John Travolta on why he owns 12 berets after Cannes style triumph
Synopsis
John Travolta didn't just show up at Cannes — he rewrote the menswear conversation. With 12 berets in his wardrobe and spots on the Vogue, GQ, and Harper's Bazaar best-dressed lists, the Saturday Night Fever star says the headgear is about channelling old-school directors, not chasing trends. At 70-plus, he may have just become fashion's most unlikely icon.
Key Takeaways
John Travolta revealed he owns at least 12 berets , which became his signature look at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025.
His Cannes appearances landed him on the best-dressed lists of Vogue , GQ , and Harper's Bazaar .
Travolta said he adopted the beret to feel like a director, inspired by old-school filmmakers, painters, and musicians .
He styled daughter Ella Travolta at Cannes, where she also accompanied him for the premiere of 'Propeller One-Way Night Coach' .
The film is based on Travolta's own 1997 children's book of the same name and runs for one hour .
His early fashion education came from a brother-in-law who worked at Vogue and Harper's Bazaar in the 1960s .
Hollywood actor John Travolta has revealed why he now owns at least 12 berets, explaining that the iconic headwear helped him channel the spirit of a filmmaker — a persona he leaned into during his widely photographed appearances at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month. The beret, he says, is no passing trend: it has been part of human culture for 800 years.
The Director's Mindset Behind the Beret
Speaking to Variety, Travolta described a moment of personal reckoning that led him to the beret. 'I looked at all the photographs of me for 50 years and I can't tell you the difference. I started to not be able to differentiate and I said — well, you're not an actor really,' he said.
He turned to cinema history for inspiration. 'I looked up all the old school directors and they all had berets and sometimes glasses and it was very cliche but in a wonderful way — they were probably reflecting painters and musicians of the type,' Travolta explained. The military heritage of the beret, he noted, gave it an 'old school' gravitas that resonated with him.
Cannes, Couture, and Best-Dressed Lists
The gamble paid off in the fashion world's most visible arena. Travolta's beret-led looks at Cannes reportedly landed him on the best-dressed lists of Vogue, GQ, and Harper's Bazaar. With at least 12 berets now in his wardrobe, the accessory has become a signature rather than a styling experiment.
Travolta also used the festival as a platform to champion more adventurous menswear. 'Guys don't have enough to do,' he said. 'They're putting men in skirts because there's a lack of something there… why not change it up? We can have fun too.'
Styling Daughter Ella on the Carpet
Travolta was accompanied at Cannes by his daughter Ella Travolta, who also appears in his new film. He revealed that he played a hand in her styling as well. 'We could have done twin berets but today we decided to go Brigitte Bardot,' he said, referencing the French icon whose effortless chic defined an era.
The film that brought them both to the Croisette is 'Propeller One-Way Night Coach', a one-hour production based on Travolta's own 1997 children's book of the same name.
A Lifelong Relationship with Fashion
Travolta's eye for style, he says, was shaped early. His brother-in-law worked for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar in the 1960s and styled him as a teenager — introducing him to bell bottoms, wide belts, and double-breasted suits. 'I looked like Warren Beatty, Bonnie and Clyde,' he recalled.
That foundation, he argues, made him acutely aware of how much broader women's fashion options are compared to men's — and why he sees the beret as a small but meaningful act of sartorial reclamation for male dressing.
With 'Propeller One-Way Night Coach' now drawing attention and his Cannes looks still circulating widely online, Travolta appears to have found a late-career second act not just on screen but on the best-dressed pages too.
Point of View
Travolta has at least forced the question of why male style options remain so constrained in 2025.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does John Travolta own 12 berets?
John Travolta says he adopted the beret to channel the identity of old-school film directors, who he noted often wore berets alongside glasses as a creative signature. He told Variety the headwear helped him differentiate his look after realising his appearance had remained largely unchanged across 50 years of photographs.
How did Travolta's beret look perform at Cannes?
Travolta's beret-led outfits at the Cannes Film Festival reportedly earned him spots on the best-dressed lists of Vogue, GQ, and Harper's Bazaar. The looks drew significant attention and cemented the beret as his new trademark accessory.
What film did John Travolta bring to Cannes?
Travolta attended Cannes for 'Propeller One-Way Night Coach', a one-hour film based on his own 1997 children's book of the same name. His daughter Ella Travolta accompanied him on the carpet and also appears in the film.
Who influenced John Travolta's fashion sense?
Travolta credits his brother-in-law, who worked for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar in the 1960s, with shaping his early sense of style. The brother-in-law styled him as a teenager, introducing him to bell bottoms, wide belts, and double-breasted suits.
What did Travolta say about men's fashion options?
Travolta argued that men have far fewer fashion options than women and used his beret adoption as a call for more creativity in menswear. 'Why not change it up? We can have fun too,' he said, adding that the lack of options was partly behind trends like putting men in skirts.
