Hats in Chicago

January 21, 2012 8:11 AM

Long shot: Is there anywhere in Chicago or its transit-accessible suburbs where I can buy, in person, a decent-quality Russian ushanka (ear-flap hat)?

I'm looking for something made in Russia or another former Soviet state, and military-surplus would be ideal.

I'm familiar with Hats Plus but they don't seem to have much of this type of hat.

posted by enn to clothing, beauty, & fashion (7 answers total)

I bought one at Belmont Army years and years ago (Belmont, southside of the street, almost to Clark if you're coming from the L). Number is [phone].
posted by crush-onastick at 8:31 AM on January 21, 2012

You may also want to check along Devon Ave., west of Western, where there are a lot of Russian shops.
posted by heyho at 8:44 AM on January 21, 2012

I got one in the men's department of Ragstock on Belmont a couple of years back. At the time, they had a substantial section of Russian military surplus. I'm pretty sure the (extremely cool) clerks won't know the hat you're looking for by name, but they may be able to tell you if they have Russian military surplus in stock; [phone] and ask for the men's department.
posted by juniperesque at 9:02 AM on January 21, 2012

Ragstock is a good suggestion. There is also an Army Navy surplus on Lincoln south of Belmont that might be a good place to check.

You also should try seeing if there are any shops in the Ukranian Village.
posted by bibliogrrl at 9:22 AM on January 21, 2012

If buying one in person fails, I bought mine on ebay directly from a guy in Russia. When it came, it arrived covered in Russian print and contained several free items of communist propaganda. yay! also, you can order your specific hat size.
posted by fuzzysoft at 10:25 AM on January 21, 2012

My friend got an awesome ushanka hat a few years ago at the Army Navy surplus store bibiligrrl mentioned above. A caveat: I wanted one really bad, but they didn't have any that fit my overlarge head. Smallheads only.
posted by phunniemee at 10:29 AM on January 21, 2012

Thirding the Army Navy on Lincoln. I'd dis-recommend Belmont Army these days - they closed down a few years back and reopened as a much trendier and less useful place.
posted by Wulfhere at 10:45 AM on January 21, 2012 [2 favorites]