Most winter hats are bought to disappear. A grey one, a navy one, something that goes with the coat and asks nothing of anyone. Our checkered beanie was designed for the opposite reason: to be the one thing in a winter outfit that people notice.

It is a simple idea. Two colours, knitted into a bold check, in pure Italian merino. We designed it in Brussels, where the sky is grey from November to March and a little colour above the collar goes a long way. Here is the thinking behind it, the five colourways, and how we wear them.

Why a check

The checkerboard is one of the oldest patterns there is, and one of the most graphic. It turns up on chessboards, on racing flags, on café floors and on the skate shoes of the 1980s. It reads from across the street, and it never quite looks like anything else.

On a beanie, it does something a stripe or a solid cannot. A plain hat finishes an outfit. A checkered one starts it. Put it with a camel coat, a navy peacoat or an old denim jacket and the rest of what you are wearing suddenly looks chosen.

The trick is the colour. A black and white check can look like a costume. Two colours that sit close together, or that simply get on well, look considered instead. That is where we spent most of our time.

Five colourways, one idea

Each pairing was chosen so that the two colours flatter each other rather than fight. Some are quiet, some are not. All of them are €75.

Red and pink

Our favourite, and the one we see most on the street. A deep, warm red set against a soft pink, playful without ever turning loud. It lifts a neutral coat instantly and looks just as good with black, grey or denim. If you only buy one, buy this one.

Orange and ecru

Burnt orange and a soft, undyed-looking ecru. It brings real energy to a grey morning and, because the orange is warm rather than bright, it pairs easily with camel, olive, charcoal and every shade of denim. The most cheerful of the five.

Yellow and khaki

Mustard yellow and a muted military khaki. Earthy and a little outdoorsy, with a touch of sunshine in it. It is at its best with brown, olive and heavy wool coats, or with a waxed jacket on a walk in the woods.

Green and cream

A muted forest green with soft cream. Equal parts statement and staple: graphic enough to notice, calm enough to wear every day. The green sits beautifully against a navy or charcoal coat, and with cream knitwear it looks almost tailored.

Black and blue

The most versatile of the family, and the one for anyone who thinks they do not wear pattern. Deep black and a rich blue keep the check understated from a distance and sharp up close. It finishes a tailored coat as well as it does all-black layering.

Pure Italian merino, knitted in Portugal

A pattern only matters if the hat is worth wearing. Ours is knitted from 100% merino wool, sourced in Italy, and made in Portugal.

Merino is the finest everyday wool there is. Its fibres are thin enough to feel soft against the forehead, with none of the itch of ordinary wool. It is warm without bulk, so the beanie keeps its shape rather than ballooning. And it breathes: it regulates heat and moisture, which means you stay comfortable going from a cold platform into a heated train, and the hat stays fresh wear after wear. It is a quiet but real upgrade on the acrylic beanies most of us grew up with.

Every beanie is unisex and one size, by choice. It fits women and men alike, so there is nothing to guess when you buy one, for yourself or for someone else. The small designer logo is removable, if you prefer the check on its own.

How we wear it

Let it be the only pattern. The check does the work. Keep the coat and scarf plain, and pick up one of the beanie's two colours somewhere else: a red sock, a cream jumper, a khaki jacket.

Match the temperature, not the colour. Warm pairings (red and pink, orange and ecru, yellow and khaki) love camel, brown and olive. Cool pairings (green and cream, black and blue) sit best with navy, grey and black.

Wear it high, or folded. Pulled down to the ears on cold days, or with a little room at the crown for a looser, more relaxed shape. Both work.

Head and feet. A checkered beanie with a pair of our cashmere socks in a matching colour is our favourite small winter uniform, and an easy present.

Caring for merino

Merino needs very little. Air it between wears rather than washing it; the wool sheds odour on its own. When it does need a wash, do it by hand in cool water with a gentle wool detergent, press the water out without wringing, and dry it flat, away from the radiator. Treated like this, a merino beanie lasts for many winters.

The full checkered family

Checkered Beanie, Red / Pink€75 Checkered Beanie, Orange / Ecru€75 Checkered Beanie, Yellow / Khaki€75 Checkered Beanie, Green / Cream€75 Checkered Beanie, Black / Blue€75 Prefer a solid? See the ribbed beanies

Questions we are asked

Is merino wool itchy?
Not for most people. Merino fibres are much finer than those of ordinary wool, so they bend against the skin instead of prickling it. That is why a merino beanie feels soft on the forehead, where scratchy wool is most noticeable.

How do you wash a merino beanie?
By hand, in cool water with a gentle wool detergent. Press the water out without wringing, then dry it flat, away from the radiator. Most of the time it does not need washing at all: air it between wears and the merino sheds odour on its own.

Does a checkered beanie make a good gift?
One of the best. It is one size, so there is nothing to guess, it gets worn every cold day of the winter, and a patterned beanie is the hat people rarely buy for themselves. It also features in the Escuyer gift guide.

What are Escuyer checkered beanies made of?
100% merino wool, sourced in Italy, designed in Brussels and knitted in Portugal. The beanie comes in five two-colour checks: red and pink, orange and ecru, yellow and khaki, green and cream, and black and blue, at €75 each.

What size is the Escuyer checkered beanie?
One size, and unisex. The same beanie fits women and men, and you can wear it pulled down over the ears on cold days or with a little room at the crown. The small designer logo is removable, if you prefer the check on its own.

Escuyer. Considered design, made to last.