How you wash a beret depends on what it is made of.
A knit wool beret can be hand-washed in cool water and dried flat. A wool felt beret should never be soaked; it is brushed, spot-cleaned and steamed back into shape.
Suede and leather berets are cleaned dry with a brush and a leather cleaner. Military berets get a shave and a wet shaping, not a wash.
Follow the method for your material below and the beret keeps its shape for years. Our hand-blocked women’s and men’s berets are wool felt or suede, so the felt and suede sections apply to them.
Which Method for Which Beret
| Beret material | Can you wash it? | Method | Dry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knit wool, cashmere, acrylic | Yes, by hand | Cool water, wool detergent, 5-minute soak | Flat on a towel |
| Wool felt (hand-blocked) | No | Soft brush, spot-clean, steam | Air dry on a form or bowl |
| Suede | No | Suede brush, suede eraser | Air dry away from heat |
| Smooth leather | No | Damp cloth, leather cleaner, conditioner | Air dry |
| Military wool beret | No | Shave fuzz, wet-shape, air dry on the head | On the head or a form |
Berets have been a stylish and timeless accessory for two centuries because felted wool is forgiving. Treat it right and it outlasts the coat.
How to Wash a Knit Wool Beret
This is the only beret type that goes in water. It applies to knitted or crocheted berets in Wool, cashmere, merino or acrylic blends.
- Fill a basin with cool water, under 30°C / 85°F. Hot water felts and shrinks knit wool.
- Add a teaspoon of wool detergent and swirl.
- Submerge the beret and press it gently. Do not rub.
- Soak for 5 minutes, no longer. Long soaks loosen the knit.
- Lift it out, support it from underneath, and press the water out between your palms. Never twist or wring.
- Rinse in clean cool water until no suds remain.
- Roll it in a clean towel and press to take out the rest of the water.
- Reshape by hand to the original diameter and lay it flat on a dry towel, away from radiators and sun. It takes a day to dry.
If the beret has shrunk, soak it again in cool water with a tablespoon of hair conditioner, then stretch it gently back to size while damp.
How to Clean a Wool Felt Beret
Hand-blocked felt berets, like our Tanya Beret, are shaped over a form and finished water-repellent. Water and soaking undo both, so felt is cleaned dry.
- Brush the whole beret with a soft hat brush in one direction to lift dust and lint.
- For a mark, dab with a cloth barely dampened with cool water and a drop of wool detergent. Blot, don’t rub, and work from the outside of the stain in.
- For oil or makeup, sprinkle cornstarch on the spot, leave it an hour, then brush it off.
- If the beret has lost its shape, hold it in the steam of a kettle for ten seconds at a time, then smooth it over a bowl or your hand and let it cool there. Steam relaxes felt; cooling sets it.
- Air dry on the bowl, never on a radiator.
A felt beret that gets caught in rain is not a problem. Shake it, blot it with a towel, reshape it on a bowl and let it dry overnight. The special care page lists the brush and products we recommend.
How to Clean a Suede Beret
Suede is leather with the nap raised, so water leaves marks and soap flattens the surface. Our Suede Kate Beret is water-repellent, which buys time in a shower, but it is still cleaned dry.
- Brush with a suede brush in one direction to lift the nap and remove dust.
- For a dry mark, rub lightly with a suede eraser, then brush again.
- For a wet stain, blot immediately with a dry cloth; do not rub. Once fully dry, brush the nap back up.
- For grease, cornstarch overnight, then brush.
- Once or twice a season, spray with a suede protector and let it dry 24 hours before wearing.
How to Clean a Leather Beret
Smooth leather is the most durable beret material and the easiest to clean.
- Wipe the surface with a soft, slightly damp cloth to remove dust.
- For a mark, apply a small amount of leather cleaner to a damp cloth and work it in a circle over the spot. Wipe off the residue with a clean damp cloth.
- Air dry away from heat and sun.
- When dry, apply a thin layer of leather conditioner, leave it ten minutes, then buff with a dry cloth.
How to Wash a Military Beret
A military wool beret is not washed in the usual sense; it is shaved and shaped. Washing it in a machine shrinks and felts it unevenly.
- Shave the fuzz. Pull the beret taut over your knee and run a disposable razor lightly over the surface to remove the pilling. Work in short strokes.
- Wet-shape it. Soak the beret in warm water for a minute, squeeze the water out without wringing, and put it on your head. Pull the excess fabric to one side (the right, in most regiments) and smooth the crown flat against your head.
- Dry it on. Wear it until it is nearly dry, then finish on a form or a bowl the size of your head. The felt sets in the shape it dries in.
- Spot-clean marks with a cloth dampened in cool water and a drop of wool detergent. Blot, never rub.
- Brush with a soft brush before wear to lift lint.
A fully felted, shaped military beret only needs steps 4 and 5 after that; reshape only if it has been crushed.
How to Store a Beret
Storage is where most berets lose their shape, not washing.
- Store in a cool, dry place away from sun and radiators, which fade wool and dry out leather.
- Keep the crown filled: a ball of acid-free tissue or a rolled clean cloth inside holds the shape.
- Do not stack berets; a felt beret under a pile flattens. Store each on a flat shelf or on a peg by the inner band.
- For a season in storage, use a breathable cotton bag, never airtight plastic, which traps moisture and breeds mildew. Add a cedar block against moths.
- Felt and suede berets that are packed for travel should be rolled from the edge, not folded, and reshaped on arrival.
Our guide on how to store them properly covers hat stands and boxes for the rest of the collection.
Summary: How to Wash a Beret
How to wash a beret comes down to one rule: only knit wool goes in water. Felt is brushed and steamed, suede and leather are cleaned dry, and a military beret is shaved and wet-shaped on the head.
Dry everything flat or on a form, away from heat, and store the crown filled. Do that and a beret will add a touch of sophistication to your outfits for years.
Browse our hand-blocked berets for women or the full designer hat collection and pick one built to be cared for, not replaced because knowing how to wash a beret is what makes it last.
FAQs: Washing a Beret
Can you wash a beret?
Only a knit wool beret, by hand in cool water. Felt, suede and leather berets are cleaned dry with a brush and spot treatment; soaking them ruins the shape.
How do you wash a wool beret without shrinking it?
Cool water under 30°C, a wool detergent, a 5-minute soak, no wringing, and dry flat. Heat and agitation are what shrink wool.
How do you clean a felt beret?
Brush it with a soft hat brush, spot-clean marks with a barely damp cloth, and steam it over a kettle to restore the shape. Never submerge felt.
Can you put a beret in the washing machine?
No. Even on a wool cycle, the agitation felts and shrinks knit wool and destroys the block of a felt beret.
How do you wash a military beret?
Shave the fuzz with a razor, soak it briefly in warm water, put it on and shape it to one side, and let it dry on your head. Spot-clean afterwards.
How do you get a beret back into shape?
Steam it for ten seconds, smooth it over a bowl the size of your head and let it cool and dry there. For knit wool, re-wet and reshape flat.
