It’s a hat.
It’s a scarf.
It’s mittens.
But most importantly, it’s very good at keeping you warm while looking oh so cool.

With current temperatures dipping well into the minus digits in South Korea, a quick wander about the numerous busy streets would no doubt result in the viewing of a smorgasbord of winter accessories: hats, mittens, scarves. There’s one accessory, however, that would undoubtably stand out from the rest. You could call it the leader of the winter accessory pack: the one and only Korean animal Hat.

I first laid eyes on this hat while living in Seoul during the winter of 2008. I’m pretty sure you could buy these at any Korean market but Paris Baguette, a local Korean pastry shop, were giving away “free” bear hats with every purchase of a Christmas cake.

And so, it ended up becoming the winter of the animal hat. Each and every time I saw my students wear this prized possession I was taken aback by the functionality and cuteness of this winter accessory - so versatile, so practical, so cute! Why don’t we have anything like this in North America?

You know where this is going. I was doing some shopping in one of our local malls and - bham - there it was. The Korean animal hat made it to the shelves of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Finally!

Have you seen them around your town or city?