@Irina -- I do drive, I mean I have a licence and can drive -- but I prefer not to and we are a one car family, so I mostly walk, bike, or take transit. And I walk a LOT, even not having a dog. (I joke with my dog-walking neighbours that I *should* have a dog because I walk as often or more often than they do!) Anyway -- lifestyle definitely makes the difference, Carla, but hairstyle does play a role, too.

You are correct. I misquoted. The comment I was thinking of was a supposition about what it’s like to have other hair, on ST’s thread about toppers.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you wear your long hair down. I could see how that might conflict with necklines (and toppers), and make scarves seem like too much.

Sorry for the confusion.

Oh, I always do a hood. Protection from droughts down the back of the neck, even with it down. I used to do wool overcoats and scarves… but I’ve lost a lot of scarves…

I love hoods. Only my wool midi coats don't have them. If my neck is covered, I'm good, and hoods, even when they're down, offer an insulating effect.

I love a hood. In fact, I do have a lovely puffer that gets very little wear because it doesn't have a hood! I do wear hats and scarves but during deep winter hood adds an extra layer of protection from the wind and snow.

I like a hood for functional items but really do not like how they look. A hat plus a hood is often perfect for cold windy snowy weather. A hood works better for windy rainy days also.

I do like a well designed adjustable hood on rain gear. I tend to remove detachable hoods though. They are usually there as an afterthought on garments that look better without them.

Like you Carla, I notice that my field of vision is limited by a hood. I do like one on rain gear because an umbrella limits my visual field more than a hood! Parka hood only when out in a high wind snowstorm.

I used to dislike hoods but now that my hair is short i suppose I should try them again. With long hair, I either had my hair up in a bun that didn’t fit inside the hood, or down and had to cram it all inside awkwardly.

Two years ago I bought a real waterproof raincoat with hood. Then it basically didn’t rain for two years. In our record breaking downpour a few weeks ago I finally got to appreciate the hood!

I love a hood. Sometimes I’ll choose one of my outerwear pieces specifically because it has a good, sometimes I’ll choose to wear a hoodie underneath a non-hooded topper. They can really come in handy! I have enough options of either variety that I can either go hoodless or hooded. All depends on weather and activity. I also like how the volume of a hood on the back of my neck can provide either a bit of warmth, or a little padding to keep my neck from getting rubbed by a camera strap when I’m out photographing.

Carla - Oh yes, absolutely! The limited vision annoys me too. It depends on the shape and size of the hood, I've discovered, some are better than others

I like hoods on my puffers and rain gear/coats, but for dressy wool coats (which I haven’t worn much in the last two years), definitely not.

For me, it very much depends on the piece and on the hood itself. I love a good-fitting hood, but that is hard to find. They are often too large and floppy on me, sometimes literally falling over my eyes. Talk about impractical!

So I don't mind a hood that fits on outerwear, but I despise hoods on things I wear indoors - hooded sweatshirts or hooded dresses or lighter, worn-with-an-outfit jackets. Again, it seems completely impractical, as why would I wear a hood indoors? I also dislike when a hood is large or bulky enough that it affects how I sit in a car. Hoods that make me keep my head unnaturally forward because they are so bulky are awful and often removed.

I love hoods. I prefer to be hands free and find umbrellas a pain. A properly designed fur trimmed hood *should* catch snow to keep it out of your face on windy days! Unfortunately my Lole puffer which I otherwise love has a poorly designed hood which slumps over my face a bit, restricting my vision more than a stiffer one and not really creating the little protected bubble of warm dry air you get from a great hood. I won’t compromise on that feature when I buy my next one. I do appreciate that it’s a removable hood (and the fur trim is also removable from the hood) because it makes the coat feel more wearable in transitional weather without the bulky unneeded hood that says ‘deep winter’. But now that I’m typing this I’m realizing maybe the removable aspect is what has compromised the overall structure - a ha! moment, hopefully I remember to assess this aspect when I eventually replace this long-wearing puffer.

I do absolutely wear the hoods on hoodies indoors too. And stick my hands in the pockets! A friend called it retreating into my clam shell. But not in a bad way, it’s a warm & cozy thing. I run finicky, getting both chilled and overheated easily, so I generally like items that can quickly moderate temperature without a lot of fuss.

Just popping in to say I certainly would have enjoyed having a hood this evening as I forced myself out into the first heavy, wet and utterly icky snowfall of the season!

CarolS, same! I nearly posted after the gym last night that I didn’t realize, when I went out, how cold it had gotten (Ok, only low 40s & it’s just a 10-minute walk, so I’m a wimp!) On my way there, I really wished I had a hood to pull up (or that I had worn a hat, but that’s kinda the point about hoods—they’re always there, no effort required (+other bennies like neck protection) )

I rarely use the hoods on my coats, and I usually take them off if they are removable. Like others, I find hoods interfere with my vision. But hoods are not a deal-breaker for me, and I will purchase a coat with or without a hood.