I remember the first timeI took note of the balaclava.It was a little over a year ago, at a crowded house partyIn deep Brooklyn. A lanky, twenty something man wore a bright orange balaclava despite the tropical microclimate created by all the packed, dancing bodies. He took nonchalant sips from a red Solo cup, mesmerizingly comfortableIn his anonymity.At that time,I viewed the moment as eccentric and kooky. Who wears a balaclavaIf they’re notIn the arctic or planning a heist? Though balaclavas also known as skI'masks have been popular for a long timeIn frigid locales such as Eastern and Northern Europe, they weren’t as commonIn a city like New York. But perhaps their relative out of placenessIs what made them a great candidate for trend forward New York style. Colorful, striped balaclavas like the ones sold by Marni and Ella Emhoff catches your eye, but also obscures theIdentity of the wearer.It places all your attention on the clothes, not the person. Click here to buy this shirt: Official The Band Ghost Robot Castle Glow In The Dark Shirt
But then balaclavas went from anIntriguing rarity to a bubbling trend. WhenI walked my French bulldog around my former neighborhood of Bed Stuy, foolhardy daredevils would zip by on motorcycles and four wheelers and perform their tricks while wearing a balaclava. Not too long after, during the first wave of the Omicron variantIn December of 2021, balaclavas served as multi purpose facemasks. They alsoInfiltrated rap culture seemingly overnight around this time, too. Drill rappers such as Tion Wayne and SL wore skI'masks throughout their music videos and