Berets are probably the most common hats and ones that are well established across the world. From law enforcement to different organizations, there are thousands of beret styles all of which depend on the years of tradition and years of wearing the same hat. What is interesting about the beret in contrast to any other hat style is that berets are very versatile and often don’t come pre-shaped. Of course, there are pre-shaped berets but generally speaking, most of them need a few touch-ups in order to look sharp and the way they should.
So, since now we know that you need to shape your beret the right way in order for it to look good, in this article we’ll talk about different beret-wearing styles/methods. We’ll see why berets are so good and why most military-related organizations pick them as part of their soldier’s look.
What you also need to know is that beret has a lot of history in it. They became widely popularized in the 19th century in Spain and France. Ever since then, the beret has become a must-have piece of wardrobe for almost any soldier.
Berets are often made from soft materials like felt and therefore they can get dirty pretty easily. But, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear them. In fact, the beret is one of the most lastings hats out there. Soldiers wear it in war, in the mud, and during the crossfire. So you can imagine how strong and long-lasting this hat is. In the lines below, we’ll see what are the best ways to wear a beret, clean it and shape it the right way.
Knowing How To Wear Your Beret
First thing first, you need to know if you’re wearing a beret as a part of the dress code or uniform, or just as a fashion statement that describes you. In most cases, the beret is a part of a uniform. Therefore, every single soldier or member of the organization needs to wear it the same way. In most cases, this means that you wear it in such a way that the brim is straight across your forehead. Some organizations, such as the US Army, require that edges sit exactly one inch above your eyebrows.
Now, you can be sure that when you place the beret on your head, there will be some excess material. This is exactly why a beret almost always needs to be shaped and in most cases, it won’t be preshaped. Usually, the excess material is folded and draped towards the right side.
If you’re wearing your beret for fashion, there really isn’t an exact way you need to wear it. You have all freedom and there really isn’t a limitation to this matter. Usually, people wear it so that the hat is tilted diagonally to the one side. If you wear the beret for pure fashion, it doesn’t need any touch-ups. Leave it as it is and don’t mind the excess material.
If you aren’t wearing your beret for fashion reasons, then you need to look for your hairstyle as well. Especially women. Some hairstyles like a bun can damage the shape of the hat. You should let your hair fall freely underneath the beret. Some organizations also have a rule that the beret you’re wearing needs to have the same color as the color of your hair.
Shaping The Beret
When it comes to shaping the beret, there are some tricks you should utilize in order to pull out the best look. First of all, what you need to know is that any new beret has an inside lining. What you need to do now is very delicate. Basically, you need to cut this inner lining so that the beret snugs your head perfectly. It shouldn’t be too tight but it shouldn’t be too loose at the same time. You also need to be careful that you don’t damage the outer fuzzy layer of the beret. This inside lining is the main part of every single beret and its purpose is to protect the hat from possible damage before the owner starts wearing it. We said that this hat has top quality and we meant it. Also, this lining is there to provide the best possible fit for the owner. Based on their head size and feel, every beret is an individual piece of art that will fit perfectly on only one person. How about that?
The next step is to remove any fuzz that might be present on the beret. How to do this? Well, it might sound silly, but believe us, using a disposable razor is the most effective way. Just run the razor in a single direction over the surface of your beret. Be sure that you don’t do this more times over the same spot as the razor can damage it.
Another way to get rid of the fuzz is to use a lighter. Hold the lighter in place with one hand and take the beret with the other. With moderate speed, run your beret over the flame but be careful that you don’t leave it too much on the open flame. You don’t need to do this over the whole beret, just do it over the parts where the fuzz is visible.
Lastly, if the fuzz on the beret is big and visible, you can use clippers to clip it down. Imagine like you are clipping hair – repeat the same motion here and what you should have is a fuzz-free beret.
Now that the beret is clean from the fuzz, the next step is to shape it. The right way you can do this is with the help of hot water. Soak the beret in hot water. Keep in mind that hot water will make your beret shrink a bit so if your hat is large then soaking it is a good idea. If your beret has a tighter fit, avoid hot water and just use regular tap water.
When you soaked the beret, squeeze out the extra fluid. How to know that the beret is soaked enough? Well, when you twist it, the water shouldn’t be dripping. That’s a good sign. Now that your beret is in a perfect state for shaping, place it on your head. With your hands, pull the sides of the beret in order to sit properly. Adjust the surface of the beret the way you want it. When you’re done, leave it to dry. After one day, the beret will be ready for wearing and in most cases, it will have the shape you created.
With good maintenance of the hat itself, your beret can last forever. There are some known cases of 100+-year-old berets. This type of hat is good to have as it’s going to be your lifelong partner and as a plus, you’ll look pretty cool with it. It’s an unusual hat to own and most people aren’t even aware of it and if they know about it, they think it’s solely a soldier hat. Show them they are wrong and stand out from the crowd.
If you just bought your beret and want to make sure you shape it the right way, then follow the instructions in this article. If you’ve done everything correctly, your beret should have a clean and sharp look and it should be sturdy as well. Berets are quality accessories to have and you should treat them with respect. With the correct shape, every single beret can look better than basically any other hat.
A disclaimer though – A beret is hard to mix up with other parts of the wardrobe. It’s not like it’s similar to a baseball cap so you can wear it everywhere. Beret has style to it (baseball cap has it as well) and you should wear it like that. Think about a suit paired with a nice white shirt.
