NEW YORK — Winter hats are doing more than keeping heads warm this season, turning beanies, balaclavas, berets and earmuffs into the small detail that can make an outfit look intentional, Dec. 21, 2025. Street-style regulars are treating headwear like the finishing touch — a way to balance a puffer’s volume, sharpen a tailored coat or soften a hard-edged look.
Recent street-style roundups, including Vogue’s take on wearing a cozy hat, and trend lists such as Who What Wear’s guide to winter hats in NYC, suggest the same shift: function is nonnegotiable, but personality is the payoff.
Winter hats: the street-style lineup
Beanies: the easiest win
The beanie is the most forgiving of the winter hats — and the easiest to make look deliberate. Stick to a snug rib knit, fold the cuff once, and let it sit just above the eyebrows. With tailoring, keep it clean and monochrome; with streetwear, go slightly slouchy and let the layers carry the attitude.
Need a quick refresher on what’s trending beyond the basics? Vogue’s roundup of winter hats, from beanies to berets maps the silhouettes showing up now.
Balaclavas: warm, not costume
Balaclavas don’t have to read like ski gear. The most wearable versions look like a knit hood: fine gauge, simple opening, neutral color, worn under a coat collar. Harper’s Bazaar’s breakdown of the balaclava and its scarf-and-hood cousins captures why coverage has moved from the slopes to city sidewalks.
And if the balaclava boom feels sudden, it isn’t: The Guardian tracked the accessory’s surge in 2021, when searches spiked and brands rushed in.
Berets: polish without the costume
A beret can be the most “dressed” option among winter hats, but the styling should stay relaxed. Wear it slightly off-center, keep the outfit palette simple, and skip anything that feels overly literal. Street style has been circling the shape for years — a 2019 Vogue street-style snapshot shows the beret working with everything from long coats to casual layers.
Earmuffs: the hat-hair workaround
Earmuffs are the sleeper hit in winter hats because they keep your ears warm without crushing your hair. Choose plush faux fur or shearling for a statement, or go slim and wool for a quieter look. Harper’s Bazaar’s earmuffs edit shows how wide the category has become, from minimalist pairs to oversized, apres-ski styles.
How to make winter hats look intentional
Start with proportion: Oversized coat, sleek hat. Streamlined coat, you can go bolder up top.
Match texture to mood: Chunky knits with puffers; finer knits with tailored wool; plush earmuffs with heritage coats.
Plan for indoors: Winter hats end up in your hands on the train and at dinner — carry a tote or clip it to your bag so it stays clean.
The best winter hats do double duty: they keep you warm, and they make the outfit feel finished.
