17 Sexy Women’s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas | What to Wear with a Beret Hat
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Vintage beret hat outfit ideas, including what to wear with a beret hat and how to wear a beret, so that you too can rock the French Beret Outfit, including the iconic 1960s vintage beret hat outfit looks.
This post is all about Vintage Beret Hat Outfits and What to Wear with a Beret Hat
Across the centuries the french beret hat has been the fashion accessory of choice for some of the most iconic vintage styles in the days of Old Hollywood Glam, to Femme Fatales, to our retro bombshells.
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“Without hats there is no civilization”
Vintage Beret Hat for Women: What is a french beret hat and where did it come from?
Red wine… a hot crusty baguette… a flaky chocolate croissant… a french beret hat…. what do these remind you of?
Besides you suddenly realizing that you’re starving (or should just grab that bottle of red now), these ooze of culture as the iconic emblems of one the most romantic and fashionable country in the world, France.
According to legend, the beret has its roots from Southern France. Way back in the days of the knights and ladies (think Robin Hood and Maid Marian), this flat hand-knit cap was worn by local peasants.
Why is a beret called a beret? Simply put the “Beret” is a French name (with Latin origins) for this round, flexible, and ‘oh so French’ cap.
How to Style a Beret Hat: Choose a Model that Compliments Your Face Shape
The french beret hat style is flattering for all face shapes. The secret is choosing one that best shows off your facial profile.
First, you want to balance the hat diameter (the plateau size) with your face.
So if you have thinner face, you’ll opt for a smaller diameter beret hat, whereas if you have more round face, you’ll choose one with a bigger plateau.
How to Wear a Beret Hat: Size (and angle) does Matter!
Now that you’re an expert on how to select a french beret hat that is most flattering to your face shape, the next step is to decide how to wear the french hat, namely which angle gives you the look and mood that you’re feeling?
Vintage Beret Hat Style #1: “Vintage Classy”
For a timeless sophisticated look, set your french beret on top of your head 3/4 inch above your eyebrows.
Retro Inspiration: Audrey Hepburn, Lana Turner, & Faye Dunaway
Vintage Beret Hat Style #2: “Retro Rebel”
Looking for a blasé or sexy n’ sassy rebel look? Simply pull one side of your french beret down, until you land on that killer angle.
Vintage fashion Inspiration: Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich
Vintage Beret Hat Style #3: “Mysterious Femme Fatale”
To channel a seductive confident and mysterious vintage vibe, pull the brim down nearer to your eye. Next add a devilish side tilt to complete the look.
Retro Style Inspiration: Carol Lombard
Vintage Beret Hat Style #4: “Vintage Mod Schoolgirl”
For a more relaxed and feminine vibe, push your french beret back a bit to let some strands see the sunlight.
Retro Inspiration: Brigitte Bardot
Now that you’re a bit of an expert on how to choose and style a French beret hat, it’s time explore some of the most iconic vintage beret hat outfits from the 1930s through the 1960s.
You’ll just love how versatile the french beret hat is, and how many incredible (and unique) looks you can create with such a simple hat!
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #1 “Vintage Vixen”
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The sultry Swedish Greta Garbo took Old Hollywood by storm in the 1920s-1930s, and gained international stardom.
We love the vintage beret hat outfit that she rocks in her 1932 film As You Desire Me.
In this film, she has amnesia and is trying to figure out her who she really is and which of her love interests she truly desires.
How do you make this Old Hollywood glamour look your own?
Pair a classic black french beret with a sharp white button-up blouse and black blazer.
Notice how the masculine elements of outfit (the military buttons, dramatic cuff links, and statement collar) contract with her feminine hair style and ladylike retro make-up.
Her structured french beret hat and crisp outfit contrasts with her flowing curls.
Also, embrace dramatic contrasting colors, as the classic black and white will help you effortlessly pull off this striking vintage beret style.
Fun fact!
If you noticed that the sensual Greta Garbo has a mysterious aura, you may be onto something—Rumor has it that she was a World War II spy for the British. Her mission? Secretly collect intel on Nazi sympathizers in Sweden.
How to Wear a Beret – Vintage French Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #2 “Sexy Tomboy”
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Marlene Dietrich, the sultry German-American Old Hollywood Glam Star, not only captivated her audiences with her incredible acting, and deep throaty voice, but she was also legendary for her fashion.
She wore what she wanted and some of her most iconic outfits were men’s pantsuits, which she pioneered both on and off screen.
What was her hat choice for her favorite pantsuit look? The french beret of course.
For these looks, Marlene Dietrich would pair pleated trousers and a masculine blazer with her white button-up blouse and a contrasting tie.
Depending on her pantsuit color, Marlene loved to play with her beret colors, either matching her beret (and retro loafers) with her pantsuit for an demure monochromatic look, or she would select a contrasting beret color to add a bit more drama to her outfit.
Notice also how she styled her hair up (completely under her hat!) or would pull a few strands out on one side.
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #3 “30s Glamour Girl”
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This picture perfect moment captures the blonde vixen Carole Lombard at the courthouse steps after her divorce from her husband, William Powell (yeah, the thin guy in the Thin Man movies).
This popular Old Hollywood actress went on to marry the love of her life six years later, with the one and only gorgeous Clark Gable (who starred in Gone with the Wind).
This vintage beret hat outfit sizzles, as it is the perfect blend of feminine sophistication and elegance.
Carol Lombard pairs a cream fitted skirt suit and a white button-up shirt with a contrasting black beret hat.
Notice her vintage gold and pearl broach and the gold pin on her french beret cap, and how they add delicate class to her outfit.
How to Wear a Beret – Vintage French Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #4 “Femme Fatale”
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Lauren Bacall sizzles in her french beret hat outfit in film noir mystery The Big Sleep 1946, starring opposite of Humphrey Bogart, who is the private eye in a blackmail and murder case.
Lauren Bacall is wearing a fitted houndstooth patterned skirt suit, which is paired with a black knit shirt and her black french beret.
Her hair falls in perfect 1940s style waves under the saucy tilt of her beret cap.
To channel this vintage look, don’t forget your red lips, a touch of eyeliner, and of course your retro 1940s pumps.
All you’ll need to fully master this look is the iconic Lauren Bacall pout.
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #5 “Retro Chic” or “Retro Girl Next Door”
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Looking for a sophisticated, yet approachable and cozy 1940s vintage beret hat look? This one one checks all the boxes and is so easy to copy.
Simply pair your comfy dark gray turtleneck with a classic french beret hat.
The key elements to recreate this look are your vintage waves (either set pincurls the night before or simply use medium hot rollers the day of) and select a figure flattering turtleneck.
How to Wear a Beret – Vintage French Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #6 “Blonde Bombshell”
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Lana Turner stars as the red-hot murderous femme fatale Cora in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946).
Using men to get what she wants is just part of the game!
We absolutely love Lana Turner’s sizzling vintage beret hat outfit that combines both sensuality and class. What another classic example of Old Hollywood Glamour.
Lana Turner pairs a white tailored skirt-suit with white gloves, a white blouse, and a white french beret hat.
Her hair is styled in large curls and her retro make-up is the classic red lips and black eyeliner.
Using the same color throughout her outfit, which closely matches her platinum blonde hair, adds undeniable drama and polish to this vintage style.
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #7 “Sizzling Pin-Up Girl”
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In the early 1950s, the steamy actress Mamie Van Doren posed in a similar white sexy vintage beret outfit.
Although one of these outfits was in the late 1940s and the other is from the 1950s, we just had to compare these two bombshell looks side by side, as both are so deadly.
Mamie Van Doren is wearing a white fitted skirt suit with statement buttons, which is paired with a white french beret hat.
Similarly her hair is a platinum blonde in a slightly longer retro style where the large waves fall in a sculpted curls around her face.
Her white french beret cap is placed a very saucy angle.
How to Wear a Beret – Vintage French Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #8 “The Audrey”
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Our beloved Audrey Hepburn embraces the french beret hat look in this picture perfect fashion shoot in 1950.
My my, this is such a classic French look, how did it not end up as one of her on screen outfits in Sabrina, after her Persian make-over?
For this chic style, Audrey Hepburn pairs an elegant dark plaid dress, with black gloves, pumps, and a clutch.
A black belt defines her small delicate feminine figure.
What fashion accessory provides a bright pop of color?
Yes, you got it! It’s her dazzling white french beret cap that captures your attention, and takes this vintage style to the next level.
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #9 “The Marilyn”
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The most famous sex symbol of all time, yes, none other than the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe, also famously rocked a french beret hat in her hilarious comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953.
This is a must-watch for any vintage fashionista or Marilyn Monroe fan, as Marilyn Monroe’s retro wardrobe sizzles just as much as her one-liners that will make you laugh out loud!
Marilyn Monroe is wearing an impeccably fitted navy skirt suit with a sweetheart neckline and contrasting white color. This is paired with white gloves, a black fur stole, and a matching navy french beret hat.
Her blonde hair is styled in perfect retro waves.
For makeup Marilyn Monroe selects red lips and emphasizes her eyes with black eyeliner.
Related post:
Marilyn Monroe Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Outfits – All her Gorgeous Glam Dresses
How to Wear a Beret – 1960s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #10 “The Iconic Bonnie”
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Likely the most iconic beret hat outfit of all time is that worn by the willowy and smoldering Faye Dunaway in the 1967 classic Bonnie and Clyde. The movie tagline says it all: “They’re young, they’re in love, they rob banks.”
Set in the 1930s, the saucy Bonnie shows one how to be a model fashionable makes robbery look like childs play and her lover Clyde enraptures audiences as they move from small time burglaries to full on bank robberies–always dressed to the nines (or should we say–dressed to kill?).
Faye Dunaway is wearing an orange fitted cashmere shirt, paired with an auburn brown loose pencil skirt.
Her patterned scarf is tied loosely around her neck, and her light orange french beret hat sits at a saucy angle.
Notice how Faye Dunaway’s hair is styled in a simple sculptured bob, and her makeup includes soft nude and soft eye makeup.
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – 1960s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #11 “60s Bad Girl”
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For this look Faye Dunaway is wearing a white checkered skirt suit and black v-neck sweater.
Her checkered white blazer has a unique empire waist belt style and and military style buttons.
Her dramatic black french beret hat adds the perfect amount of rebellion and sass to this otherwise very proper and ladylike outfit.
How to Wear a Beret – 1960s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #12 “The Bardot”
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As a Frenchie herself, the model, actress and iconic sex symbol, Brigitte Bardot embraced the French beret hat style in the 1960s and create a numbered of very memorable sexy French-Girl Chic styles.
For this French Beret hat style, Brigitte Bardot pairs a classic button-up cardigan with a pencil skirt, and a classic wool coat.
Her outfit is in neutrals, and her black fur french beret hat adds a pop of drama to her outfit. Plus it’s oh so practical for a winter stroll.
Notice how delightfully fluffy this adorable winter beret hat is!
It fully wraps around her head for cozy and chic warmth!
Her bangs are loosely styled, with a few pieces of her pulled out at the front of her face, while the rest is piled up underneath her hat.
To finish off this look, she added a touch of eyeliner and nude lipstick.
This 1960s vintage beret hat look is timeless and would turn just as many heads today, as it did in the 1960s.
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – 1960s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #13 “The Bombshell Bonnie à la Bridget Bordot” (aka 60’s Femme Fatale)
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Brigitte Bardot teamed up with the with Serge Gainsbourg (a French singer and songwriter) to write and perform the original French song “Bonnie & Clyde”. In 1968 this song soared, gaining an international cult following.
What vintage statement hat does Brigitte Bardot select to recreate this iconic look? None other than the french beret hat.
Brigitte Bardot pairs an orange and russet floral blouse with a russet a-line skirt, with amber beads. She sets her dark amber french beret hat at a saucy tilt.
She also adds extra volume to her 1960s blonde bob that takes it to the next level with pizzaz.
Her statement make-up is also done in a lined smokey eye that is highly dramatic and sexy.
How to Wear a Beret – 1960s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #14 “60s Chick”
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The French Brigitte Bardot is French definitely gets the fashion award for the most distinctive looks wearing her favorite fashion accessory… the french beret hat.
In this variation, Brigitte Bardot shows us a chic winter beret hat outfit, that’s oh so 1960s, and is just so practical for the winter months.
Brigitte Bardot is wearing a dark navy wool coat and a matching winter scarf, with a dramatic black french beret hat. Her makeup is styled with very dramatic cat eyes and nude lips.
Her beautiful locks are a light brown color and styled in a simple bob.
When copying this look, remember that the drama comes from your 1960s eye makeup and your french beret hat!
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – 1960s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #15 “Sexy Super Model”
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The leggy Super Model, Jean Shrimpton provides us with a taste of the 1960s Swinging London vibe with her chic and cozy vintage french beret hat outfit!
London is famous for its long cold winters, and what better way to layer up than with a Houndstooth black and white coat and statement fur french beret hat? As that famous saying goes, “Everything in London is quite good, apart from the weather: it’s cold and rainy there, and the winter is long.” (Sayed Kashua)
The iconic pattern of her coat and elegant cut, paired with the black tie belt ooze elegance. This is paired with the over-the-top multi-colored fur french beret hat. A simple bob, nude lips, and eyeliner completes this look.
Style tips to channel this 1960s vintage beret hat outfit?
Choose a classic wool coat in a figure flattering cut, and select a belt to emphasize your feminine figure. For your french beret hat, remember the more dramatic (and fluffier) the fur, the better.
How to Wear a Beret – 1960s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #16 “French Chic Cover Girl”
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Jean Shrimpton sizzles in this photoshoot for French Elle, taking the schoolgirl vibe to the next level with her french beret hat. No wonder she is famous for her fun youth-centered and glam fashion styles!
The blue stripes pop on this matching striped jersey outfit, which is layered on top of a white button-up and topped off with the fashion accessory that takes it to the next level… a white french beret hat.
This 1960s vintage beret hat outfit would be just a perfect today for lounging around the house, running errands, or a coffee with the girlfriends.
What to Wear with a Beret Hat – 1960s Vintage Beret Hat Outfit Ideas for Women: #17 “Retro Mod Schoolgirl”
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We love this 1960s vintage beret hat style that’s the perfect blend of schoolgirl and sophistication.
Notice the dramatic use of contrasts in this style.
First is the dramatic color blocking in opposites, with a dark blue turtle neck sweater that contrasts with a baby pink beret hat.
The old fashioned broach and turtleneck shirt style contrasts with the mod 1960s blue and black eye makeup and dramatic volumous hair bob.
“How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about.” – Philip Treacy.
This post was all about vintage beret hat outfit ideas, including what to wear with a beret hat and how to wear a beret, so that you too can rock the French Beret Outfit
Now that you’re an expert on vintage beret hat outfits, which look is your favorite?
Do you prefer vintage style from the iconic 1930s, the classic 1940s and 1950s, or the edgier 1960s styles?
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Originally published Aug 23, 2023. Updated Sep 02, 2024
