A Case For the Beret

What is it about this hat? For the past few weeks I’ve been staring at it, trying to justify the price while figuring out how to incorporate it into my existing wardrobe. A hat cannot double as pants. A hat this expensive cannot double as an umbrella. And this hat, because it is a beret, risks the clichéd image of an American tourist skipping through Paris, baguette in arm, asking “Am I French yet?”

It also begs for the uninitiated to make comparisons to mimes.

Yet there is something about hats that projects a certain kind of confidence — they’re a sartorial dare that can thoroughly enhance or change an outfit. They’re also easy to remove and stuff in your bag if you decide you literally can’t even.

Maybe all the talk about barrettes and the half up half down hair solution has me gravitating towards a more polished look up top. Sure I love a good beanie, baseball hat, and even fedora, but I do think a case can be made for sporting a beret without resembling a caricature if done with the right sweater, skirt, and boots or (even sneakers and a slouchy pant).

Plus, sometimes it’s just fun to to look like you’re wearing a muffin on your head. Do you have strong feelings about berets? Air them out in the comments.

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