How To Wear A Beret Right: From Classic To Modern Looks (2024)

By Fashion Expert

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Updated June 22, 2023

Known as a French-style attribute that took over all the scenes and runways with its enchanting ooh-la-la flair, a beret has come to the modern fashion to show its new sides. While some things just don’t go out of fashion, berets are what sets its direction: their femininity and sophistication run the vogue.

If you can’t imagine how to incorporate one of the most game-changing types of hats into your look, this post is your lifeline. Here, you will find out how the French-infused accessory has changed, how differently you can pull it off, and how to pair it with the right outfits and hairstyles.

Types Of French Berets For Different Looks

The diversity of a French beret started evolving right after the trend was born. Due to the minimalist initial design, couturiers and designers could and still can experiment with different fabrics and styles, thus making the accessory versatile for many occasions and looks.

Classic Berets

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The traditional beret design has been passed through generations as the most flexible accessory that can instantly spice up a woman’s look with a sense of elegance. They usually come in neutral shades like camel, black, grey and blue which nicely complement the texture of wool or felt. Paired with chic ankle boots and an ageless trench coat, the accessory adds a ton of feminine, noir-inspired vibes that instantly amps up fall and winter looks.

Cozy Knitted Beret

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We bet that knitted berets are the reasons why the french hat gained such huge popularity. This type comes in a variety of the warmest and softest fabrics like cashmere, wool, and angora which are not only delightful to touch but also comfy to wear. The best thing is, girls who are into DIY can knit their own slouchy hats, embellishing them with beads or rhinestones to their liking.

City Girl’s Leather Berets

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Leather berets appeared as a brand new take on the feminine accessory, becoming a crowd-pleaser after the very first runway show. Combining a rather daring, a bit masculine character with a traditional girly trend, leather hats have set their own rules. And the rules are - no rules at all, as you can easily pair it with your ripped mom jeans and silk dress.

Glam Berets

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Women who can’t leave their homes without an accentuating, unique accessory will love the way edgy beret hats add tons of glamor to the looks. Their pointed, different designs can change the common image of the feminine French beret, revealing the original fashionista inside you. Anything from embroidery to jewels can be a part of your one-of-a-kind beret, stealing the show 24/7.

Bright Colored Berets

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Colorful berets offer a vast palette of colors that has a beginning but no end. Bright red, baby pink, vivid yellow - that’s only the beginning of how you can freshen up your feminine casual look. By wearing saturated red hats, you can switch your style to a more dramatic mode. As a matter of fact, having at least three berets of different colors is enough to be ready for any mood, style, and occasion.

Elegant Small Berets

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When you want to pour some drama on your style and make your fashionable look more significant, small evening berets come in. Although they provide a huge variety of designs and fabrics, most of them are rather moderate and restricted. As the name suggests, the size of such hats is smaller than traditional berets. Also, they’re usually designed to sit on one side of the head. What makes small berets appropriate for formal events is lace, veil, and jeweled elements that softly finish the big aesthetics.

How To Wear A French Beret Based On Your Face Shape

Obviously, when wearing a beret, you keep your face as open as never before. However, the diversity of women's accessories is vast enough to have an option that will flatter you the most. Now, you’re going to learn how to wear a beret for all the beautiful face shapes we’re blessed with.

Square Face Shape

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Since ladies with the square shape have prominent cheekbones and defined jawline, they should let a beret sit a bit asymmetrically. By wearing it on one side of the head, you will soften the angles visually, balancing out the overall silhouette. To draw attention from your strong features, curl some front strands along the temple to give your face a soft frame and delicate look.

Round Face Shape

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Women with round faces look ravishing when they wear a beret on the nape of the head. First, make sure your hair is full of life and volume to give the needed framing touch to your cheeks. Then, place your stunning accessory further back on the head, pulling the front strands forward to make your face appear slimmer.

Triangular Face Shape

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If you have a triangular face shape, all you need to wear your hat right is to place it slightly off the center. Women with this shape usually have very pointed chin which makes the face look too slim and sharp. The good news is, pushing the accessory to one side and finishing the look with bangs or volumetric hairstyles are all you need to perfect the Parisian look.

Oval Face Shape

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Oval faces are the most well-balanced face shape; they have no prominent features, everything is absolutely symmetrical. Still, ladies love adding some angles to their looks, and wearing a beret a little bit over your forehead is the best way to do that. Make sure it overlaps an inch of your forehead and it will give the gently rounded silhouette.

Styling Tips To Wear Your Hair Under A Beret

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One of the secrets to getting the most of your headdress is to ensure it looks harmonic with your hairstyle. In fact, these two go hand in hand and knowing these tips will help you achieve what we call an on-point look today.

• For an androgynous, tomboyish look, short haircuts with baby bangs slightly showing up from the beret or low chignons with a couple of loose front strands will do the trick.
• If you aim to create a sweet sexy vibe, simple low ponytail, braids, and straight hair will help you take the canonical Euro-chic approach.
• Don’t forget about your hair color: it should match your headdress picks!
• Blonde hair looks best when paired with pink, light green, and blue berets.
• For brunettes, nothing works better than such warm shades as brown, burgundy, and forest green hats.
• Black hair reveals its charm with navy blue, cream, and purple headdresses.
• Enviable redheads will look their best with navy blue, deep green, and light rose berets.
• When you have a bad hair day or second-day hair, simply braid those locks and mask it all with a beret.
• If you rock a fringe, you can freshen up your look with a sense of femininity by pinning the bangs back and placing the beret atop.

Wear A Beret With The Right Styles

Berets are by no means picked randomly - there are lots of crucial details to consider. The way you style your hair, as well as the way you combine your casual outfits are the background to keep in mind when wearing a beret.

Traditional Look With Trench

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A beret hat and a trench coat are like wine and cheese: you won’t go wrong putting them together. Moreover, it’s the classic choice that has survived through many style epochs, expressing women’s stylishness and refinery. However, it’s very important to stick to a harmonic color scheme. For example, if your coat is neutral-light tone, all your accessories including a beret and clutch should be of a similar tone to create a balanced tandem.

Matching Beret For Casual Outfit

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Pay attention to what color or pattern prevails in your look when choosing a headdress for the finish. As you can see from this wonderful Parisian ensemble, the main color is black. Consequently, a black beret would be the best pick.

Contrasting Red Beret

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You don’t need to look for a reason to wear a red beret: you can wear it whenever you want. While rocking neutral shades requires proper color approach, there are no restrictions for a contrasting element, as it’s meant to be the highlight. But, according to fashion etiquette, plaid prints with monochromatic colors are the ideal base for reddish accents. In other words, your red element should be the only bright detail.

Brave Look With Leather Skirt

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When you’re about to make your casual look a masterpiece that turns heads, a black leather skirt is your must. Plus, as you might have guessed, nothing can compare to a leather skirt paired with knee-high boots of the same color as the skirt. And it goes without saying that this look can’t do without a knit coat and dark-toned beret cap putting the signature to the fashion-chick kit.

Beige Coat With Rust Red Beret

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If your fall wardrobe consists of soft, neutral and light colors, you can add some individuality to it with a red beret. This time, it’s better to go for subtle, faded or rust-like shades of red so that they don't stand out drastically. Decent bright color on top is a nice approach to a personalized look and the latest fashion.

Checkered Jacket With Matching Beret

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Probably the easiest and the cutest way to sport a beret! Fall is the best time when we can flaunt with our favorite jackets, jumpers, and coats, showing off our sense of fashion. All you need to create a fantastic duo is to pick a headdress that matches the main tone of your outerwear.

Designer Dress And Elegant Small Beret

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Big occasions require big looks. Sooner or later, you will want to get a designer dress tailored to the best features of your body. Needless to say, without the right accessories and headdress, it will be a waste of money. A small, elegant beret that follows the color choice of your maxi dresses gown is key! Besides, if your amazing outfit has some lace or veil details, try to find a beret featuring them, too.

While your wardrobe is the reflection of your taste, a beret is your signature which you put to every look from your collection. Beret looks great with any kind of outfits from grange leather jacket to classy costume. Although it’s considered the most stylish accessory ever, you can’t just pick a random headdress; it requires the right approach. Luckily for all ladies who want to keep up with fashion, this post has covered everything a woman should know to rock a beret.

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