Onigiri Beanie

An onigiri beanie for the food you eat with one hand

A rice ball with its band of nori, embroidered on the cuff of a ribbed knit beanie. The onigiri beanie pairs the most practical food in Japan with the most practical piece of headwear, which is a better match than it sounds.

Both are designed around the same constraint: doing something else at the same time. Onigiri exists to be eaten while moving — on a train, between classes, walking — which is why it is shaped to hold together and wrapped so the nori stays crisp until the moment you open it. A beanie is the hat you pull on without a mirror, that survives being stuffed in a pocket, and that works under a hood. Neither is trying to be impressive.

The design suits the medium for the same reason. A white triangle, a dark band, a fleck of filling — three elements, high contrast, no fine detail. On a ribbed surface that simplicity is the difference between a badge that reads instantly and one that dissolves into the knit.

It comes in black, dark grey, heather grey, baby pink and white. Black gives the strongest contrast against the white rice. Dark grey and heather grey are the most neutral and the easiest to wear daily. Baby pink is the softest reading, and white leaves the nori band as the only dark element on the whole hat.

Ribbed knit with a double-layer turn-up cuff, one size, stretch fit. Rib knit is what makes a single size work: the alternating raised and recessed columns let the fabric expand across the head and pull back afterwards, which a flat knit simply cannot do.

Hand wash cool and dry flat. Never hang a wet knit, and never put one in a dryer — heat is what destroys the elastic recovery that makes the hat fit in the first place.

• Type: Cuffed graphic beanie
• Construction: Ribbed knit, double-layer turn-up cuff
• Design: Cuff embroidery — onigiri rice ball with nori band
• Fit: One size, stretch knit
• Colours: Black, dark grey, heather grey, baby pink, white
• Care: Hand wash cool, dry flat, do not hang wet
• Wear it with: An oversized hoodie, straight trousers