Raising the Hood

New Yorkers are already well acquainted with the style, which has long been the sartorial insignia of would-be hipsters, boxers and youthful mall habitués. But for fall, designers elevated hoods, attaching them to cloaks, frocks and densely knitted sweaters, lending those items a luxurious gloss they haven’t possessed since André Courrèges issued square-cornered versions, an allusion to the space age, and Halston introduced his signature hooded cashmere capes.

WERE they off to some assignation? Taking cover from the flashbulbs? Or trying to disguise a bad hair day? Lots of of the models sauntering along the runways during New York Fashion Week were shrouded in hoods, a look as pervasive in the fall 2010 collections as it is on the streets and at the gym.

This week, fur and shearling hoods haloed models’ faces at Thakoon, Ralph Rucci and Thom Browne; hooded shawls swathed heads at Tahari and Wayne; and blanket-like versions turned up at Vena Cava. Hooded army-style parkas added a robust touch to more-casual lines — a chilled form of shelter on a blustery day.