
Frostbite is looking pretty good right now
Et·som·ni·a (/etˈsämnēə/), noun, 1. a sleep disorder caused by obsessive Etsy browsing. 2. The surprising arrival of weird handmade merchandise ordered when one is only half conscious. (True story.) 3. An excuse for me to be an obnoxious, snarky New Yorker once per week.
There’s finally the tiniest little chill in the air, so I’ve started considering my winter accessories. While I replace my winter coats as rarely as possible, I annually revive my winter look with fresh accessories. I have a few favorites that I wear year after year, but new hats, scarves, and gloves help me get excited about the impending colder weather, and the homeless are always happy to get my retired winter accessories.
Predictably, Etsy is a great source for desirable, beautiful accessories, and also for some of the worst, the weirdest, and the most WTF items I’ve ever seen. Many of the sellers of questionable items also wildly mischaracterized their wares, which made me even happier. Words like romantic, fashionable, gorgeous, artistic, festive, stunning, and fantasy. The hilarity went on and on. In fact, there were so many wacky offerings, it was a real struggle to cut myself off.
For more Etsy fun, check out all my weekly Etsomnia™ posts!

This looks like an ad for migraine medication by Mucinex

You’re not fooling anyone with your sock gloves, you know. We are all assuming your hands now smell like feet.

Love the colors on this silk & wool scarf! By Mitandio

These earmuffs are listed as ‘unisex.’ I assume that means they’re equally awful for any gender

As a fashion accessory, this is a total failure. But I suspect it would work as a self-defense tool. Who’d want to touch that?

Stunning! By LA1007

I see what you did there! By MaryOriginals

Kill it with fire

I’m loving this dragon glove trend. They might finally get me to buy fingerless gloves! By FearlessFibreArts

While this certainly makes a statement, alas, the statement is “Crazy person. Keep away.”

“Art scarf,” presumably made with 100% real garbage

Thongs, not just for your ass anymore!

If you guessed Alien face hugger, you’d be wrong, though nose warmers do seem to reproduce just as fast…

Impractical though they are, I really do love muffs. That’s right. I said it. And yes, I hear it. By Greencreo

Shark weak (misspelling intentional)

While a terrible idea for a hat, Unicorn Wang would be an interesting band name
November 9, 2017 at 7:40 am
That WTF item – a vest of some kind with junk on it? Just, um, yeah, WTF? I do love the dragon gloves but more for a decorative accessory than any protection against the weather.
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November 9, 2017 at 7:41 am
Unfortunately, the dragon gloves are currently unavailable.
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November 9, 2017 at 8:51 am
Do a search. There are many more!
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November 9, 2017 at 8:49 am
You’re right about the dragon gloves, but I’m really loving that style!
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November 9, 2017 at 8:50 am
Oh, and that WTF thing is a scarf.
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November 9, 2017 at 8:33 am
OOH, The muff is nice also the red gloves. You do have to wonder about some of the others.
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November 9, 2017 at 8:54 am
Indeed. To our great glee, we have seen people wearing things like the questionable items wandering around NYC. Beloved and I poke each other and whisper Etsomnia, but you really have to wonder what people are thinking.
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November 10, 2017 at 9:49 am
Everyone wants their 15 min. of fame
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November 10, 2017 at 11:18 am
In some cases, it’s more infamy than fame…
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November 9, 2017 at 9:53 am
When did “nose warmers” become a thing? WHY did “nose warmers” become a thing? Are “nose warmers” a thing??? My head hurts. I’ll need that migraine medication hat….
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November 9, 2017 at 10:20 am
I 100% agree. So stupid. I have yet to see anyone wearing one, so maybe it’s just some kind of Etsy mass hysteria. I hope.
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November 9, 2017 at 10:09 am
Etsy in all its (questionable) glory! And I think that “stunning” is properly applied to many of these – as in I am horrified beyond ability to move. Elegant, gorgeous…..I guess all in the eye of the beholder, or seller. And to see such things in the wild – that truly must be a treat.
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November 9, 2017 at 10:22 am
It never fails to crack me up. And there are an astonishing number of them walking around. Ugh.
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November 9, 2017 at 11:46 am
Oh my gosh this just made my morning and gave me a great chuckle! Thank you ❤
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November 9, 2017 at 1:47 pm
Thank you! That is my goal.
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November 9, 2017 at 12:43 pm
Great post I needed a laugh!
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November 9, 2017 at 1:49 pm
I’m so glad!
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November 9, 2017 at 1:24 pm
I like the crocheted brain slug hat, but question its practicality. (It’s cute, but asymmetric distribution of weight across crown might result in difficulty of hat staying on one’s head).
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November 9, 2017 at 1:50 pm
And if you could get it to stay, then people would see it on your head….
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November 9, 2017 at 4:35 pm
I love the infinity scarf. I actually have a bit of a scarf addiction. Very tempting. I am also in love with the dragon scale gloves. I wear fingerless gloves throughout winter and feel like I NEED to add these to my collection. You have brought my attention to a couple of trends I did not even know were a thing. Nose warmers? Really? That’s a thing? And what in the heck with the “glove” that only keeps your wrist and thumb warm? Penis unicorn makes me want to cry.
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November 9, 2017 at 5:07 pm
I hope I didn’t ruin unicorns for you forever… I’m all about scarves and gloves, and I buy hats, even though I rarely want to wear them. They’re like jewelry: they alway fit.
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November 9, 2017 at 5:13 pm
Ha ha! I said the same thing to my husband last time he queried my scarf addiction. No scarf has ever rejected me, fat or thin. And, no, unicorns and I are still good. You’re OK.
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November 9, 2017 at 6:21 pm
Whew!
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November 10, 2017 at 9:56 am
I like to browse through Etsy, but I find myself to only ever buy anything when Im in bed. I definitely will have to look for some cute winter accessories. That first picture that you show of the western styled gloves has me in awe. They are beautiful
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November 10, 2017 at 11:19 am
They are a lot of look! I really do enjoy the crazy diversity of Etsy’s sellers. May it continue like this forever!
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