Crown jewels a winner for Croatian seamstress

A Croatian seamstress is struggling to keep up with the demand having resurrected a once common regional winter accessory - the willy warmer.

Such has been the success of the trade for Radmila Kus, that she has even been invited to speak in the U.S. about her knitting know-how.

"I used to make slippers for tourists but these willy warmers are so popular I just can't keep up," she told the Metro daily.

She explained that in the past, shepherds wore accessories in the mountains so as to keep the cold at bay.

In those days the clothing was not so good and people weren't rich enough to keep warm,' she reflected.

Frostbite was a real problem and to avoid permanent damage these warmers came into use.

Wives believed that keeping their man's private parts warm allowed him to remain fertile and increased their chance of having children.

Mrs Kus can make the warmers to measure, but customers don't have to come for a personal fitting, and may send their crucial measurements in advance.