Berets are Back! The Rules of Wearing Them With Taylor Swift, Rihanna, SJP and Emily In Paris

Emily In Paris has a lot to answer for. On paper, wearing a beret in Paris might sound like cultural appropriation — but, as one of the most fashion-forward stars on TV, Emily (Lily Collins) has enough je ne sais quoi to get away with it.

Since Emily is, of course, a huge influencer, berets are now popping up way beyond the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe and appearing in stores and on stylish heads across the globe.

With winter on its way, you too might be wondering if a beret could be a great way to inject some drama and sophistication into your look while keeping cozy in the cold.

The trouble is, when it comes to berets, what might look like vintage Parisian chic in the mirror can translate badly into pure costume party territory if you get the angle or the styling wrong. So, follow these stars’ leads to learn some simple dos and don’ts of wearing a beret…

DO hide a bad hair day

Now, we can’t say for sure that Rita Ora is having a bad hair day under there, but we are seeing un petit hint of dark roots, which she might have been eager to conceal when she picked out this beret from her extensive collection of hats. The fact is, a beret can be a great way to subtly distract from anything less than ideal you’ve temporarily got going on — unwanted grays, a skipped wash or two — while looking cool.

DON’T mistake cheap for chic

Of course Jason Kelce is that guy who goes on vacation and heads straight to the tackiest tourist store he can find. When he wore a navy beret to the Paris Olympics, Kelce himself admitted he’d picked it up from a souvenir shop. And there’s no shame in it — somebody needs to keep those charming small businesses afloat! We’d just rather it wasn’t Us.

Related: Jason Kelce Purchased His Olympic Beret at a Local ‘Souvenir Shop‘

Courtesy of Ashley Sessa/Instagram Jason Kelce fit right in at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, wearing a traditional beret. Jason, 36, and wife Kylie Kelce attended the U.S. women’s field hockey game against Argentina on Saturday, July 27. The retired NFL star made a statement with his navy-colored beret. When asked by the Associated […]

DO beware the bangs

If you’re a long-term lover of bangs, like Taylor Swift, you’ll know that they don’t always mix with varied weather conditions and the headgear those weather conditions might require. But, side-sweeping the hair and wearing your knitted beret low on your head can solve the problem and look super-cute and cozy too.

DON’T fear the formalwear dress code

Berets are versatile, which means they can absolutely form part of a red carpet look, like the one Lady Gaga nailed at the 81st Venice International Film Festival this year. The contrast of her all-black outfit with her white-blonde hair brings the drama we expect from Gaga, with a classic vintage twist.

DO stay just the right side of evil spy

If you’re as cool as Rihanna, you can get away with teaming a black leather beret with big sunglasses, a choker and some dramatic lipstick. But get this look wrong, and people might think you’re the baddie in a budget crime caper.

DON’T mix up too many looks

There was already a hell of a lot going on with Bella Hadid’s Paris Fashion Week look here, so the beret feels a little surplus to requirements. An oversize jacket, a denim crop-top, that utilitarian bag and a garish hat: is this a supermodel or someone coming to fix our temperamental faucet? Only those with the hair and bone structure of a Hadid could dare.

DO pretend your life is a movie (or Netflix series)

Carrie Bradshaw walked (in ridiculous heels) so that Emily In Paris could run, so of course she loves a beret too. On the And Just Like That set, SJP (filming season three) shows that the hat is best worn just jauntily enough, with a smile and a sense of nonchalance. Would most people dress like this to run errands and take a phone call? Probably not — but both Emily and Carrie make us want to try.