Berets, Anyone?

[Daan]

Being kind of a beret purist, I have not much sympathy for caps. But what if the cap is a beret?
Searching "berets" for a few minutes on the web and you'll get 100's of pictures of flat caps, newsboy caps, 6 and 8 panel caps, baker boy caps, but only few berets. All these caps are made of at least two pieces of fabric that are sewn together; a beret is made of one piece of knitted material, closed in a circular shape with the thread of the closure still sticking out at the center of the hat. Only then the knitted material gets felted. A peaked beret is just that, with a peak added to it!
Peaked berets became popular in the early 1950's in France, but production stopped some time during the '60's. Dutch painter and COBRA co-founder Corneille was one of the best known adepts.

I have a couple of these old berets-with-peak in my collection, in brown and black. they are pretty hard to find these days; KANGOL used to make them too and sometimes a second hand pops up on Ebay.

I feel very lucky to have finally found a source of these peaked berets; black, 100% pure wool in a one-size-fit-all model. And it seems I am not the only one with a liking for them; they sell so well that I am presently negotiating with a traditional beret manufacturer to have these custom made for South Pacific Berets (that'll be a while - I'll keep you updated on that...).

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Daan that is great the you are able to get more of this model made it looks great.

 

[Moca]

Daan that is great the you are able to get more of this model made it looks great.

I just ordered mine - what a great hat. You should change your motto, Dan: "a peaked beret is for people who'd like to wear a beret, but don't dare!"

 

[Daan]

Peaked Beret - 2

Many thanks to Masha from Slovenia, who sent me these pictures. Corneille was not the only one wearing a peaked beret...

Janko Messner, Slovenian writer and political activist.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

USN Headgear in Vietnam.

I thought that this thread from the U.S. Militaria Forum might be of interest.

 

[Daan]

From the 1935 Sears catalogue:

I do like those price tags!

 

[Daan]

Hard to find these days: ads for berets. A lot more common in the 1940' - '60's.

I like this one, for Montgomery berets. This ad was published on 26 May, 1943, halfway into WWII. The Argentinean fashion store Harrods offered a black beret in Montgomery style to it's female clientele.
The vegetarian (and sworn enemy of snuff and alcohol) Marshal Bernhard Law Montgomery became of bit of an idol after his successful campaign against "desert fox" Field Marshal Erwin Rommel at the sand of El Alamein and Harrods had a good nose for what would do well with the women of Buenos Aires.

Another good one is this -undated- ad from Hungary:

Or these two from the US:

 

[Daan]

Baskenmütze, or 'German berets'

Germany may not be the first country you'd think off, thinking about berets, but actually there has been a long tradition of beret-wearing and manufacturing in Germany.

One of the best known wearers was Ernst Reuter, the mayor of West Berlin during the first years of the Cold War.

Another fine example was Heinrich Böll, one of Germany's foremost post-war writers and humanist. His works have been dubbed "Trümmerliteratur"—the literature of the rubble. He was a leader of the German writers who tried to come to grips with the memory of the War, the Nazis, and the Holocaust—and the guilt that came with them.
Böll was a great advocate for the beret, or Baskenmütze.

Needless to say, there are many more (like Eckhard Dietz, Edgar "**** America" Hilsenrath and Helena Koj, to name/show just a few).

More interesting I find my "discovery" of a small beret manufacturer in the former G.D.R., making some of the most comfortable berets I have ever worn. The base (felted wool) material is made in France and then created into berets that have a small rim sewed on the headopening of the beret, finished with a narrow leather band. This way, the beret is lifted a few millimeters from the head and adding great comfort.

I haven't stopped wearing my sample once, since it's arrival a few weeks back and eagerly await the arrival of the first stock I instantly ordered. Hopefully available by the second week of May at South Pacific Berets.

 

[Daan]

It's getting a bit boring, Fedora Lounge pages full with my posts... Still, I can't help but sharing my childlike enthusiasm for the Baskenmütze, or German berets, which are now available at South Pacific Berets.

I am used to change berets multiple times a week, if not per day, but haven't worn any other beret since I received my sample of this German hand-made headgear. These berets are made in the old hatters town of Luckenwalde, in the former G.D.R.
A rich history of hat manufacturing dating back to the 17th century and also of architecture: Erich Mendelsohn designed the hat factory (1921 - 1923), a state of the art building and milestone in Expressionist architecture at the time.

Now I have to decide whether to wear black or navy; always tough choices to make...

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Not boring at all Daan always look forward to your post's on Berets. Hope to be ordering a few soon.

 

[MikePotts]

I too, although I have nothing to add that would be helpful on the subject, always enjoy reading your posts on the subject. Keep it up. I'm thinking about trying to form a little Petanque club here.........so maybe more sales!

MP

 

[Daan]

Ah, thanks for the positive comments - much appreciated.

I'd better post some more then, like these photographs of Pétanque; a stimulus for MP.

Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally "piglet") or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon (literally "cork") or le petit ("the small one").

The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass, sand or other surfaces. Similar games are bocce and bowls. The current form of the game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, in southern France. The English and French name pétanque comes from la petanca in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language, deriving from the expression pès tancats, meaning "feet together" or more exactly "feet anchored".

The casual form of the game of pétanque is played by about 17 million people in France, mostly during their summer vacations. There are about 375,000 players licensed with the Fédération Française de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FFPJP) and some 3,000 in England.

Another 20,000 or so play in Quebec. Additionally, pétanque clubs have arisen in cities throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries in recent years. Béret and boules are an excellent combination!

 

[MikePotts]

This stimulus is GREATLY appreciated Daan, fine pictures. Thanks!


MP

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Wonder if a Beret could be worn for Corn hole.

 

[Daan]

I was contacted by Brazilian blogger "Gaucho Gaucho" about some pictures of beret-wearing gaucho's and was introduced to his blog: Guia da Bombacha. An enormous wealth of information on 'anything gaucho', with many historic photographs. I'd highly recommend a visit!
A few of his pictures, I'll post here, starting with these gaucho's from Southern Chile:

And look at these nice pic's here:

Not surprising, most of the berets pictured on the blog, vintage and modern, are Tolosa Tupida's and Espinosa's.

Enjoy.

 

[Godfrey]

Great photos and great blog - thanks for posting. One of the berets above looks more like an orange wide-awake!

 

[zetwal]

A few of his pictures, I'll post here, starting with these gaucho's from Southern Chile:

Interesting stuff, thanks for bring this to our attention.

 

[Daan]

Espinosa 24

Most berets sold by South Pacific Berets go to the US, the UK, Germany, Australia and Canada (in that order).

Czech Radiovka 265

My statistics tell me that practically none of the Red Berets go there, with the exception of Australia (I have to admit, the Aussies are more daring and unconventional, when it comes to berets...).

Tolosa Tupida with Moroccan Leather Headband

Interestingly, it's not a world-wide phenomenon. Red berets are among the most popular in South America, where they are worn mainly by the gaucho's and during equestrian events.

Gauchos, Argentina

And then, of course, there are the many festivals, in France and Spain, where a red beret is compulsory gear.

Tolosa Tupida Plato Grande 35cm

I have to admit that I don't wear my red berets that often, but I am very fond of my little French beret with the logo of motor club Les Petrolettes Dauphinoises.

My small diameter Petrolettes beret - not for sale!
To promote RED, I'll have all models on sale for a short period of time, and only through The Beret Project!

 

[Daan]

I posted about the peaked beret previously on the Fedora Lounge and I never expected to see so many people interested in this kind of beret. The small supply of black peaked berets I had sold out quickly and it was hard work to source more. I guess some find it just a bit easier to wear a beret with a small peak than the traditional Basque beret (as per my mantra: "a cap is for people who don't dare to wear a beret").

Looking for manufacturers of these berets, I came upon a small company in the USA: Hoodlums, who were able to re-supply my stock with US (hand)made peaked berets. Great hats, a pleasure to wear, but interestingly, they somehow make me think strongly of the 1917 Soviet Revolution...

Just have a look at these old photographs and compare.

 

[Moca]

I guess some find it just a bit easier to wear a beret with a small peak than the traditional Basque beret (as per my mantra: "a cap is for people who don't dare to wear a beret").

ha, call me a coward; i just enjoy these peaked berets! they give a different feel, a bit more masculinity, as indeed, lenin, trotsky and their compatriots knew very well.
what you think of this picture?