Have you ever seen a hat like this that sticks out only the face and covers the head, ears, and neck?



It is said to be the latest fashion item this winter.



It's called 'Balaclava'.



Luxury brands and SPA brands competed to launch balaclava, but the prices vary widely.



Masks played a part in the popularity of this hat, which looked like a mask and looked uncomfortable to put on and take off.



[Kan Ho-seop/Fashion Director: Almost everyone wears a mask these days. Wearing balaclava or wearing a mask, they almost always look the same.] The



fashion world couldn't escape the corona virus, so why is it called balaclava?



In 1853, war was going on on the Crimean Peninsula in the south of Ukraine.



Russia was trying to expand and Britain and France were trying to stop it.



There was a port city in the southern part of Crimea, and the name of this city was 'Balaclava'.



In 1854, British forces advanced to Balaclava and fought against Russian forces to capture the castle.



However, it was not easy to endure the severe cold here.



When news broke that British soldiers were fighting in the cold, the British sent hats crocheted by themselves as a consolation item.



I made a hat that could cover the head and ears, and this hat was a great help in battle because of its excellent warmth.



There is also another origin.



This mask was first used by fishermen. The fishermen in the Balaclava region have been wearing these hats for a long time to block the sea breeze, and the British military who saw them must have copied or stolen them.



After the war, the British soldiers who participated in the Battle of Balaclava returned home with this hat.



[Nam Boram/Senior Researcher, Military Compilation Research Institute, Ministry of National Defense: (People see) They are so cool because they are war heroes.

So you're going to ask, "Oh, what is that?"

"What do you call a balaclava mask because it was used in the battle of balaclava?", "Wow, that's cool. King Wang-chan".

I think that's why it's called balaclava mask.]



Balaclava, which became so famous, continued to be used in various wars, and has since been reborn as a necessity for outdoor sports such as skiing and mountaineering.



[Gan Ho-seop/Fashion Director: From a historical item to a practical item to a fashion item of the times.]



Balaclava is popular with those who want to catch the cold and fashion at the same time in this winter's severe cold.



▶ 2021 winter hot fashion item 'Balaclava', why it is fashionable