This Beanie Has a Tiny Pocket on It. But Why?

Is it form, or is it function? We found out.

Published February 13, 2022

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Have you ever taken something for granted until someone else points out what makes it unique? Or odd? Such was the case with a Tilley beanie that I’ve had for a couple years now. It was given to me as a gift, and even though I had really liked it when I first received it, it had fallen out of my winter rotation until as recently this January, when I pulled it out of my closet and donned it for the first time in a few seasons.

Then one morning, I had three separate people ask me about it. One person, my favorite barista who feeds my daily caffeine addiction, pulled out his phone and ordered one right in front of me (after making my Americano, thank god).

The reason for all this fanfare and delight? This beanie has a pocket on it. The product description states it’s for “a key or cash in when you’re on the go.” But there are clearly other uses, and would you really trust this pocket with your hard-earned cash? And wouldn’t a key fly straight out? The pocket’s right in the front, tucked slightly under the brim — no zipper, no button. I hadn’t ever given it much thought (or filled it), until everyone else called it out (and suggested I did). After that, I’ve been consumed by this question: What the hell is this pocket really for?

I placed a couple of items in to see what made the most sense. A joint fit nicely, although it did poke out a bit. If you’re somewhere where cannabis is legal it’s cool, but I wouldn’t try this look in Arkansas or Idaho. The pocket’s pretty noticeable, and, as such, so are its contents.

A stick of gum fit right in, but I was a little nervous the heat from my head (or the sun) would melt it, and then I’d have a sticky mess, a ruined beanie and no gum. No thanks. My lip balm fit well, but I felt similarly about the possibility of a mess as I did the gum, so I took it out.

I could fit a dollar worth of quarters just fine, but when I leaned over, the quarters came rolling out, and the fumble not only startled me, but cost me a dollar. On a hike, I fit a piece of quartz in there, which I enjoyed, but that doesn’t seem like enough justification for this pocket existing.

After my own experimentation (see: above), I reached out to Tilley to glean some insight from their design team and share my results. (At the time of this writing, I have not heard back. Once I do, I’ll update.) Since the Tilley team was a no-go, I decided to hit up the internet sleuths on Reddit. Surely, some other Tilley enthusiasts were wondering, just as I, what this inexplicable pocket was made to do. Maybe they’d found its true use.

My results were slim. The answers I could find all related to the secret stash pocket on Tilley’s brimmed hats, which is used for stowing fishing licenses, forms of I.D. and other small items the wearer doesn’t want to misplace. I couldn’t find anything specific about the beanies though… maybe cash or a key really are what it’s for.

In the end, I realized that the important question isn’t really about what Tilley intended the beanie pocket to be for. In reality, the choice is yours.