The Little Black Pancake

St. Thomas Aquinas richly identified Christ's body as a "seamless garment" made by divine hands in a mortal womb. In the Townley passion play called 'The Crucifixion,' Mary, standing by the foot of the cross, watches the body/robe of her son being torn apart:

To deth my dere is dryffen
His robe is all to-ryffen
That of me was him gyffen
And shapen with my sydys

The notion of a seamless garment was once miraculous, but today, in an age of fancy sewing machines, we can go into any department store and find plenty of clothes with tags that say something like, "Touch me! I'm seamless" or "I'm seam-free 'n' carefree!" (Most of them happen to be women's underthings.) But there's another item of clothing, one that predates Christ, that is usually seamless: the beret. Ancient Greeks in military service were the first to wear them, and they've been a part of fashion history, inside and outside the military, ever since. Click here for more about the history of the beret.

I've lately become quite fond of this simple, malleable pancake of hats, and not just because— unlike a pillbox or bowler—you can stuff it into your coat pocket or purse. I bought my first, a little black one, a few months ago for a few bucks, and have been wearing it most days since then because it's my most glamorous and subtle accessory. Every time I don it, I am amazed by how simple it is—a mere poof of fabric!—and still how smart and pleasant. It makes the fedora seem needlessly complicated in comparison.

I'll leave you with two images. Elsa Schiaparelli and Marlene Dietrich in berets. (Be thankful. I could have linked to Ché instead.)

P.S. Image at top is of Greta Garbo.