Berets

[nitnyleo]

I'm so tired of wearing baseball caps, all-of-the-time, everywhere. Have an Aussie outback style hat that works for some situations.

 

But, I'm taking a fancy to berets. On some sails, at least in the old days, I'd prefer to be mistaken for being French. Do the French still wear them? Or, are they only for USA armed forces, now? (I'm not insulting USA armed forces and I'm pretty darn sure no one would mistake me for being a member).

 

I'd love to hear from anyone who is a regular beret wearer. Any tips?

[cb at sea]

The only beret wearers I'm familiar with are the men who wear them while driving--generally about 10-15 mph BELOW the speed limit (and right in front of me!) I think berets must sap some of the driving ability of men....I've been keeping track of this phenomenon for a couple years now....it almost never fails that a man in a beret will NOT go the speed limit!

On a ship, be as slow as you want! But, take it off when driving----PLEASE!

 

Oh--and bass players (musicians) wear them alot, as do some horn sections!

[iheartbda]

I'm so tired of wearing baseball caps, all-of-the-time, everywhere. Have an Aussie outback style hat that works for some situations.

This doesn't answer you question but, is there a reason you wear a baseball cap all the time, everywhere?:)

[ellecruiser]

lots of celebrities were wearing knitted berets over the winter :) do a google image search for celeb beret.

[JanineM]

You prefer to be taken for a Frenchman ... seriously? :D

 

Why not just let the wind blow through your hair!

[Ms Belvedere]

Why not just let the wind blow through your hair!

Perhaps lack of hair is the reason for the hats? :confused: I think of berets as winter head wear. They're a knit or wool felt, a little heavy and hot for PA summers. Best wishes to you with whatever you decide to wear!

JMO

[Road Pirate]

Personally I am glad I put in my 10 years in the Air Force before the beret came into fashion. Other than being a bit too United Nations for me, the beret does not look good on many people, including most of our soldiers. Yet, if you are Sean Connery, or a starving French artist, you may have found yourself. :) The fedora style, on the other hand, is more versatile, comes in a wide variety of variations, and you don't have to look like Indian Jones.

[californiacruising]

There are so many cute hats available. My roots start showing in about four weeks. Our travel plans are sometimes for six or seven weeks. I'm hesitant to have someone other than the usual gal color my hair. Hats are the perfect solution.

[nitnyleo]

This doesn't answer you question but, is there a reason you wear a baseball cap all the time, everywhere?:)

 

basically, laziness. If my hair ain't styled right, I think I look pretty goofy. I'm not gonna spend an hour to style the hair only to have it go kaput once I get outside.

 

Fortunately, bb caps suit my face. And, the more I think about it, I don't think the beret is gonna work . . . my nose is too big.

 

PS: not like the "good ole days", when I would spend forever to get the hair just right and then jump in the car and put down the top just to get the bread my mom needed 2 hours earlier.

[Jane110]

I'm so tired of wearing baseball caps, all-of-the-time, everywhere. Have an Aussie outback style hat that works for some situations.

 

But, I'm taking a fancy to berets. On some sails, at least in the old days, I'd prefer to be mistaken for being French. Do the French still wear them? Or, are they only for USA armed forces, now? (I'm not insulting USA armed forces and I'm pretty darn sure no one would mistake me for being a member).

 

I'd love to hear from anyone who is a regular beret wearer. Any tips?

 

I'm a regular beret wearer and I have many of them. But before anyone can give you an intelligent reply, you need to supply some basic information that you left out for some reason.

 

1. Are you a man or a woman?

2. Are you talking about wearing a beret specifically on a cruise, or just out in general?

 

 

Even though you've left out pertinent information, I can say that

a beret is better for keeping one's head warm if it's chilly, and a baseball style cap is better for keeping the sun off your face.

 

A fedora, or the newer version, a snap brim, is good for men and women (though more popular for men) and does a little of both - keeps the sun off your face, keeps your head warm - and looks a lot better than a baseball hat.

[nitnyleo]

Hello Jane110,

 

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

I'm a guy. I don't think that I would ever give up the bb caps; but, I would like to change-out the hat styles every so often. Would love to have a beret for a cruise (which would require "practice" in the home/neighborhood environment).

 

Some berets just seem so "floppy". I like the style of the US military ones, but don't think it (I) would look right. (If someone around here sold them, I'd try some on . . . but nobody does).

 

PS: love your signature :D

[cookie75]

I agree with people who said a beret is winter headgear. I think it would look out of place on a cruise. I think a fedora or bowler (or what is it Kid Rock wears? :) ) would be a better bet. Or a snap-brim type newsboy / golf hat? I think they make all of those types of hats in lighter fabrics for warmer weather.

[Sassy Chassis]

Amazing...a thread about hats and I can't chime in. I don't own a beret!! :confused: You think I would have at least one [in every color] since I tend to slip a little français into my speech de temps en temps...

 

For a summery hat I would suggest looking at Kangol's "Sweetcorn" hats. They are made with corn (yes!) and have a lightweight weave to them. I recently purchased the "Deeto" style and it fits like a baseball cap, but it's much cuter :p and it also is packable!

[Jane110]

Hello Jane110,

 

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

I'm a guy. I don't think that I would ever give up the bb caps; but, I would like to change-out the hat styles every so often. Would love to have a beret for a cruise (which would require "practice" in the home/neighborhood environment).

 

I love berets on both men and women, however, I think that they're better used for cool weather and street attire. Wearing a beret on a cruise would look a bit costume-y, imho.

 

Some berets just seem so "floppy". I like the style of the US military ones, but don't think it (I) would look right. (If someone around here sold them, I'd try some on . . . but nobody does).

 

You have to try a few on to find the one that fits your head best. For myself, I like the floppy ones - but they're better for women. I have such a hard time finding the right size that I just crochet my own. And no....don't even ask! I'm not making one for you! :p

 

PS: love your signature :D

 

Thanks! I only speak the truth! :D

[nitnyleo]

I recently purchased the "Deeto" style and it fits like a baseball cap, but it's much cuter :p and it also is packable!

 

Thank you for the suggestion, but it is a little "too cute" for me. However, in searching thru all of the Kangol hats, I found a "summer" beret . . .

[nitnyleo]

I love berets on both men and women, however, I think that they're better used for cool weather and street attire. Wearing a beret on a cruise would look a bit costume-y, imho.

 

You have to try a few on to find the one that fits your head best. For myself, I like the floppy ones - but they're better for women. I have such a hard time finding the right size that I just crochet my own. And no....don't even ask! I'm not making one for you! :p

 

I suppose I will have to travel into Philly and find a place to start trying them on. As I stated in the previous post, I found a "summer" beret. (perhaps for the Frenchmen in Martinique).

[nitnyleo]

The only beret wearers I'm familiar with are the men who wear them while driving--generally about 10-15 mph BELOW the speed limit (and right in front of me!) I think berets must sap some of the driving ability of men....I've been keeping track of this phenomenon for a couple years now....it almost never fails that a man in a beret will NOT go the speed limit!

On a ship, be as slow as you want! But, take it off when driving----PLEASE!

 

Oh--and bass players (musicians) wear them alot, as do some horn sections!

 

:D

 

Does this mean that I have your A-OK to peacefully build my salad on the buffet line for a ½ hour without all the hazardous traffic whizzing by to get to the burger, dogs and fries? :D

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Hey nitnyleo

To me, there are very few guys who somehow "look right" in a Beret (I'm not one of them).

 

But it sounds like you just want/need some other hat options, so...

You've gotta just get in some stores and try things on. Keep an open mind, as you never know what is actually going to work - Here are some other ideas in general:

Much better, much more comfortable, much hipper (for men of all ages), and all work well in outdoor (and indoor) situations.

 

Zappos, Target, Brixton, Goorin Borthers, are good places to look...

[KandCsailing]

Jamie Hyneman of the t.v. show Mythbusters, is the only person that I've seen wear a beret in the summer (or year-round). He is never without his and they are in San Francisco most of the time.

I think of it as a winter hat myself.

My DH is the opposite, he just started wearing a baseball cap. He could never find one that suited his "massive cranium", as he puts it.

[CruisingCaity16]

No, contrary to popular belief, not all frenchmen wear berets. I was in France for a month and the whole time I saw maybe 2 guys wearing a beret. Now days it's fallen in with all of the other French sterotypes.