Introduction: A hat, several fashion legends
When you wear a beret, you may not know that it carries a style heritage of more than a hundred years. It was once a symbol of military uniforms, a weapon against the trend of the system, and magically "returned to the center of the stage" in every fashion cycle.
1. 1930s-40s: Berets became the "elegant revolution" of women
1.1 Functional aesthetics in the context of war
In the late 1930s and 1940s during World War II, women began to enter the workplace in large numbers, and berets became an elegant substitute for their military uniforms.
- Characteristic style: wool material, low-key color, simple streamline design
- Representative figures: Hollywood actresses such as Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman often wear it
- Fashion influence: match with skirt suits, suits, and shawls to create the ideal image of "urban women"
- At this time, the beret shows a feminine temperament that is both elegant and independent, becoming one of the few items that can find a balance between "practical" and "fashionable".
2. 1960s: Berets and rebellious spirit go hand in hand
2.1 The combination of the Black Panther Party and political culture
In the late 1960s, the American black civil rights movement emerged. Members of the Black Panther Party uniformly wore black berets, paired with leather jackets and sunglasses, forming a "street uniform" with great visual impact.
- Symbolic meaning: black power, armed self-defense, and confrontation with the system
- Cultural effect: Berets are no longer just fashion accessories, but cultural declarations
- During this period, berets broke gender boundaries for the first time and became part of men's "political style"
2.2 French left-wing youth also wear berets
During the French May Storm (1968), a large number of student movements and left-wing culture emerged. The beret became a symbol of Parisian left-wing youth, paired with a wool coat and a hand-painted slogan flag, symbolizing anti-capitalism and idealism.
3. 1980s: A symbol of literary youth and British retro style
3.1 Berets enter mainstream fashion
- With cultural diversification, berets no longer have radical political meanings and begin to turn to symbols of literature and retro.
- British new artists, photographers, and poets wear berets, and their style emphasizes knowledge and artistic temperament.
3.2 Celebrities drive fashion trends
- Prince, Boy George, Madonna and other 1980s music idols frequently used berets to match their stage looks, triggering mass imitation.
- Fashion brands such as Vivienne Westwood also incorporated berets into deconstructionist designs to express an anti-mainstream but fashionable attitude.
4. 1990s: Berets enter the golden age of pop culture
4.1 A "must-have" for hip-hop and R&B culture
- In the 1990s, the African American music culture flourished, and hip-hop and R&B stars such as Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Tupac Shakur promoted berets to become a symbol of "black pride".
- Berets are combined with large earrings, oversized shirts, and combat boots to form a new generation of street style
This style of dressing is not only popular in the black community, but also imitated by young white people, causing cross-ethnic fashion to spread
4.2 The influence of Japan's Harajuku trend
- The Harajuku girl style that emerged in Japan in the 1990s also likes to combine colorful berets with baby skirts, thick-soled shoes, and unique makeup to create a "cute and weird" style that mixes the East and the West.
5. 2000s: The "light disappearance" and occasional revival of berets
Although berets have been "silent" in the mainstream trend since the beginning of the new century, they have not completely left the stage:
- After the 9/11 incident in 2001, military elements became popular again, and some military green or leather berets returned to the streets again
- Pop divas such as Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera also used berets in MVs or on the red carpet
- After the rise of Korean culture, berets were used by K-Pop idols for stage styling, especially in combination with uniforms, tweed skirts, Martin boots, etc.
6. 2010s-2020s: Retro resurgence makes berets return to the protagonist
6.1 French retro trend promotes the revival of berets
In recent years, "Parisian girl outfits" have emerged on social media (#ParisianStyle, #FrenchGirlStyle), and wool berets have once again become:
- Popular styling items on IG and Pinterest
- Paired with pleated skirts, trench coats, high-waisted pants and other modern retro combinations
- Fast fashion brands such as Zara, Uniqlo, &Other Stories have launched a large number of affordable beret styles
6.2 Dramas and fashion blockbusters promote
- Berets frequently appear in dramas such as "Emily in Paris" and "The Crown", driving public aesthetics
- Gucci, Dior and other big brands use berets to create diverse styles such as female officer style and future urban style on the catwalk
7. Mid-to-late 2020s: Berets become "style tools" that anyone can wear
7.1 The development of de-gendering of berets
Gen Z pursues diversity and gender ambiguity, and berets are popular because of their neutral characteristics:
- Men, women, and non-binary groups can wear them
- From girly pink to metallic silver and fluorescent green, various colors emerge in an endless stream
- Affordable and luxury versions coexist at the same time, becoming a "style label" that everyone can have
7.2 AI-generated fashion images and the visual influence of berets
Emerging AI tools (such as Midjourney and Runway) often use berets as outline elements when generating "future style outfits", indicating that they also have a sense of existence in "imaginary aesthetics".
Summary: One hat, seven memories
Berets are not ordinary hats. They are like a mirror, reflecting the values of the times:
- Representing practicality and strength in the war years
- Representing rights and identity in the rebellion years
- Representing personality and diversity in the fashion era
It was once a hat worn by soldiers, and it was also a spiritual symbol of poets, singers, and social activists. Today, it is a fashion expression that you and I can choose.
Whether you want to pay tribute to the classics or hope to break through the boundaries of style, berets are worth collecting.