Q&A for How to Shape a Beret

Yes. Wearing it in a hot shower is a common way to wet it thoroughly. Just make sure to wash your hair before putting it on.

If a person sweats in their beret, soaking it will bring out the smell of the old sweat. However, washing the beret with soap/detergent will remove any odor.

It is traditional to have it this way.

Wet the beret as above, then roll the beret, starting with the right (longer) side. Squeeze the rolled beret between the fins of a warm radiator. Wait one night, and you're done. This works for French and German berets, and fits their way of wearing it.

It depends on what occasion you choose to wear it for. If you wear it casually, then shape it to the extent you think it looks nice, but if it is for specific group reasons, then make it look as sharp and similar to theirs as possible. It all just comes down to one thing: shape it as nicely as possible.

Yes, remove the badge.

That all depends on how big you want it to become, what the material is made of, and how it was woven. The material and how it is woven can matter, as they can be loose or very thick.

No. Look around at your senior Cadets' barets. Try to copy what they do, as it is their responsibility to have it right. All barets have different trenches and shapes. Ask them what they do and how they think it's done right.

It is not a must to cut the fabric, but it will definitely make the shaping easier since it makes it thinner.

I believe you would want it slightly damp. Wring out excess water, but it'll be fine if it's damp.

No, but it helps greatly in forming it to military standards, and it is much much harder to form it with liner.

No. The US Army is pretty much the only area of American culture in which males typically wear berets, and they remove their headgear indoors.

Yes, in my opinion. You can also use steam and tape, but all methods require warm water. Steam is better if you have a flash since getting the flash wet can ruin it over time.

What a civilian wears is up to him. The French civilians tend to pull the slack forwards to form a peak.

No, you may damage the cloth with the dry heat. Put it on your head and be patient.

You should probably try wearing it for an hour or two to see whether it keeps it's shape. If it doesn't, you definitely need to mold it. If it seems to hold it's shaped you will probably be fine without but should ask your seniors if the current shaping is acceptable.

It depends on why you have it. If the beret brass is part of a uniform, I would say no, or, if you really dislike it, ask a supervisor. If you are just wearing it for looks then yes, you can remove it whenever you please.

Until it is dry but normally it should only take a few hours to shape. Maybe 2 to 4 hours. Though, I know some people wear their berets soaking wet and let them dry all day. They swear it's better shaped after that.

You could, but it's best to leave the badge in to get a better shape for the beret.

It really depends on how the beret looks. There isn't really a set period between moulding sessions. It is just whenever it starts to lose shape. This means that if you moulded it well, it may last 2 months, but if not so well, just a few weeks.