Beret

Rose Valois

ca. 1950 · wool, silk · Costume Institute

A classic French hat, the Breton beret, long familiar as a form of regional headwear, here has been adapted by a well-known Parisian milliner for a fashionable clientele. Instead of the utilitarian heavy wool felt worn by nothern French farmers as protection against the sun, the designer's creative adapation has been remade in fine felt and elegant velvet. The softer textiles allow for greater manipulation of the form and give the hat a more sculptural quality. This version appears different at every angle and allows the wearer some creativity in how it can be worn, while still paying homage to a classic French style.

Artist

Rose Valois

Date

ca. 1950

Medium

wool, silk

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Joseph McCrindle, 1960