The French Beret

The French Beret

The French beret along with the Eiffel Tower, baguette, Citroën 2CV and the rooster are all true French icons - loved by the French and those of us that call ourselves Francophiles. The traditional French béret is a soft round peak-less cap that is flat on top and usually made of wool with a small tab on top.

This symbol of French culture can be worn in various positions: over either ear, pulled down over both ears, on the back of your head, flat on top or tipped forward over your eyes. 

Origin of the French beret

History has recorded the beret through the ages in writings, sculptures, paintings and folklore. Here's a quick look at references to the beret in history:

• Minoan remains from the island of Crete dated to around 1750 BC show both men and women apparently wearing berets.
• The first written reference to the beret in France is in a text from 1461 decreeing how much bérettiers had to pay for a market stall.
• The earliest picture of a beret in France is a 13th century sculpture in the church at Bellocq in the Béarn.
• A portrait of Henry VIII (by unknown artist) shows him wearing a beret which at this time may have been a symbol of his Welsh ancestry or it was a popular fashion item among European royalty. 
• Beret wearing took a decline in the early 1800s when it became fashionable to wear hats with a rigid brim rather than the traditional soft round peak-less beret cap. 
• The hat became popular again in Spain during the Carlist Civil Wars in the middle of the 19th century.
• From the Second French Empire of 1852 to 1870 the Pyrenées were a popular destination for walking tours and thermal cures so the beret became a fashion accessory.
• Not just for farmers and shepherds now, the beret was the chosen fashion item by writers, intellectual and artists like Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and Henri Matisse.  
• From the late 1800s the hat was increasingly associated with the armed forces and worn as part of a uniform.
• During World War II the beret became an emblem of French resistance.

I love this photo (below) that I took beside Bassin Octogonal in Jardin des Tuileries of a family on holiday all wearing different colour berets. Maybe they are traditionally made pure woollen berets, or maybe they are souvenir hats purchased at one of the city's souvenir shops. Either way, it's a fun thing for any family on holiday in Paris to do together - and at the very least, they'd be able to spot each other on the busy Champs-Élysées or in a packed room of the Louvre.

Watching tourists in Paris walk around the city wearing a beret and enjoying their Parisian experience always brings a smile to my face. I love seeing people enjoying my favourite city in the world as much as me!

Musée du Béret (Beret Museum)

This museum is all about the beret and it showcases the manufacturing process with old machines to look at. It also has a large portrait gallery of famous beret wearers including Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, writer Ernest Hemingway and Hollywood star Greta Garbo.

The museum explains how until the 19th century shepherds knitted their berets from local wool after discovering that when wet and shaped, the hair became dense and waterproof. This process of beret making continued until beret wearing became more widespread and industrial production began. 

Brown was the preferred colour of berets by shepherds until the late 19th century when large quantities were then produced in blue and black. Now berets are available in a huge range of colours and are worn by men and women. 

Berets are a part of countrymen and women's lives as this quote by a female farmer nicely states:

It provides protection against both sun and rain, and also shields the eyes from debris when pruning fruit trees. You can use it as a basket when picking cherries or mushrooms, or as a purse." - Le Musée du Béret

Le Musée du Béret - Place Saint-Roch, 64800 Nay

Official website - www.museeduberet.com

Buying Berets in Paris

Berets are a fun souvenir to take home from your trip to Paris and you'll have lots of options to find one you love in the city. Laulhère have been making traditional woollen berets for more than 180 years. They have stores across France and two in Paris. You'll find them at 7 rue la Vieuville, 75018 (Montmartre photo above) and at 14-16 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, Fond de cour/Courtyard, 75008. The quality of their berets is excellent and their range is extensive. The history of their founder and stores is fascinating:

Laulhère, 180 Years of History -  Founded in 1838 at the foothills of the French Pyrenees by Lucien Laulhère, Maison Laulhère began manufacturing berets in 1840. Since then, we have never stopped producing this mythical object, the beret, which is the result of a unique ancestral heritage and a know-how which is now only held by a handful of passionate people. Our ambition is to tirelessly modernise the beret and bring it to the forefront, year after year, while perpetuating the priceless heritage of which we are today one of the last guardians. - Laulhère

Mademoiselle Charivari is a delightful store at Place Suzanne Valadon, at the base of the butte Montmartre where you'll find a good selection of beanies, sunhats, fedoras, trilbies, cloches and berets.  (Photos above)

In Paris there are also souvenir stores that sell berets amongst tea-towels, snow domes with miniature Notre Dames, sparkly Eiffel Tower t-shirts, magnets, shot glasses and all manner of stripy clothing. These berets, often produced overseas and from synthetic fibres, cost significantly less than their traditional woollen counterparts. Whether you choose a quality beret to add to your wardrobe or a fun coloured beret to wear on holidays, a beret is a fabulous French reminder of your trip to France or Paris.

Pin to read again later or share with friends

More posts to read