Am I beating a dead horse yet? I just can’t stop talking about street style, damnit. It occurred to me around day two of New York Fashion Week that delivering a trend report from the throes of the “concrete catwalk” may function as an equally (if not more) important catalog than that of the actual runway. After all, these are trends happening in real time. And if I could sum up the most overwhelming, sweeping, and attainable trend of New York Fashion Week, it had got to be indispensable use of beanie. Sure, we can blame the boisterous snow, but I think there’s just more to it.
The beanie trend can be fractioned into three, fashion week appropriate subdivisions. First: the neon beanie, which according to my keen, Bowery hotel-dwelling eye, had started to resonate before the commencement of fashion week. In a sizable pool of dark, sometimes depressing outerwear, it’s a neon beanie with distinguishable capabilities that make baring oppressive weather a little bit easier. Also, good if you are prone to get lost/lose your friends, which I don’t know about you, but I am both of those things.
Second: the cat beanie. This one is particularly ironic but only in relation to that one irreverent letterman jacket photographed above, which reads “Need a Friend? Get a Dog,” previewing cat-eyes and insinuating discernible hostility. As far as I know, those who wear cat beanies are overwhelmingly friendly (see: Tamu McPherson and Eva Chen, photographed for Harper’s Bazaar).
And third, the miscellaneous loot, including some with kitschy sayings (see: “Homies” in a font emblematic of the house of Hermes), and “Ragged,” some featuring symbols and cartoons, sometimes a crown pom-pom and more often than not, the plain black or grey beanie. This particular beanie signifies serious cool-kid allure–ergo swag–which brings me back to my initial point. Beanies are not about snow, they are about our inconspicuous search for the right dose of cool.
But search no longer, here are the beanies you want to wear. Maybe.
Starting at top left with the neon orange number and traveling in descending order: From Asos (though it’s American Apparel), from Asos, from Topshop. The middle column features a red Supreme beanie, a Topman green one and uncharted Gap cat-ears. The final column features two cashmere Alexander Wang beanies, one of the Marc Jacobs ribbed variety (cashmere and only $36, people) and finally, Eugenia Kim’s expert (skull) cap.
Stay cool, be warm. Can you dig it? Let me know.
