I have wondered about this for sometime.
I bought a new Carhartt coat before Christmas. I noticed it has snaps under the collar for a hood, so I went out and bought a hood for it.

While the hood is attached to the coat, there are other snaps that close the hood under the chin.

So that brings me to my question.
What the hell is the velcro on the side of the hood for? I just can't figure it out, and it's driving me nuts.

I even went to far as to email Carhartt, but never got a reply.

I may be thinking of a different Carhartt coat, but that velcro might be for a removable (fake) fur "ruff" around the edge of the hood.

I've got a carhart jacket also.  I also have the snaps but have not been able to find the same color hood yet.  Don't have a clue what the velcro is for but I love the jacket!

It's a super product alright.

I don't think it could be a ruffle, as there is no velcro on top.
The velcro is on the left, and right side. I thought maybe it was for some kind of face shield, or mask.