The beret has made an unlikely comeback this summer. Thanks to Adwoa Aboah's streetwear turn at Glastonbury and Rihanna sporting Dior's leather number back in March, the beret is set to be your new headwear of choice. Although it was first worn as far back as Ancient Greece, the beret really entered the public's consciousness as a political accessory. Worn by French resistance fighters during WWII, it was later adopted by Che Guevara, whose unmistakable dark beret is still preserved in Cuba's Museum of the Revolution.
In the late '60s, Black Panther Party revolutionaries donned leather jackets with black berets atop their afros, a look to which Beyoncé paid homage in her 2016 Super Bowl half-time show. During the same era, in France, it was associated with the Nouvelle Vague movement, with ingénue actresses Jean Seberg and Anna Karina sporting berets with feline-flicked eyeliner, cigarette in hand. Of course, the beret's had its cinematic moments, too: Julia Roberts in Notting Hill, Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, Eva Green in The Dreamers and, more recently, Rooney Mara in Carol.
As is the way with iconic pieces, the beret has often fallen into twee, costume, or hard-to-wear territory. But some of our favourite women are proving that there are countless ways to style the hat, from Beatnik- to military- to hip-hop-inspired. Click through to see how to wear the accessory du jour, from summer festival to the colder months.
'90s
Adwoa channelled the '90s at this year's Glastonbury, donning a wide-legged camo jumpsuit under a Hunter waterproof. Worn by everyone from Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice to Tupac, streetwear has often incorporated the beret, and Adwoa's yellow-tinted sunnies and jewellery pay homage to the era. Adwoa's is by Itchy Scratchy Patchy, Edie Campbell and Christabel MacGreevy's customisation label. Their pins and hats reading 'Anarchy', 'Respect' and 'Solidarity' are a favourite with activists and Instagrammers alike.
Photo: Getty Images
Beatnik
We always look to French singer Soko – often spotted in a beret – for finely balanced eclectic ensembles. Pictured here at Revolve at Coachella, she pulls together a band tee, oversized Chinoise robe, choker and pleated skirt with the red of the polka dots, tinted shades and leather hat. You can't get much more French (or Beatnik) than round sunnies and a beret.
Photo: REX/Shutterstock
Military
Rihanna goes full Black Panther here, wearing head-to-toe black at Dior's AW17 show. Her uniform is made up of a Dior wool overcoat, choker, suede platform boots, black shades and the black beret worn by models throughout the house's show. From Beyoncé's Formation video to Kendrick Lamar's Grammys performance, the Black Panthers' influence on style and culture has been recognised and revived over the past few years.
Photo: Getty Images
Colour pop
Artist and designer Miranda Makaroff is your one-stop Instagram style stalk for colour, print clashes and fun. At Paris Fashion Week AW17, she's the ultimate Alessandro Michele muse thanks to a look that's part 5-year-old, part granny chic. In a Missoni chevron-striped crop top, pink pleated H&M skirt and Moncler jacket, she gives a good lesson in colour pop, with a vintage sunshine-yellow piece. Who said berets had to be black?
Photo: REX/Shutterstock
Bohemian
Scottish model Emma Louise Connolly looks every inch Mick Jagger in Revolve at The Ivy Chelsea Garden summer party. A brocade and velvet collarless jacket epitomises The Beatles' '70s aesthetic but topped off with a chunky western belt, a red lip and black tilted beret, this is how to wear it Bohemian-style.
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