How to Wear a Beret

Oh, the beret…when I see a beret it evokes memories of a crisp fall day walking through the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, hearing the crunch of gravel and fallen leaves under my feet. Berets are so very 1920s/1930s French for me. But in fact, they are much older. The beret’s silhouette, a disc of wool that fits snuggly over the head, is thousands of years old and has shown up in many different cultures around the world.

Wherever your inspiration pulls from, I highly recommend that you try wearing a beret. The beret is the perfect “gateway” hat if you are just starting to explore wearing hats. The beret adds a bit of “je ne sais quoi” to any ensemble. They are fun, mysterious, rebellious, and downright sexy!

I often get asked, “But how do you actually WEAR a beret?” And honestly, my answer is simple, just put it on and see what suits you.

For me, there are two main ways to put on the beret. The first is worn directly on your forehead and the second is worn slightly pushed back to expose a bit of your hair in front. After that, just simply use the handy tab on the top of the beret and move it around to the back, left, and right sides to see what suits you best. You could also put the beret on at an angle, but I find this destabilizes it a bit, and it feels less secure.

Here are examples of wearing the beret on the forehead:

And examples of wearing the beret pushed back to expose your fringe:

You can style your hair in many different ways and use the beret to showcase a pin curl, roll, curls or swoop.

Flowers and brooches add a nice touch as well

Berets come in many different colors to complement your outfit. Also you don’t have to stick to wool, I’ve purchased several cotton knit berets form Lord and Taft and they are the perfect light weight material for warmer weather.

Here’s a quick video to show how I put on a beret and the different ways to position it.

I hope this inspires you to try a beret for yourself.