People are just discovering the real reason why beanies have pom-poms on top – and it’s more than a cute fashion statement.
While pom-poms as an accessory on hats have existed for centuries, the beanie in its current form evolved from floppy berets during the Great Depression.
But its origins are believed to trace back to French sailors who added pom-poms to hats as a form of protection so they wouldn’t bang their heads while in tight spaces at sea.
The clever idea can also be traced back to Scandinavia during the age of Vikings from 800-1066, according to PLANSPONSOR.
During the Great Depression other accessories like tassels and jewelled ornaments were too expensive to spend money on in an economic crisis, so people started making pom-poms with leftover yarn from knitting projects.
The fashionable hats – topped with a bright red pompom known as a ‘toorie’ – first became popular in Scotland.
In some European countries, soldiers wore hats with pom-poms to define their rank or which regiment they belonged to.
The colour of the fluffy fabrics was also of significance as it signified the wearer’s order.
It’s believed French sailors added pom-poms to hats as a form of protection so they wouldn’t bang their heads while in tight spaces at sea
In some European countries, soldiers wore hats with pom-poms to define their rank or which regiment they belonged to (stock image)
Today the pom-poms are still featured on beanies worldwide but for looks rather than practicality.
The word ‘pom-pom’ also derives from the French word ‘pompon’, which refers to a ‘small decorative ball made of fabric or feathers’.
Other countries call pom-poms ‘bobbles’.
Last year an online shopper who spent $83 on a beanie couldn’t help but laugh when she tried it on for the first time.
Georgia, from Melbourne, ordered the beanie off Patagonia’s website ahead of a holiday in Canada.
The pom-pom hats can be traced back to Scandinavia during the age of Vikings from 800-1066, according to PLANSPONSOR (stock image)
However, when it arrived, she was disappointed – and a little amused – to discover that the hat made her look like a combination of Jamiroquai, Viktor Krum from Harry Potter and Pharrell Williams.
‘Today has been the funniest day of my whole life, I haven’t stopped laughing,’ she said in a video.
Georgia couldn’t shop cackling at her ‘hilarious’ new hat and how unfashionable it was.
She has tried folding it up, turning it inside-out and various other hacks – to no avail.
