Don't Berate the Beret

by Helen i-lin Hwang

In the past, berets have been associated with Girl Scouts and military commandos. But today, the beret is making a comeback that’s not at all about cookies and firepower. The beret is a fashion statement that sends out the message that you’re cool, you’re tough and Ö your head is warm.

With weather that includes snow in spring, it's not a bad idea to always have headgear handy. Notwithstanding practicality, the fashion-conscious can be seen in droves sporting berets. No longer exclusive for nightclub wear, you can be capped in broad daylight.

"You can just put on jeans, a T-shirt and a beret, and you look different," says Paola Fieramosca, the co-proprietor of the new Old City boutique Made in Italy. A "cappello" is what Fieramosca calls a beret in Italian, her native language. She travels to Italy to buy merchandise to stock in her first Philadelphia store, which she opened six months ago with her sister-in-law. The fashion emporium isn't all cappellos -- it also features ruffled shirts, sexy miniskirts, short jackets and unusual pants. "I never wore a hat," Fieramosca says, adding that she "couldn't stand" to have something on her head. But the beret changed her perception, since style trends, not personal preferences, rule the day in her line of work. People now stop her on the street and ask where she got her beret, and she's proud to use herself as a walking advertisement for her store. Her shop carries berets in a range of styles and colors, from gray wool plaid to blue velvet to corduroy, all priced at $35.

If you want to go for the most popular brand of beret, Kangol is king. The world's biggest name in hats makes berets with visors, flat pancakes, puffy ones with tip-tops, quilted ones with embroidered flowers, mesh, tweed and practically anything you can think of. In business since 1938, the U.K. label knows its hats and, in recent years, has focused on the everyday street look. With its trademark kangaroo logo, Kangol is easily recognizable in stores like Urban Outfitters and Suit Corner. Don't be shy: Tip your cap to the beret.

Made in Italy, 227 Market St., 215-627-7208; Suit Corner, 300 Market St., 215-922-4639; Urban Outfitters, 110 S. 36th St., 215-387-6990, and 1627 Walnut St., 215-569-3131.