Sonia Rykiel SS09
We told you last month how the recession has turned us Brits patriotic, buyers opting for pieces from British labels, especially Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith but it seems we're not the only ones. The French are too feeling the nationalism love and snapping up berets in their droves.
The Independent reports that sales figures of berets have doubled in Orlon Sainte Marie, the traditional beret-making region in the south-west of France. The paper adds that the French are becoming disillusioned with American and English fashion influences so are instead returning to their roots.
Berets were traditionally men's headwear but when actress and singer Marlene Dietrich, who has just been voted style icon of the 1940s, stepped out in the beret it became a unisex accessory.
Milliner Stephen Jones told The Independent: "I'm so taken with the image of Marlene in her Elsa Schiaparelli beret."
"It's the T-shirt of hats. Whether you're old or young, rich or poor, a beret suits everyone, and it's a very inexpensive way to transform your existing wardrobe. It's instant glamour, on the cheap."
Fellow hat designer Phillip Treacy added: "Like all good hats, berets can accentuate the best features of a person to make them look more striking."
Giving the beret the official seal of approval, French designer houses Sonia Rykiel and Chanel used the hats in their Spring/Summer show and even Italian labels Armani and Sportmax incorporated them into their Autumn/Winter shows.
Not everybody is taken by this look though. The Daily Mail's Erin Kelly says: "Even the most dedicated fashionista can't overcome the real sin of the beret, which is that it gives you the worst hat hair of any headgear, ever, with the possible exception of the swimming hat.
"The snug-fitting band leaves a welt on the forehead, while the thick woollen fabric creates a dank, sweaty atmosphere inside the hat that will plaster the bounciest of blow-dries to the scalp in just a few minutes."
Unluckily for Erin where the French lead the rest of the fashion pack usually follows so will we all be wearing berets in the coming months? We certainly hope so! Oooh lala!
Tagged in Chanel