A Hat “Do” for Dudes

One of my guilty pleasures is keeping up with the dos and don’t section of Glamour magazine. This month, they devoted a couple of pages just for the guys. One hot item that has always been around but is getting a bit of extra attention in the fashion world is the magazine’s number five “do,” the knit hat or beanie hat.

We aren’t actually fighting off the cold right now, but don’t let that keep you from wearing some of the very cool cold weather fashions. Hot or cold weather, a beanie has become a cool accessory to complement an outfit, or just help you work through a bad hair day. In fact, this hat is worn all year long by lots of male and female fashionistas, and it’s been adopted as a trademark look by several celebrities and musicians. Glamour posted pictures of Liam Hemsworth, Kellan Lutz, and Harry Styles from the group One Direction.

Beanies have fashion roots in the ’90s thought they have been around much longer. In addition to looking cool and stylish with contemporary high fashion outfits, beanies are perfect if you are working a retro grunge look.

 Basic black in a flat knit is always a good choice for a beanie, because it can look sporty or sophisticated. Unless you’re set on working a strictly serious look, you can have a lot of fun with this trend, with funky color combos, stripes, and other patterns.

 You may want to save the snowflake and reindeer prints for the holidays, but there are still lots of fun choices. Males, go ahead and wear adorable beanies that mimic animals and characters, that have the long “ear” flaps, or a cute little pom-pom on the top. For a more casual or serious look, go for interesting knits in different kinds of yarn that have nubby texture.

This style of hat looks good on most head shapes, so it’s up to you if you want a close-fitted style or a beanie that is loose and slouchy. These cool items may be well remembered from the ’90s, but it blends in and works well with several other eras. Beanies can have a sleek ’70s style, a fun ’60s boho look, or just be contemporary. It goes without saying beanies look great with jeans and casual outfits, but don’t be afraid to pair one with a pretty dress or skirt.