When I was in first grade, our school uniforms had a matching beanie, and heaven help the girl who showed up without it. I fear there is a generational adjustment to be made, however, because ‘beanie’ now means a soft, head-hugging shaped hat, much like a sock for the head. In the 1950’s, a beanie was like the Pope’s little round cap, with the bit at the centre similar to that of a French beret. That bit was what we used to snatch our friends’ beanies off their heads and toss them into the bushes during recess. No bits on beanies today.

In those years, there used to be a cartoon series on TV called Beany and Cecil…and if you’ve gotten my drift by now, little Beany was so nicknamed because of his headgear. His beanie came complete with a little propeller, another detail we certainly don’t miss today.

The contemporary beanie is knit, soft, malleable. It keeps your head warm and cozy, and looks darn cute. With no school uniform in sight, and no propeller twirling in the breeze, the beanie of this generation is a relaxed, casual hat meant to provide shelter which is worn by both girls and guys alike (read Brad Pitt).
Lowie is a London-based label that hand-knits (courtesy of their fleet of grannies) all manner of wonderfully shaped headgear. Their mohair wool beanie has a dash of lace and a button trim, which makes a fetching finish to any winter ensemble. Hortensia Handmade has hats with a South American flair: all pieces are handmade in Peru, using locally raised alpaca and sheep, and their creations’ shapes are fashion forward and easy going too.

So pick up a beanie and keep warm this winter…there’s no excuse not to with all these choices for your naked head.

Top image Msnbcmedia.msn.com/Shizuo Kambayashi/APFile