Here's Why Carhartt Beanies Are the Best Fashion Staple
It all made me, a fashion writer, feel very intimidated to wear a simple (if traffic-cone orange) knit beanie.
On my first outing wearing it, I was with my husband on our way to meet his friend at an art museum for a party. I was wearing a tie-front top from Rouje and a pair of high-waisted vintage Levi's. And everywhere I turned, there was a hypebeast in an orange Carhartt beanie just like mine—I must have counted at least 10. A stranger passed by and gave me a nonchalant nod; “nice beanie,” he said. I'm not gonna lie, I felt weirdly very cool about my outfit.
Once I finally owned a Carhartt beanie, I started noticing them everywhere. This was also at the height of gorpcore, the movement that spotlighted utilitarianism in fashion during which a slew of salt-of-the-earth brands like Patagonia, North Face, Dickies, and yes, Carhartt hit the fashion set. The easiest and cheapest way to co-opt the look was with my very beanie. The Acrylic Watch hat rings in at $28 and it’s available in lots of colors, including my beloved orange. It got to the point that, during Fashion Week, a Carhartt beanie became just as ubiquitous as a colorful teddy coat.
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I get it. There’s a neat high-low element that’s achieved when you wear a Carhartt beanie—a cool, down-to-earth grittiness that can immediately offset a too-bougie high-fashion look. And the brand has collaborated with Converse, A.P.C., and Stussy on collections tailored for the fashion set. Now it seems as though every celebrity, millennial, and casual social media user owns one. And once you spot one, you start noticing just how many Carhartt-branded hats are out on the streets.
Sure, it's gone mainstream. But I still love my neon orange beanie. It's a gift from my husband, first off. But I also credit it for breaking me out of my one-note winter wardrobe. It's forced me to step outside my comfort zone when it comes to my style. I've even added more color into my outerwear: a mustard-yellow puffer, a leopard-print coat, and a siren-red wool jacket. That's a pretty big deal for me. And if all else fails, my bright Carhartt beanie does the trick.
