By Veronica Saroli (ArtSci ’14)
Staff Writer

Meet the beanie. Last September, Stephen Jones’ veiled beanies for Jil Sander started cropping up all over the streets on the heads of models and fashion insiders. What makes these hats so coveted is the alluring combination of retro-mystique veils and modern day slouchy beanies. However at a steep price of $500, I sought a DIY alternative.

Materials:
– 1 slouchy beanie, any colour
– Hat netting the same colour as your hat (I used a little under 24” of hat netting from Fabricland in Kingston)
– Needle and thread
– Scissors

Step 1
Before threading the needle, use it as a pin to fasten the netting to the hat so you can play around with where the veil sits best. Around three inches above the base of the hat is recommended.

Step 2
Next, wrap the netting around the hat, overlapping just slightly, and make a stitch at the bottom that joins the two sides of the tulle.

Step 3
Fold the top of the netting down one side at a time and make a stitch on both sides to secure.

Step 4
Pull down the netting in between the ‘u’ shape that was created by the folding in the previous step. This will make an additional fold. Secure with a few stitches then tie the string off.

Step 5
You can then sew the front of the beanie down on the hat, but I like being able to have the option of wearing the veil at different heights and in different ways. Fold the tulle over to create a layered veil or lengthen the netting down further over your features.

I also found that giving the netting extra slack framed the face better and made putting the hat on easier. Also, if you make a mistake or want to re-sew the netting on, it’s as easy as cutting of a stitch with small scissors and making the correction!

Dedicating a few minutes to this DIY project is well worth it. The end result is a chic and cool way to stay warm during the many cold months.