With winter weather squeezing us in its icy grasp, we turn to the little things to get us through the next quarter-year. We bake buttery cookies. We throw spare change into Salvation Army buckets. And we wear hats.

Be they fluffy, woven, or just for seasonal show, we wear hats. They warm our heads, yes, but they also serve as a sign of defiant creativity.

"Sure," our hats say, ìwe may be required to keep ears from falling off. Sure, we perform the essential task of preserving body heat that would otherwise escape. But we also celebrate. We express personality. We take a host of forms that tell you, Grandfather Winter, that your power is fleeting.

Well, some hats say that. Others are content to rest on our heads, doing their duty.

To all hats, then, a word of thanks. Without you, our winter world would be less fun, less varied, and much, much colder.


For an online PHOTO GALLERY with even more hats of the season, go to concordmonitor.com/photoextra.