Evening star., 1949-12-19
This and That
Bp Charles E. TraceiceU
20 STREET.


Dear Sir:
What do you think of the beret? AS a
hat for men, mean. I would like to wear
one, but my wife laughs SO. every time I
put it on, that desist. But I see no par
ticular reason why 1t shouldn't make good
thing to wear. At least it would stay on in
a wind. Sincerely. Mr.. De L. G."
A BASQUE beret, after ALL. is just cap
without brim.
There is no real reason why it shouldn't
be worn in the city.
Not only does it stay on in wind. as our
correspondent says. but it has an air to 1t.
Perhaps it is this "air' that makes people
snicker. Even ones wife!
Perhaps the fair sex is slightly jealous,
too, since in recent years the beret has been
taken over by them.
Field Marshal Montgomery showed what
a 'he' man may do with the beret, even If
his model is more on the tam o shanter side.
II wear my hat as please" chanted Walt
Whitman, the poet. Old Walt never had
a wife, though. Maybe that had something
to do with 1t!
Probably most men, at some time or other,
have sneaking desire to wear beret
They remember the Blue Devils OF World
!,
moustaches.
Berets became them.
Unfortunately, they do not become every
one, especially every one with big nose.
It is the nose one may believe, that does
the dirty work.
Given good nose, and especially good
hair, one may get away" with it.
But the nose too large, or too pointed, and
that is all others see, when beret is worn.
AS for good hair. even though most OF it is
covered up, 1t shows up in beret even more
than it does in cap.
No bald headed man should ever wear
cap. It t-would be unthinkable for hairless
man to try beret. He cannot do it. even
If he never takes it off.
It should be pointed out that some men
have an irresistible temptation to wear q
cap, even though 1t makes them very undig
nified, as their wives say. Good wives are
always looking out for their men folks head
coverings. They want them to look digni-
fed. A cap is good only for fishing or hunt
ing. A beret-heavens. what is it good for?
AS for the babushka, or whatever it Is, SO
popular with the teen-agers, what would
happen if a man appeared on the streets
wearing one? Well, they do over in Europe.
as a recent photograph of Andre Glide, the
writer, testified.
Here, even a cap is suspect. Perhaps this
Is because Of the simple truth, that the aver
age man honestly does not "look good" in
cap. But who said he had to-? The cap has
plain advantages. It will not blow off in
wind, it is cheap, at least comparatively So
and it can be folded up into small space.
AS for the beret it is mostly left to
Frenchmen and artists of all nations. We
saw couple of men in brown berets the
other day. They were undoubtedly French.
They attracted no attention whatever. The
things seemed right, on them.
Templeton Jones was inspired by the sight
to order beret. "Get me the biggest one
you can find.". he told his wife. Dutifully.
she asked the store man, Have you got
big beret?" The man handed down a fine
dark blue one, the orthodox color 1t is
pretty big" said the man. THAT is what he
said" Mrs Jones replied. HE said he never
had one large enough. This time he wants
one big enough" The man smiled. i
think this one will be big enough" he said
Templeton Jones greeted the new beret
with a whoop Just what I wanted" he
shouted "Ill bet this one is big enough"
He poised it above his head. He had visions
of resembling Blue Devil at long last. Down
went the beret onto his head The Blue
Devil vanished, and there was Templeton
Jones. Don't you think it bit large?"
asked his wife. mot bit too big" man
fully answered Jones. II wanted 1t big"
He sighed. 'I guess you have to be French
man to wear one of these things correctly"
He pulled the right side down, low, and gave
the left side push backward. He looked
better, but somehow not exactly like Blue
Devil. ~