how to wear a beret styling tips

How to Wear a Beret With Vintage Outfits

Style / Thursday, March 3rd, 2022

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Figuring out how to wear a beret hat without feeling silly can be difficult if you’re new to the hat style. However, beret hats have been one of the most popular styles of women’s hats for decades. There are so many cute ways to wear a beret hat with vintage outfits, whether it’s with wide leg jeans, a cozy knit sweater or a suit. Berets can be the perfect final touch to a lot of different outfits. They can even add an air of mystery to your look: think Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep, Lizabeth Scott in Pitfall or Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde. The more recent appearance of beret hats in Emily in Paris is further proof that the beret is here to stay.

I love beret hats because they’re so versatile. You can wear them with updo hairstyles or with your hair down, and they can be styled with a lot of outfits. They’re made in all kinds of colors, fabrics and shapes, so there’s a beret for every time of year. Wool berets can help keep your head warm during colder months, while leather berets add unexpected edge. There are even crochet berets suitable for warmer months. And like any hat, berets are also a clever way to hide dirty hair.

Still not convinced? This post will ease your worries and help you with how to style a beret hat. To avoid getting comments like “you look like a French mime”—initiate eye roll—read on for some ideas on how to wear a beret with vintage outfits.

How to wear a beret hat with vintage outfits

Firstly, know that there are different ways to position a beret hat. One popular style is to wear the beret perched toward the back of your head. I prefer to wear them tilted to one side and they’re also less likely to fall off this way. You can pull one edge of the beret down so it creates a fold, as I prefer, or pull up on the beret so it has a more “puffed” shape. Play around with the different styles until you find what works for you, then try one of these vintage styling ideas:

Wear with fun prints—other than stripes

As I mentioned, people will be quick to make the French mime comment if you’re wearing your beret with a striped top. If you love this look, go for it. I actually really like a beret with a white and navy striped shirt! However, there are a lot of other fun prints that work with a beret hat. A classic houndstooth or plaid, pretty floral print or even polka dots all work with a beret.

how to wear a beret hat tilted to one side

Outfit details:

Suit up

Berets look great with both casual outfits and more dressy attire. I like wearing my beret hats with vintage suits. Try wearing a beret with a tailored wool suit or a bright day suit. A beret looks great with both!

beret hat with a light green skirt suit

Outfit details:

  • Hat: vintage/Mercari (similar style here)
  • Suit: vintage/Sabrosa Vintage
  • Gloves: estate sale find
  • Handbag: vintage/Nitty Gritty Vintage
  • Shoes: Re-Mix Vintage “Carmen”

Wear with a single contrasting color

Adding contrast is one way to add interest to any outfit. Accessorize an all-black outfit with a white beret, or the other way around. Try this with different colors, playing around with light versus dark. For example, you could wear a red dress and shoes with a white or light pink beret, or a light tan suit with a dark brown beret.

white beret hat with a black outfit

Outfit details:

Wear with a cozy sweater

Berets are a wonderful transitional accessory. Wear them in the fall and winter with chunky sweaters, or in the spring with lighter knit sweaters. Bonus points for puffy sleeves!

vintage beret hat and sweater

Outfit details:

Dress it up with a suit and faux fur coat

Beret hats can also be styled with more glamorous outfits. Don’t be afraid to top your wool suit and faux fur coat with a matching beret.

vintage beret hat with a suit and faux fur jacket

Outfit details:

  • Hat: vintage/Mercari (similar style here)
  • Suit: vintage/Demetra Vintage
  • Faux fur coat, gloves: estate sale finds
  • Handbag: vintage/Nitty Gritty Vintage
  • Shoes: Re-Mix Vintage “Carmen”

Create a monochrome outfit

Get dressed in winter whites and wear a white beret with a sparkly vintage sweater and matching white gloves. Or go bold and try this look with red, purple or your favorite color.

vintage white beret hat with a sparkly cardigan sweater

Outfit details:

Go for classic elegance

When I shared this photo on Instagram, someone commented that I reminded them of Anita from 101 Dalmatians. That wasn’t the plan, but I thought it was a cute comparison! Berets are a timeless accessory that you can wear with jeans and a t-shirt or with a blazer, skirt and heels. Think of trends of the 1940s and ’50s and match your hat to your handbag, gloves and shoes.

1940s inspired outfit

Outfit details:

  • Hat: vintage/Mercari (similar style here)
  • Blazer: vintage/FabGabs
  • Skirt: Hell Bunny “Kennedy Skirt”
  • Shoes: Re-Mix Vintage “Carmen”
  • Gloves & handbag: estate sale, thrifted

Play with proportions

Channel the 1940s with a form-fitting turtleneck, wide-leg pants and beret worn tilted on the side. Oppositely, you could wear an oversize jacket or blouse with billowing sleeves with slim pants, or a form-fitting top with an A-line skirt and a beret.

black turtleneck with wide leg pants

Outfit details:

How to wear a beret so it stays in place

A frequent question I get asked on social media is how to keep a beret hat in place. Some beret hats like to slide around, unfortunately. There are a few ways to keep your beret from falling off during the day.

For berets that sit farther down the forehead, I like to bobby pin the beret in place in the back of my head. I use two bobby pins, crossed to form an “X” right at the back of the beret. The front part of the beret sits tight on my forehead will the back is held in place with the hair pins. You can try placing the pins over each of your ears instead if this helps more.

For berets worn at the back of our head, use a hat pin. This is a long pin you pierce through the hat, pushing toward the back of your head and catching a section of hair underneath, then pushing through the hat again on the other side. This works better if you have an updo or have at least pinned up the side sections of your hair. That way the pin can latch onto a secure section of hair. If you leave your hair down, the hat may still move around, even with the hat pins, depending on how fine your hair is.

If you don’t have a hat pin, you can try a brooch instead. This not only helps hold your beret in place but also adds some pizzazz to your hat. Keep in mind that the heavier the brooch, the more weight will be pulling down on your beret.

Where to buy cute berets

I love vintage beret hats just as much, if not more than, modern made berets. They often have a unique shape or features like pins or ribbons. You can find vintage beret hats on resell apps like Etsy, Ebay and Mercari. I’ve also found cute beret hats at secondhand stores, like Plato’s Closet, and at estate sales.

Many retro reproduction brands sell berets in a variety of colors to wear with your favorite vintage-inspired outfits. Unique Vintage, ModCloth, Vixen by Micheline Pitt and Tatyana Boutique are just a handful of shops to visit to find cute beret hats.

Shop cute beret hats:

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how to wear a beret styling ideas

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