Illustration by Chandler Bondurant
Few accessories are so simple as the beanie, whose provenance can be traced back to a simple woolen cap worn by laborers in the late Medieval period. Also known as a “watch cap” thanks to its widespread wear among U.S. Navy servicemen in WWII, it took on a counter-cultural tone following the war thanks to its popularity among the beat poet generation.
Its hipster cred remains today, bolstered by the appearance of red beanies on nearly every cast member in the 2004 Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. However, all those associations can mask how simple and effective the beanie is at warming the skull in a cold snap, particularly when said beanie is made from a highly insulating fabric like cashmere or geelong.
In that spirit, we’ve watched the watch cap space to bring you the best beanies from Johnstons of Elgin, Stone Island, Heimat and beyond.
Drake’s Navy, Yellow and Red Multi Stripe Geelongora Ribbed Knit Cap
Image Credit: Drake’s “Geelongora,” for those not in the know, refers to the blending of fine geelong wool with the fibers of the angora rabbit. The reason this is relevant is because Drake’s has used this exceptionally soft fabric to make a ribbed knit cap marked by cheery, scholastic stripes.
RRL Indigo-Dyed Cotton Watch Cap
Image Credit: RRL A deep indigo dye job gives this medium weight cap from RRL a workwear edge, burnished further by a “Double RL Supply Company” patch at is fold-down cuff.
Johnstons of Elgin Donegal Cashmere Dark Navy Beanie
Image Credit: Johnstons of Elgin Royal warrant-holder Johnstons of Elgin operates its own fabric mill in Hawick, allowing it to produce fabrics like the flecked Donegal cashmere used to create this navy beanie.
Sunspel Cashmere Ribbed Hat
Image Credit: Sunspel Sunspel’s ribbed cashmere beanie may be complemented by a scarf and gloves made from the very same fabric, should you consider yourself a completist.
Heimat Wool Deck Knit Hat
Image Credit: Heimat German maker Heimat seeks to translate the Teutonic tradition of engineering into menswear, which it does with creations like its deck hat. Knit from a five-gauge merino wool with natural water-resistant properties, it’s a fine example of form meeting function.
Stone Island Logo-Appliquéd Dégradé Cotton-Chenille Beanie
Image Credit: Stone Island Thanks to its degrade effect, this cotton-chenille beanie by Stone Island looks like it’s been through the wash 100 times before its first wear.
The Elder Statesmen Thistle Alpaca-Blend Beanie
Image Credit: The Elder Statesmen The Elder Statesmen may be best known for its cashmere, but in the case of this beanie they’ve sourced an alpaca-wool blend that’s been brushed for extra softness and tactility.
Loro Piana Cedar Cable-Knit Cashmere Beanie
Image Credit: Loro Piana The natural top-off to a cable-knit sweater would be this cashmere beanie by Loro Piana, which bears the very same pattern.
Celine Cable-Knit Brushed Cotton-Blend Beanie
Image Credit: Celine The beanie is a simple garment, but there’s a lot going on in the case of this Celine iteration, which is made from a heavily brushed-cotton blend in a chunky cable-knit pattern that includes the brand’s “Triomphe” motif.
A Kind of Guise Batu Wool-Blend Bouclé Beanie
Image Credit: A Kind of Guise With its ultra-tactile wool-blend bouclé fabric, donning this King of Guise beanie is like having an instant head of curly hair.
Kapital Logo-Appliquéd Pompom-Detailed Wool-Blend Beanie
Image Credit: Kapital There’s more than a bit of whimsy in the make of this wool-blend Kaptial beanie, which features both a snowflake pattern and an oversized pompom.
View the original article here
