Trendspotting: Fairisle hats

This winter, you may have noticed there's a lot of people wearing knitted hats. The ones with ear flaps and tassles. You know what I mean, although I can't decide on a name for them. Knitted deerstalker? Fairisle bobble hat with the bobble? Head cosy-ing device? Anyway. I'm wearing one right now. (Edit - No, I'm not.) Hadley Freeman tackles this in today's G2. Hadley believes this trend is emanating from market stalls in Camden and that Amy Winehouse is implicated. Camden Town, yes. But Amy Winehouse? No. The culprit for this trend is actually Dappy from N-Dubz (him on the left). And maybe a little bit of Fonejacker.

You might not have noticed, but N-Dubz are very popular in the UK. Platinum-selling debut album popular. The UK grime/hip hop market is a niche, but a large niche. It's not a niche I know much about, so I'll be quiet. However, I did want half an hour of Channel U once. At my sister's house.

I wore one of these knitted hats throughout last winter, but back in those bleak days people would rudely point and laugh at such kooky headgear. Now we're in 2009 and everybody has caught up with me. They've realised it's practical and whimsical, especially if you follow Dappy's example and elevate the ear flaps. But now Topman is full of them. Fashion, eh?

My new favourite hat (ergo the hat trend for next winter) is pictured below. It's more of a hat/scarf combo. My parents bought it in Tallinn, probably on a market stall similar to one in Camden. It's like a knitted Dickensian nightcap featuring frisky stallions. If Dappy doesn't start wearing one of these by the end of February I will be very disappointed.