Carhartt WIP Beanie

Carhartt WIP's acrylic beanie is the same basic knit hat the workwear brand has made for decades. Known as the Watch Hat in the Work In Progress line, it has crossed over into streetwear without changing the construction at all. Fabric is thick rib-knit acrylic that holds its shape after washing. A small woven logo patch on the front fold is the only branding, which is exactly the right amount for a $25 hat. I admire how the crossover happened without any redesign because the hat was already well-proportioned, warm. Cheap enough that skaters and construction workers were buying the same product for different reasons. Color range helps because Carhartt produces the beanie in about 30 shades each season. Matching a specific outfit with a $25 accessory is why people own 4 or 5 of them. It's a hat that works as hard as you need it to. Looking the same on a job site as it does on a fashion blog is the whole appeal.