The Political History of the Beret
From military berets to the leather berets of the Black Panther Party, the beret has one of fashion's most interesting histories.
To many, the beret is considered an emblem of French fashion. While this is not completely accurate and you won't see many native French people sporting a beret on the street, celebs like Elsa Hosk, Rihanna, Solange, and Bella Hadid as well as Lily Collins' character in Emily in Paris have utilized the cap as a representation of French girl style. However, before the beret was a symbol of style and je ne sais quoi, it was often used as a sign of resistance.
The beret has a long and storied history that transcends fashion. Politics, in particular, play a bigger role than meets the eye, and the beret has long been a hat associated with rebels.
As much divisiveness exists about how to wear the beret—pulled back, to the side ever so slightly, or clipped to one's hair at an angle—there's an equal amount of discussion about the hat's place in history. Many associate the hat with the military berets of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, while others immediately think of Faye Dunaway as Bonnie in the iconic Bonnie and Clyde film.
The beret itself has roots in various countries around the world, each with its own style. The French version, for example, is slightly different than a Scottish or Spanish beret. But typically, the hat has been made of affordable felt since its beginnings, lending itself to a variety of different demographics.
The classic French artist beret's aesthetic dates back to the 1500s, when it was the hat of choice for Europe's poorest class due to cheap manufacturing. Rembrandt's paintings depicted himself and farmers wearing the flat-topped chapeau. In the mid-1800s, Basque military figures in Spain wore distinctive red berets during the Second Carlist War. Later during WWII, French resistance fighters donned the military beret. The Special Forces division of the U.S. Army has long been identified as the "Green Berets," too.
"On one hand, it's an iconic chapeau associated with French artists, philosophers, and schoolgirls, a symbol as iconic as a baguette or the Eiffel Tower. But it also has a tough, menacing side, as a part of military uniforms worn by the Green Berets and the French Navy, among others."
An extremely similar style of the very same hats worn by army fighters, dictators, and political leaders was also chosen by the 1960s Black Panther Party in America, and of course, the iconic Beatnik generation—both signifying resistance, rebellion, and a strong dose of being politically outspoken. Over the last 60 years, the Black Panther Party's signature leather berets have become elemental references to the civil rights movement.
"The beret has a split identity in popular culture," fashion historian Kimberly Chrisman Campbell tells L'OFFICIEL. "On one hand, it's an iconic chapeau associated with French artists, philosophers, and schoolgirls, a symbol as iconic as a baguette or the Eiffel Tower. But it also has a tough, menacing side, as a part of military uniforms worn by the Green Berets and the French Navy, among others, that has been co-opted by some pretty brutal dictators, such as Saddam Hussein and Robert Mugabe, whose beret inspired a street fashion trend in Zimbabwe."
That may just be the most interesting thing to note about fashion's favorite hat. Unlike many other fashion pieces that come back into style in a major way during certain times, the beret has long had a dichotomy between creative freedom and war, quite unlike any other garment or accessory. Artists, actors, poets, and writers have long been associated with the hat, while it's also clear that political leaders and dictators from around the world have embraced the style.
"I think that's why, since the 1960s, the beret has been adopted by rebels and rabble-rousers," Campbell explains. "It combines classic cool with a dangerous edge."
In a world where political activism is more visible than ever before, the beret may be fashion's antidote to complicity.
