Grandpa's beret

Do you know what a beret is?

It's a cute hat that young women wear fashionably, right?

No, no, that's not actually the case.

When you think of France, many people probably think of berets, striped clothes, and baguettes...

If you ask people what their image of the beret is in France, most will probably answer that it's a hat worn by older men. Looking at history, we can see why. Berets originated in villages in the Pyrenees Mountains in France long ago, as sorting hats. Apparently, each village had a designated color, and people wore a beret of that color to match. They also served as a substitute for knitted hats, helping to keep the head warm. Over time, berets evolved into hats worn by workers and sportsmen. Berets fit snugly on the head, stay in place, and are warm in the winter. Many workers began to wear them, and since most workers were men, they became a part of working men's fashion.

Nowadays, this custom has faded, and berets are more commonly thought of as "grandfather's hats."

Recently, many people, both men and women, in both France and Japan have started wearing berets as a fashion statement.