Easy methods to Put on Berets When You Are not a Hat Particular person

Here at Who What Wear UK, we want to take all the stress out of shopping, and to help us do just that, we're launching a new series, We Try Before You Buy, where we'll be road-testing new trends, fresh labels, the latest drops and key buys.

I hate hats. It's partly down to my awkwardly large head (something I don't need an accessory to highlight), and because I always feel self-conscious when I have anything on my head and start fidgeting even more than usual (I'm already an Olympic-level fidgeter, FYI). So when my editor was looking for someone to test a beret, as they're one of autumn's key buys, I was deemed the perfect candidate to try to handle wearing the French classic for a week. To skip ahead to the results of my experiment, I currently have two berets in my ASOS basket, so I think this is a trend that any other hat haters can adjust to. But there are some key things to consider before you join me and buy a beret.

I'm sorry, but I don't have a definitive answer to how you should wear a beret on your head—does it go forward? Pulled back? On one side? Who knows. All I can tell you is that I felt less like I was dressed up as a mime when I had it just in front of my hairline and then tilted slightly backwards. The most important thing I learnt from my hat week is to go for a big size so it feels roomy—a tight beret is itchy and made me feel awkward.

There are a lot of berets around at the moment (ASOS has 28 alone), and although I borrowed some novelty styles for the week—think eyelets, pearl embellishments, cheeky slogans—the simplest felted wool styles looked best. I think it's best to spend less and buy more colours to pep up your wardrobe—I wore camel, red, dark grey and dark green berets during my "hat week." When it comes to styling them, I enjoyed matching my coat to my hat—on Wednesday I dressed like a caramel latte, and on Tuesday I wore a red beret with red boots and a red coat.

If you're new to this hat game too, I'd recommend sticking to the high street for your beret because it's an item you don't need to spend a lot on. Plus rain and cashmere don't mix anyway, and I imagine I'll lose berets at the same rate I do Oyster cards. Topshop's classic beret is a winner and is only £12, while Kangol's red beret (available on ASOS) was my favourite out of the 11 berets I tried. I take my job seriously (and big heads require multiple options).