Modification month continues chez Noile. This post, we consider the issue of the irresistible Ostrich Pillow Hood. Ostrich Pillow, the company, markets this as ´the perfect companion for those who need to focus´. Well, maybe. Their claim that it´s a potential tool for greater privacy when traveling — it´s big enough to hide in — might be slightly more credible.
Photo shows a person wearing a very large, soft hood
with a very large opening for the face. The hood wraps around
the neck, also very loosely. This image is from Studio Banana
at does-work.com. The color is allegedly ´ocean green´ but
actually it´s a dark slate blue — sea blue, in fact!.
In truth, it´s a lovely hood. The fabric feels soft and natural, and it´s slightly padded, making it extra cozy. But, for typically-sized people, the size poses an issue: this thing is massive! See photo above, in which hood is artfully draped around the static face of an apparently relatively large human.
Artful in the photo, but in real life, it´s just not practical. I resisted altering mine as long as I could, and finally gave in. This hood gave me so much privacy — by falling over my face — that I couldn´t make my way anywhere without holding it up with one hand. Maybe I should have used it only at a desk? Without moving my head, ever?
Photo of a slate blue hood, folded with side edges toward the front
showing a silver metal button on the left, and one on the right.
Each of the two edges of the hood sides has a black cord loop sewn
into the seam.
So I took it apart at the center neck seam, and added a loop at each end, and closed the seam back up, but separately. Two silver buttons, and voila! This hood was wearable.
Well, actually four buttons, since I supported the silver ones with transparent flat buttons on the underside. This is almost always a good idea, especially for shank buttons.
This photo shows the inside of a slate blue hood, the other side
of where a metal shank button is sewn. A black cord loop is attached
to a transparent flat button to stabilize the external button.
The exterior buttons are offset. That doesn´t make any real difference in wearing, but overlapping the front neck this way looks a little more intentional, and less bulky at the edges of the overlap.
This photo is of a slate blue hood set on a nylon-covered
Styrofoam head. The sides of the hood wrap around
at the neck, crossing in front. There is a silver metal
button at the left, and another, higher up, on the right.
For maximum privacy, Ostrich Pillow suggests wearing this hood inverted, so that the neck opening is at the back of the head, and the facial opening reveals the underside of the jaw. I´m not sure how handy this would be in a conventional office, but I could see its benefits if you´re traveling and the person next to you just won´t stop trying to start a conversation. Or if you just want to sleep, anywhere, anytime. And appreciate having your own tent already with you!
This photo, also from Studio Banana, shows the hood worn
with the neck opening placed at the back of the head. The
usual opening is now below the jaw, and covers the wearer´s
face and head.
Fortunately (I think?), my modification won´t prevent this use of the hood. And, until then, I now have a truly practical soft winter head covering that lets me see the world when I want to, and not when I don´t.