Beanies are commonly worn during the winter and other colder seasons to keep one's head warm. The construction of beanies varies. They can be structured from triangular sections of twill, leather or felt, joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides. Less often, like a yarmulke, the cap is simply a flat circle of cloth with a section cut out to the center and then sewn into a three-dimensional shape. A "technical beanie" is thin and seamless for comfortable use with a helmet, thus is popular among cyclists. Beanies are often constructed from yarn, using knitting or crochet techniques. While the beanie is considered a fairly humble piece of clothing, it has been elevated to the status of regional art in Alice Springs, Australia- which is claimed by some to be the Beanie Capital of the world.
The "crown" that Jughead Jones wears in Archie Comics is a form of beanie, as is the cap often worn by Spanky of Our Gang (The Little Rascals). These were also known as whoopee caps and dinks.
Goober Pyle a fictional character from the television show The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry RFD wears a dark brown beanie with crown-like spikes distinguishing him from his cousin Gomer Pyle.
In a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, Calvin eats several boxes of cereal to get the required proofs of purchase to mail off for a propeller beanie. After waiting six weeks for delivery, he is ultimately disappointed, as he expected that the cap would allow him to fly.
The film Meet John Doe prominently features a character named Beanie who is always seen wearing a hat; it is not clear whether or not his hat qualifies as a beanie, or if this is the source of his name.
In the Southern American English, the beanie is also referred to as a toboggan.
More detailed information on beanies including some information on the propeller beanie is available on Historical Boys' Clothing.
