Designer Beanie: The Cashmere, Mohair and Silk Knits Worth Splurging On

Marie Claire's winter capsule guide this month lists a cashmere or wool beanie as an essential for windy days and chilly mornings, and I agree. A designer beanie is one of the few things you can spend a little on and wear every single day for months. It frames your face, it finishes a coat, and it makes a plain outfit look like a decision.

 

The first grid is the soft, brushed end of the category. The Khaite Lake Beanie is a cashmere, mohair and silk blend. Khaite is a New York label that Catherine Holstein founded in 2016, known for cashmere sweaters and structured denim, so a beanie fits right in. The Toteme Brushed Alpaca-Blend Beanie is the fuzzy black one, and Toteme was founded in 2014 by Elin Kling and Karl Lindman, with an atelier in Stockholm. The Brunello Cucinelli Brushed Ribbed Mohair-Blend Beanie is dark and plush, and the Lisa Yang Brushed Ribbed Cashmere Beanie is a deep navy brushed cashmere, which makes it the best designer beanie of the group for a plain navy coat.

 

My test for any designer beanie is whether it feels soft against your forehead after ten minutes. What I would skip is anything scratchy, no matter how good the label looks.

Lisa Yang is a good name to know when you shop a designer beanie. Yang grew up near Inner Mongolia, where her parents were involved in textile production, and she launched her Stockholm label with her husband Samuel Stenberg in 2014. The brand stays independent and works in pure cashmere, which is exactly what you want in a hat.

 

The second grid is ribbed and slouchy in quiet colors. The Row Pavir Cashmere Beanie is a soft taupe that works with every coat in your closet, and it is made in Italy from 100 percent cashmere. The Auralee Ribbed Cashmere Beanie is a heathered grey with a deep cuff. The Gabriela Hearst Spire Ribbed Silk Beanie is the surprise of the group, a dark silk knit that drapes in a way wool does not. The Rag & Bone Jada Brushed Cashmere Beanie is the soft camel one and the most accessible of the four.

 

If you are choosing, I would pick the one that matches your coat, not your scarf. A designer beanie in grey or taupe works with black, navy and camel outerwear. What I would skip is a beanie that is too tight to wear over a ponytail, since you will not reach for it.

The last grid is for people who want their designer beanie to have a point of view. The Dries Van Noten Tie-Detailed Intarsia-Wool Beanie has a geometric pattern and green striped ties. The Gucci Allover GG Wool-Blend Jacquard Beanie is the monogram one, in camel. The Isabel Marant Mayers Beanie is a plain black beanie with a small logo patch, and the Anine Bing Elia Beanie is the black one with a stitched AB at the cuff. Anine Bing started out of a garage in Silver Lake in 2012 and the label is known for simple pieces with an edge.

 

I like a patterned designer beanie with a quiet coat and a plain scarf. If you wear a lot of black, a bold pattern on your head is the easiest way to add personality. If you want a safer choice, the logo beanies are easy to wear with everything.

 

What I would skip is a loud pattern with a loud scarf, since the two will compete. One statement piece near your face is plenty.

A designer beanie is the rare accessory that makes everything you already own look more considered. Over a long coat it looks like a plan, with a hoodie it looks like you are on your way somewhere, and with a puffer it keeps you warm without looking sporty.

 

Before you buy a designer beanie, check the fiber and the fit. Cashmere is the softest, mohair and alpaca blends are fuzzy and warm, and silk is the lightest. A cuff gives you the option to fold it over or pull it down, and a longer shape gives you a slouchy look.

 

If you already own a basic wool beanie, a designer beanie is a good upgrade for the days you care how you look. If you do not own one at all, a neutral cashmere is the one to start with. Think of it as the cheapest piece of a designer outfit you can buy.

 

However you wear it, a designer beanie is a small purchase you will use all winter.