Black Velvet Beret, Cocktail Hat, Red Rhinestones by Janet

What is a Beret

A beret is a soft brimless cap, usually made of felt, that fits tightly around the forehead and poufs out into a flattened bubble above the hatband. Some berets are worn with the hatband showing. The Madeline style has no band. Beret styles in the 1940s included hood berets (which resembled a beret morphing into a snood), upstanding berets (which stood up on one side or the front only), pancake berets, and berets made of fur. Berets popular in the 1950s included pancake berets; large flat draped berets; berets combined with jersey hoods; sectional berets with top loops similar to tams; turban berets; close-fitting berets of fur or faux fur; close-fitting berets with small visors of the same felt; and berets decorated with feathers, beads, or cutouts. 

The iconic 1960 photograph of Che Guevara (photographed by Alberto Korda) popularized the beret as the emblem of revolution. In the late 1960s and 1970s berets were usually made of wool knit or fabric, including denim, as well as fur, faux fur, and felt. Berets got bigger and puffier. The late 1960s-1970s styles included banded berets, bubble berets, huge floppy berets, and berets with visors.  Militaries around the world have adopted the beret as a uniform. From Hatatorium, An Essential Guide for Hat Collectors, 2nd Edition.