According to wikipedia.com, The French word beret is from the Bearnais Berret and described as a “sort of flat woollen cap, worn by the local peasants”. The beret sure ...]]> While we are most inclined to associate the beret with the French, it has also has a long history in Spain and Italy. The beret was first produced in the 19^th Century in these countries. Ever since that time, Artists, men, women, revolutionary groups, military and police units around the world have also adopted the beret into their fashion and passion.

According to wikipedia.com, The French word beret is from the Bearnais Berret and described as a “sort of flat woollen cap, worn by the local peasants”. The beret sure has come along way since then. Not only has the military world embraced this headcovering, but the “hipster” world has embraced it as well. Yes, the uniform of the emerging artist, boehmian, and beatnik has included the beret in their attire. Womens fashion in both America and Britain was influenced by the beret invasion during the middle of the 20^th century. Towards the end of the 20^th century, the Chinese also embraced the beret into their fashion and politics.

Is there really one way fits all when it comes to wearing a beret? With a snug fit to it, the beret feels nice and secure when on the head. Made with flexible material, it can be molded and manipulated in a variety of ways. In America, the beret is most often worn off to the side. In other countries like Central and South America, men and women like to wear it pulled towards the front of the head. Most often seen in solid dark colors, the beret can also be quite colorful. In the Rastafari movent, the berets are very large insize and are either crocheted or knitted with black as the main color. To top things off, red, gold, and green circles are on top. The the Rastafari movement is known for their dreadlocks. This hairstyle and the beret is a strong representation of their biblical covenant with G-d and they refer to themselves as the “black Israelites”.

The beret has also be known to appaer in revolutionary circles in Cuba as well as several revolutionary groups in the United States. The Blank Panther Party, a 1960s activist group, took on the black beret as part of their uniform.

How does a berte feel? While most are partially lined with silk or satin, more modern beret fashions are lined and made of “Polar fleece”. These are very popular and can be thrown in the washing machine.

Do you own a beret? Would you wear a plain black one or one of Rastafari fashion?

The name says it all. There is no better way to name ...]]> I love learning about the origins of hats from around the world. Most recently, my hat finding mission took me to Mexico. I am already a huge fan of Mexican food and a table-side seranade by a Mariachi band. I have always appreciated their bright and decorative costumes, sombrero to boot! In fact, the sombrero,has some fantastic facts behind its origin. Her are 3 that I found most via my journey south of the border.

The name says it all. There is no better way to name a hat than for its function. According to wikipedia.com the Spanish sombrero started out as a flat crown and wide flat brim. This type of hat was also referred to as the Poblano, which originated in Spain. Once this wide-brimmed wonder hit Mexico, it took on many new looks. In fact, some sombreros were so full of design and decoration that they were not permitted for work on the ranch.

Can it beat the heat? Wide-brimmed hats have been seen by those riding horses since the Mongolian Horsemen of the13^th Century. While riding a horse is cool, riding a horse in a very hot and sunny area of the country is not. The cowboys took this concept of being cool in the heat and created the cowboy hat years later.

Hats of many textures and colors. The sombrero is has so much design to it. Some of these designs include woven patterns and decorations. Today, sombreros are not so popular as day to day hat choices. However, when it comes to certian festivities and traditional Mexican celebrations, the sombrero can be seen far and wide (literally). One of the most interesting facts about the sombrero is that it can be found in places of Philippine history. During the Manila Galleon Trade, there was an influx of Mexican people to the region. As a result, the word sombrero has been infused into the language of the Philippine people. Whether a somberro or a baseball hat, “sumbrero” in Tagalog is the official world for “hat”.

Have you seen a sombrero lately? Do you think it should be worn on more than just Mexican celebrations?

A spiritual purpose. The population that most often wears the Turban is the Sikhs, from Punjab. Here they are referred to as the Dastar or Dumalla, and are required head coverings. Not all turbans are the same and if you look ...]]> I have always been impressed by the ways a Turban can be worn. What is a Turban exactly? According to Wikipedia.org, Turban refers to several types of headwear. Besides being my favorite way to dry my hair after the shower,look at these 5 intersting facts turbans.

A spiritual purpose. The population that most often wears the Turban is the Sikhs, from Punjab. Here they are referred to as the Dastar or Dumalla, and are required head coverings. Not all turbans are the same and if you look closely you will see the difference. These differences do matter, as turbans can be confusing. For example, man Sikhs still wear a pagri, or antique Arab style turban. When this happens, they look as though they are Muslim or Arab. The Sikhs take great pride in their turbans and their style represents a warrior religon. Women and men Sikhs wear turbans because they feel that men and women are equal. Unfortuately, this is not the same in the majority of religions in the east. The Sikhs wear their turbans to protect their hair, which is also considered to be very holy and never trimmed. They wear their turbans at all times, as they feel that the presence of God is everywhere

All turbans are created equal. There was a time when certain turbans represented different classes in society. Unfortunately, this only caused a separation between people and Guru gobind singh Ji put an end to this. I like his way of thinking.

Color me a turban. The most seen turban colors worn by the Sikh men include blue, orange, white and black. Outside of the Sikhs, turbans can get very creative in color. In fact, Piedad Cordoba, a women politician in Colombia, wears very ornate and colorful turbans. People love to refer to heras “the lady with th turban”.

Other communities in the Middle East that wear turbans include North Africa, South Asia, areas in Jamaica, and Afghanistan.

Have you ever seen a turban that was so beautiful that you would consider wearing it?

Show your ...]]> Spring is definitely in the air and with that comes some very fun holidays. On of them, St. Patrick’s Day, falls on Saturday March 17^th this year. This means more celebrating and more opportunities for more people to do so. Kids from 2-92 have already planned out their green outfits to celebrate in style. Whether it is watching a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in your town or having friends over for corned-beef and hash, here are 5 ways to make it easier being green this year.

Show your true colors. This is a day when men and women alike can sport green in more ways than any normal Saturday. Why not paint both fingers and toe nails in shades of green. For extra fun, and if you have the patience, paint little four leaf clovers on your face. Why stop there when you can spray green streaks on your tresses.

Hats off and on. There are so many fun hats and hair accessories that go perfectly with St. Pa tricks Day. For women and girls, headbands with shamrocks on the side are a big hit. For men and women, girls and boys, Dr. Seuss style hats hit a high note and are available and most party supplies stores.

Green your scene. It may not be your color, but for one day a year it can be. Get in true holiday style spirit with a green polo shirt accompanied by green shorts and socks. Girls and ladies can get their green on with shirts too! If getting in style spirit from head to toe is your thing, grab a pair of green keds to complete the look.

Do you dress-up for St. Patrick’s Day? What are you must have green items to celebrate?

In the Soga Village of Chang Jia Miao a group of women are known as The Long Horn Miao People. They create “big’ hair on purpose. This interesting process begins with pieces ...]]> I remember when I was a kid and I tried to get my naturally curly hair stick straight. After I learned about the Long Horn Miao people in China, I was both surprised and relieved. I thought my frizzy tresses were big until I saw how big the women of Miao made their hairstyles, on purpose.

In the Soga Village of Chang Jia Miao a group of women are known as The Long Horn Miao People. They create “big’ hair on purpose. This interesting process begins with pieces of wood (big enough to fit into their hair) which are put into their hair. Additional volume is added by wrapping black yarn around and around until it is big and wide. As you can see from the picture above, this gives another meaning to “wide load”. The women of Miao do not only have interesting hairstyles, they have some incredible hair accessories as well.

The Mia women are all about silver in their accessories. This is not by accident. According to the Miao people, silver has not bling but power. They believe that silver symbolizes the light and it is that light that casts away evil spirits. Some of the silver ornaments and accessories worn by the women of Miao are really “heavy metal” and often weigh 22 pounds or more! Accessories include some very ornate headdresses and even clothing.

Even though this village is extremely poor, these women take pride in their traditions and put tremendous amounts of work into creating these hairstyles and constumes. All of this work is done after a long day out in the fields. Things are definitely not easy for the men and women of the Soga Village. It is this pride and dedication to their work that has earned them a reputation as excellent producers of weaved embroidery and batik painting around the world.

Have you ever heard of the “long horn” hairstyle before? Can you imagine the time and effort involved?