Random Fashion Thoughts (Part 3: Style farmer strikes back) - our general discussion thread

[LA Guy]

Do people have any personal rules or prejudices when it comes to beanies? Favorite colors, knitting technique, thickness, brands, materials, the best ways to wear them, etc?

I've been wearing them a ton this past winter. Have a beanie from Buzz Rickson modeled after some naval beanie (I assume one of those vintage repro things). Also have a slightly larger, chunkier beanie from Ganni, which is actually a womenswear brand, but I bought one after liking how the hat looks on Aaron Levine (he wears the green one often on IG).

Curious if people have favorites. Thinking about picking up another ... maybe one from Aime Leon Dore? Scott & Charters?

cc'ing @zissou cause I think he wears them often.

I have bought many TOQUES over the years. A tight SNS Herning one, a great ombré Dries van Noten slouchy one, an Inis Meain watch cap, a few plain black ones from Wings and Horns and Stussy, etc... My wife and now daughters own them all, because I look like an egg custard bao with glasses in all of them. There is a grey, shallow, loose cable knit one that my wife knit for me that looks marginally acceptable and that I wear when out gets super cold.

 

[noob in 89]

This is what Wikipedia gives me...

 

[Coldsnap]

Yeah, orslows are great. I have 105s and 107s in basically all standard washes (one wash, two year wash and three year wash) and they're all awesome. Just thinking where I'll go from here on my next pair. Maybe I'll just stick with orslow. If it ain't broke...

Go for some Sugar Cane 1947s! The 9" leg opening is fun to work into fits.

 

[hoodog]

Go for some Sugar Cane 1947s! The 9" leg opening is fun to work into fits.

One wash or unsanforized?

 

[clee1982]

I have bought many TOQUES over the years. A tight SNS Herning one, a great ombré Dries van Noten slouchy one, an Inis Meain watch cap, a few plain black ones from Wings and Horns and Stussy, etc... My wife and now daughters own them all, because I look like an egg custard bao with glasses in all of them. There is a grey, shallow, loose cable knit one that my wife knit for me that looks marginally acceptable and that I wear when out gets super cold.

I look stupid in beanie as well (as my wife like to say and I would accept in this case...), so have gone through about 5 (from RL/IM and bunch don’t remember), now I sold all but 2 and wear them for functional reason and accept I look stupid in it...

 

[Superb0bo]

Ive been wearing loads of wool "watch caps" the last 10-15 years. Never from fashion brands. Key is 100% wool + not too high crown/volume. I used to wear the US navy ones, but find the knit a bit too soft.

The last couple of years ive been wearing black and gray ones from a German work wear brand, dirt cheap and great quality

 

[hooker4186]

I got a few Andersen Andersen beanies from @zissou recently and like them a lot. They are the "short" model so don't cover the ears so not great for the coldest weather, but the quality is very good. If I need ears covered I have olive and a black Buzz Rickson ones that my go to - they have the best warmth/quality/lack of itchiness that I've found.

 

[A Fellow Linguist]

Anyone have a rec for a nice cotton turtleneck / mockneck? thought it'd just be a uniqlo thing but they don't seem to have them

 

[thatboyo]

^i was looking for something like that too and might get the Todd Snyder x Champion

 

[zissou]

Do people have any personal rules or prejudices when it comes to beanies? Favorite colors, knitting technique, thickness, brands, materials, the best ways to wear them, etc?

I've been wearing them a ton this past winter. Have a beanie from Buzz Rickson modeled after some naval beanie (I assume one of those vintage repro things). Also have a slightly larger, chunkier beanie from Ganni, which is actually a womenswear brand, but I bought one after liking how the hat looks on Aaron Levine (he wears the green one often on IG).

Curious if people have favorites. Thinking about picking up another ... maybe one from Aime Leon Dore? Scott & Charters?

cc'ing @zissou cause I think he wears them often.

I've worn lots of beanies over the years, especially on account of being mostly bald. For a while, I was wearing actual USN watch caps when they were knitted thicker back in the day. They were about $6 each from the surplus store. Buzz Rickson's watch cap is very nice for that repro look, but is not very thick or warm. I used to wear a lot of Inis Meain caps, but like others have said, they tend to run small. So, I gave them all to my daughter who loves my hand me downs. I do have a couple of Scott and Charters cashmere caps, which work well for that slightly dressier look. The GRP caps were far too chunky and slouchy for my taste, and Andersen-Andersen caps were far too itchy next to skin. I have several RRL indigo cotton caps and Inis Meain linen caps for wearing around the house. Hands down, my favorite beanies come from A Kind of Guise, which uses super soft (and largely itch-free) Italian lambswool. They are thick enough to be warm on a cold day without being too chunky. I bought 4-5 of their Honda beanies this year in assorted colors, and love wearing them.

I generally hate ribbed beanies (and half zip sweaters), perhaps because they remind me too much of Banana Republic, which I used to wear exclusively before I found SF. Could have been worse, but those were dark times. I still have a Banana Republic credit card to remind me of where I came from.

Anyone have a rec for a nice cotton turtleneck / mockneck? thought it'd just be a uniqlo thing but they don't seem to have them

The Uniqlo soft touch turtlenecks can't be beat. But, they are mostly sold out now. I got about six of them for $9.90 each.

 

[OccultaVexillum]

@A Fellow Linguist
I’ve also been looking for a regular fit cotton long sleeve mock neck.
Lady White have some
John Elliott just put some out but they’re oversized
For turtlenecks there’s sunspel and Jil have a basic stretch cotton but it’s $150 or something.

 

[hoodog]

Ive been wearing loads of wool "watch caps" the last 10-15 years. Never from fashion brands. Key is 100% wool + not too high crown/volume. I used to wear the US navy ones, but find the knit a bit too soft.

The last couple of years ive been wearing black and gray ones from a German work wear brand, dirt cheap and great quality

Nice lead. How do these compare to Buzz Ricksons watch cap? Or the original USN ones?

 

[Reginald Bartholomew]

Klaxon Howl watch caps are fantastic. The double fold of the brim allows you to do slouchy or high and tight, depending on your stylistic tastes or the concerns of mere utility. They are reasonably warm, tough and hard wearing, and easy to wash.

 

[Patrick R]

Do people have any personal rules or prejudices when it comes to beanies? Favorite colors, knitting technique, thickness, brands, materials, the best ways to wear them, etc?

For me personally, I prefer a thicker textured beanie. For that reason, I mostly wear the GRPs that NMWA sells. Since I am typically only wearing them when I am in a large winter coat, with anything shorter or thinner I feel like my head looks disproportionately small.

 

[zissou]

Klaxon Howl watch caps are fantastic. The double fold of the brim allows you to do slouchy or high and tight, depending on your stylistic tastes or the concerns of mere utility. They are reasonably warm, tough and hard wearing, and easy to wash.

Those seem like a great option if you don’t want to spend much.