The saying, “fashion repeats itself” is true in nature. Fashion is cyclical through trends that come, go and come around once again! Accessory trends, however, are to be monitored in particular because of course a good scarf or warm hat will never be out of trend in the fall and winter seasons. However, it is interesting to observe how winter accessory trends in particular change over time through the different style of hats that become popular. Years ago, a simple beanie would suffice as warm and on trend. Now, as the fashion world has evolved and borrowed from history yet again, a new accessory trend has been on the rise: the beret. Beret’s are round, flattish caps of felt or cloth. They are most commonly known as French painter hats or hats with a military or political purpose.
The most common image that is seen when the word beret is thrown out, is the felt hat that was created in the 1500’s. The felt hat was named beret in the 1800’s and was used as a political statement in France during wartime. However, the rest of the lower class in Europe used beret’s for their convenience of being long lasting and cheap to make. In the 1900’s the beret became a chic statement piece in France. In the 1950’s the beret was used worldwide during war time. (Mic.com) Different colors represented different nations and rankings in the army (LoveToKnow.com). During the 1960’s and 70’s it was used to support the rise of activism. The beret was worn most commonly by groups with a strong political purpose like the Black Panther Party, The Brown Berets, and the Young Lords Party (Mic.com). Since then the beret has died down in popularity among the common population.
That has been until most recently, when beret’s have been seen on fashion icons like Rihanna on the red carpet and Beyoncé at her last super bowl performance. Since then, beret’s have popped into every convenient fashion store, such as Forever 21 and H&M. Whether or not the rise of the beret is made to tie in with the rise of activism in the millennial generation. Currently, it is enthralling to observe how this trend is back like like never before. Berets are good pieces to compliment layered outfits. They are also a good accessory to be used as a statement piece. The best thing about berets is that they are easy to manufacture and come in various textiles like leather or felt. If you are willing to participate in the trend it is easy to go out now and make it your own during the remainder of Winter and early on in Spring.