more maximalist showgoers in Copenhagen have even been wearing versions adorned with sequins, feathers and tiny metal rings.
Some wearers call them hoods, others refer to them as a balabonnet – a cross between a balaclava and a bonnet. On TikTok, tutorials on how to knit or crochet them are racking up thousands of views. Mette Wendelboe Okkels, the Danish knitwear designer and founder of PetiteKnit who created the viral mini Sophie scarf, is experiencing similar success with her bonnet pattern.
Closer to home, the British knitwear brand Herd has collaborated with the homeware shop Straw London on a range, which come in matching baby sizes. The founder, Ruth Alice Rands, says Herds is on its fourth restock since launching it in December. Knitted with bluefaced Leicester wool with a deep rib and pointelle stitching, Rands credits their popularity to the silhouette. “It looks feminine without being too girly so, despite being called a bonnet, they have a broad appeal.”
Elsewhere, Simone Rocha sells a padded and faux-fur-lined version (£364), while Urban Outfitters does cutesy ones with teddy-bear ears (£22). Three of the eight colour options from Rise & Fall’s cashmere and merino wool version, for £79, are sold out.
While these iterations are being lauded, the writer Nadeine Asbali points out that not every type of head covering gets such a warm welcome. She compares them to hijabs, a head covering worn in public by some Muslim women that covers the head and neck and which have become widely politicised. Last year, the French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla was told she would have to swap her hijab for a baseball cap to participate in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. As Asbali writes: “When is a head covering a controversial garment – even oppressive and patriarchal in the eyes of some – and when does it become fashion-forward and edgy?”
Elsewhere, online some have tried to draw links between a surge in the popularity of bonnets to a wider movement against dressing for the male gaze, which is a response to backlash against women’s rights. Others compare them to the headpieces worn in The Handmaid’s Tale. However, the fashion historian Amber Butchart thinks today’s versions are closer to balaclavas – an item with historical ties to the military. “During many past conflicts, women were encouraged to knit items such as balaclavas at home to send to the frontlines,” she says. “So it’s an item that has connotations of the battlefield – which feels apt in today’s divided political landscape – but also of providing care, warmth and comfort to others.”
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But perhaps it’s not always so deep. As one attendee in Copenhagen pointed out, the dual function of a bonnet is its ultimate appeal. Simultaneously keeping the head and back of the neck toasty, it eliminates the need for a scarf – meaning you have one less thing to think about when you get dressed to go out.
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