This article is classified "Real"
Those of you out there who have (or lack) hair like I do, can probably
benefit from a simple device called a hat. Hats come in all shapes, sizes,
colors, and religious denominations, but my hat of choice is definitely a
beret.
History Of The Beret
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Well, the beret is so old no one can be sure of its basic history, but we do
know that it originated in France, "beret" being a French word.. Yet, like
many words, beret actually comes from a Latin word, in this case "birretum",
which means "cap". And basically, "cap" is exactly what a beret is. A
floppy cap.
After a while, the various militaries found the hat to be perfect for
ceremonies or other non-physical military activities. They would wear them
for decoration, and still do. The beret has become so popular that it has
spread to high schools where girls use them as fashionable headgear, and
certain guys use them to dare to be different.
A variation of the military style is used in Boy Scouting, with the beret
being maroon with a Harvester patch on it.
Two Beret Wanna-Bees
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The more common of the two beret-like hats is the notorious painter's hat.
This hat is worn by (stereotypical) French painters, and beatniks. It is my
belief this is actually what berets used to look like, but the knowledge has
died over the years. They differ from military berets in three ways: they
are brighter colored, are floppier and more "deflated", and they have an
annoying little stem on them. They should be considered as fashionable as
military berets, but are not to be taken as serious.
The other type is a newer and fast-spreading cousin of the beret. I call
them "beret flapcaps". I don't know if they've become a worldwide thing,
but at least in the United States they have taken their place amongst trendy
people and teenage gangs. Flapcaps are recognizable as being like a
baseball cap, but having a beret-like fabric on top, slightly flopped, and
no sports team is advertised. The extra 'flop' snaps down on to the bill of
the cap. They are often seen in black, gray, and plaid. Although being
beret-like, I feel that anyone wearing these hats is offending the
beret-wearing community by using a cheap substitute.
Berets In The U.S. Military [1]
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The following colors apply to U.S. Military, each one representing a
different unit or strike force. In a similar fashion this is practiced in
other countries too.
Green Berets: Worn by members of the U.S. Army Special Forces. [2]
Red Berets: Worn by members of ROTC (Rot-See) and other subgroups [3].
Black Berets: Worn by the Rangers, a subgroup of the US Army. They are
a special force, affetionately known as "the kings of light
infantry".
Maroon Berets: Worn by members of airborne units, who have successfully
passed jump school. Any non-jumpers are known as "legs"
to encourage them to jump.
The Rare Purple Beret: Undercover operations. These are rarely seen and
cannot be bought in stores. I have never seen
one, but my cousin Paul says they exist (and he's
in the army).
Berets in the Middle East
-------------------------
It has become a stereotype in many cartoons, photos, video games [4], etc.
that military officials in the Middle East wear crooked black berets. I
wear such a beret (U.S. Made) and have been accused of being "Saddam Hussein
in Disguise" or a "Nazi". And for the record, Nazis aren't even in the
Middle East. I do, however, understand where people get this idea from,
with media people like Hussein and Kadhafi going around wearing them. [5]
Anarchy [6]
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Berets and anarchy have long been associated with one another. When you see
someone on TV wearing a beret, you probably think, "This guy's just about as
liberal and free-thinking as you can get". I don't have any idea what
berets and anarchy have in common, though. There's no practical use to
berets in anarchy (except maybe sewing on a patch of your gang or terrorist
organization).
Yet, patches have a very dark image most of the time, making the viewer
think of nothing but evil (of course the dark clothes and unshaven face
add to this). So some anarchists choose to brighten up their uniforms and
please other people by wearing bright, colorful buttons like the "Smiley".
Buttons are the anarchist's way of saying, "I Hate Government, I Love You."
A good example of this is on the television show "The Young Ones". Other
than that, I've never seen buttons on berets, and I don't feel they belong
there, either. Even cute "Have a Nice Day" buttons.
And though I've seen all these things in action firsthand, I still say the
best use for a beret is my use: to cover up really bad hair.
[1] A very special thanks to Ben Heinl for this section.
[2] See the John Wayne movie of the same name for reference.
[3] ROTC stands for "Reserve Officers Training Corps", which pretty much
sums up what it is.
[4] "Command and Conquer" comes to mind. The game is divided between two
opposing sides, GDI and NOD. For a while, a man named Seth - who wears
a black beret just like mine - stole the throne from Kaine. Relevance?
Probably none.
[5] (Editors Note) In fact the British military genius Montgomery was also
famous for wearing a beret so it is a military fashion which knows
no boundaries.
[6] Despite being an avid beret-wearer, the author in no way condones or
wishes to promote anarchy.