3 Ways to Wear a Beret
Happy Halloween, and Other Stuff….
October 31, 2011Retro Chick Reviews – Soap & Glory Super-Colour Fabulipstick
November 4, 2011I LOVE Berets.
I think they’re the best hat in the world and I’ll have one in every colour please. Thanks.
They’re essentially about 8 hats in one. A slight change in the tilt, how you tuck the brim and how poufy you make it creates a whole new hat. They also don’t blow off as easily in high winds as a brimmed hat, are easy and cheap to find and come in a whole variety of colours to go with every outfit. Most of mine come from eBay, but Village Hats also has a nice basic wool beret, as well as a few more fancy ones with flowers and the like.
I also cheat a lot and use them to cover up undone hair. They’ll cover roots, you can tuck some hair up inside to make it look shorter or neater, or just hide the whole lot. They’re also perfectly portable, so you can roll one up and shove it in your pocket in case an unexpected rain shower or gust of wind makes a drama out of your perfect coiffeur.
Most people wear a beret slightly back on their head so their fringe shows and tilted to one side, so today I thought I’d start you off with 3 different ways to wear a beret to create a whole different look.
Tuck the brim under and wear it tilted to one side and pulled right over your forehead. I wear it tilted to the smaller side of my parting and on the larger side pin in a few curls for a 30s look. As you can see, with long waves it’s the perfect 1940s Femme Fatale look.
Untuck the brim and wear it mushroom style! I always think of this as quite a 50s look. You can smooth the side down right over your ear for a slightly different variation.
Pad out the front to add some height (I used a silk scarf) and wear the beret towards the back of your head for a style that very popular in the 1940s. My Nana talks about padding out the front of her WRENs beret with cotton wool to add height.
I’ve used a basic wool felt beret for these looks. As a bonus I’m going to give you a 4th style that can also be achieved with those floppy knitted berets you find a lot is to use it a little like you would a snood. Tuck all your back hair up inside the hat and wear it pushed back towards the back of your head. A front wave or small fringe roll gives a nice vintage look without having to do too much to your hair. Not very exciting looking, but a life saver when you’re running late or it’s windy.
 Happy Hat Wearing!
14 Comments
Thank you very much!!!
I’ve been needing these suggestions since early Autumn. I have a few barets and have been feeling as if I’m mushing through the tundra, instead of looking cute like the cut and feminine Old Doll, I strive to be.
Will be giving all 4 a try.
Thanks, again
Berets, oooh, I love berets! I usually wear knitted ones, but that’s because I knit and it’s a small fun project (like I just posted a Halloween themed one I knit on my blog). I am definitely familiar with the idea of using a beret to hide hair sins, it’s perfect for that! Also great for lazy days when I just couldn’t stand to put my rollers back in the night before and my curls look like crap as a result.
I like the idea of padding it out in the front, I’ll have to try that sometime. 🙂
Wonderful! Sharing this on my fb page right now 🙂
Thank you!
Thanks for these ideas! I’ve been admiring berets for fall and just bought a basic black wool one the other day. I’m so excited the weather has cooled down so I can start wearing it!
teehee, I recently posted about ways to wear a beret too! Berets are my favourite hats, so easy to wear. Thanks for the tip about padding the front for the 40s look – I like to wear mine that way but I never thought of that!
xx Charlotte
Tuppence Ha’penny Vintage
Oh I’m sorry! I’m really behind on my feed reader! I miss loads.
I could not agree more! I have a tiny pin head and look ridiculous in most hats but berets are an exception. I also have many colours and they can really ‘vintage up’ an outfit, especially with my beloved trench coat. I’ve started collecting matching scarves ad gloves, to go with them 🙂
What lovely inspiration! Berets always intimidate me!
Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge I’m having a giveaway…
I adore Berets! I have huge pile of them stuff into the bottom draw of my wardrobe. & if I’m honest, when my roots are in need of touching up, they make going out in public acceptable while I wait for my hairdressers appointment 😉
I definitely share your love of berets but have never considered wearing them in so many different ways.
This post is awesome, I love the padded beret! I’d never have thought of that. I wear berets at least three days a week at this time of year and I get lots as Christmas presents because everyone knows what I’m like. Aside from anything else, they’re perfect for those days when your hair is just a touch too greasy to let people see but not so greasy to warrant a wash and set. Also, completely unrelatedly, your eyes are so pretty :3
Owwwww-wah! I can never find one that fits my bonce!! I shall have to continue my search!!
Looking fabulous!
I should have taken this advice over the weekend. Contrary to appearances I HAD actually brought a hairbrush with me, I just forgot that a the flat Norfolk land makes for a breezy city!