Master of Colors: The French Beret
Recently a dear childhood friend traveled to Paris and posted pictures of herself wearing a fabulous black French beret. Very chic. The flat disc, made from felt or wool, sits slightly slanted on the side of a head. The beret, visible in red, blue, green, grey, orange, brown, and other hues is distinguishable by color. Each color carries meaning. Namely, red for revolution, green for elite military units, blue for military uniform accessory, orange for search and rescue, grey for weather and so forth.
The beret’s origin was modest, mostly because making them was inexpensive, and they commonly were worn by peasants and shepherds in the fields. Painters from the Dutch Golden Age, such as, Rembrandt and Vermeer, included the item in their paintings, as well as their self-portraits. Culturally associated with France since the 19th century, the recognizable French beret was also known as the Basque beret, as people in the Basque area, between Southern France and Northern Spain, still don the hat.
The headwear of Che Guevara, the red beret, is part of his revolutionary iconic image and immediately conveys his militancy. The Green Berets, the elite Army special forces, is popularly known by their hat color and heralded in Hollywood cinema by this name. Grey berets belong to U.S Air Force meteorologists. Blue berets are a popular color among multiple organizations, such as, the United Nations peacekeepers, and the elite mountain infantry force of the French army, the chasseurs alpins. Search and rescue technician teams wear brilliant orange berets. Which color is best!
A black beret suggests cool, chic, a laissez faire attitude in modern style and fashion. Magazines, social media images, and movies encourage this description. Artsy bohemian ladies, enjoying the day, match the hat with sunglasses, scarfs, and bright red lipstick. The simple, timeless flat disc, slightly slanted on a head, defies its modest beginnings. The French beret, a powerhouse, whether black, blue, green, red, or grey, is a master of colors.