A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned cap made of hand-knitted wool. Mass production of berets began in the 19th century, specifically in the Basque Country, where they were already common headwear before spreading to Southern France and the north of Spain, but Archaeology indicates that headwear similar to the modern beret has been worn since the Bronze Age across Northern Europe and as far south as ancient Crete and Italy. In Western fashion, men and women have worn the beret since the 1920s as sportswear and later as a fashion statement. Berets are worn as part of the uniform of many military and police units worldwide, as well as by other organisations. The beret is part of the long-standing stereotype of the intellectual, film director, artist, "hipster", poet, bohemian and beatnik. The painter Rembrandt and the composer Richard Wagner, among others, wore berets.
cst_00131 > Women's hat, Wool, 25 cm, ca. 1950
This item is not currently exhibited, but you can see many more related exhibits on the four floors of the CVAR.
