Russian reversals aside, I wanted something warm and toasty to wear while walking my dog in the winter, and after much research I decided that the ushanka hat was the ideal choice, especially for days when freezing winds will cut right through a knitted watch cap. For starters, the ushanka extends further over the back of the neck than the typical bomber hat, but has the same tie down ear flaps of the latter. Like the typical bomber hat, the front flap above your eyebrows is permanently secured in place with two bar tacks and thus non-adjustable. This particular example also uses genuine mouton sheepskin in place of "fish fur" (that's wool and synthetic plush) that you would normally find on the military surplus ushankas, and it lines the ear flaps all the way to the seam where the crown begins. The fur is a handsome silvery greyish blue color that has to be seen to be believed; the stock photos hardly do it justice. The shell of the crown is a thin but dense wool fabric while the insulation is a somewhat stiff quilted material consisting of flax, cotton, and other materials. The lining is a smooth, satiny fabric in the same color as the mouton. This is a nicely made hat that looks as good as it keeps you warm. How warm, exactly? Well, I started wearing this hat at night while walking my dog (as of this writing, the temps have been in the mid 40's), and I didn't feel like it was stifling. It was toasty for sure, but it also seems to avoid the problem of being too warm and making you sweat. I'd still only recommend this for lower temps, however.I followed the seller's sizing advice and went two sizes up (if you're "bordering" the next larger size when initially sizing up, they recommend you go up an additional size "just to be sure"). In my case, this meant I sized up from 57 cm to 59 cm, and I'm glad I did. Out of the packaging, this hat was very snug around my head. The crown is starting to loosen up and become more comfortable to wear as it breaks in, but the important thing is that I can tie the ear flaps around my face and chin without stretching or discomfort. This can be a potential problem area if you size too small. Fortunately, however, it's possible to safely stretch an ushanka a size or two up if you decide to keep the hat rather than exchange it, and they provide helpful instructions for this on their website. As for me, I like that this hat is snug (NOT tight) and it feels like it was made just for me. Just understand one thing if you do decide to get an ushanka: This is not a dainty little hat. While not comically huge, it will be a very prominent part of your head. If you don't believe me, look up the picture of Gerald Ford and Leonid Brezhnev and you'll get the idea.One of the little extras you'll get with this hat is a 70's-era aluminum Soviet red star pin that comes unattached and is packaged in a seperate envelope. In my case, the seller threw in an additional surprise: The bronze colored "summer dress" star pin. It was an awesome gesture on their behalf. ^_^ I just hope they don't mind that I can't bring myself to poke a hole in the front of that gorgeous mouton fur to install either one.All said and done, NIZE HAT! 5 stars!