Berets, Anyone?

[Daan]

A customer with the barbus:

Ah yes, fishermen and berets - always good for interesting material. Before the decline of hats in general, the beret was the headgear of choice for many fishermen, whalers and seamen. No peak that got in the way or caught the wind (causing your hat to end up in the waves). That typical actually, that it appears on various labels of canned fish from the Basque Country, like on Ortiz - El Velero:

A picture of a fisherman from France, exact date and place unknown:

But also in Russia: a sturgeon fisherman on the Caspian Sea:

Norwegian whaler, photograph by Kåre Kivijärvi (1938 - 1991):

And then there are the many sublime pictures of tuna fishermen; this one from Concarneau (Finistère, Breizh, France)

and Sicily, Italy:

"Sicily, Sant'Elia, Fishermen in conversation" and "Sicily, Favignana Island. 1956. Tuna fishing".

 

[Daan]

The new stock from France for the northern hemisphere winter has arrived!
Lots of new material among them, but what I am most pleased with, are the Bortia and Chirola berets. While visiting the Laulhère factory in Oloron Sainte Marie last August, I came across some rolls with old embroidered labels that have not been used for many decades. I managed to convince Laulhère to give these a second lease on life and the result is these 'classic workers berets', available in a large variety of colours, that are not available anywhere else. A real classic in pure merino wool.

More in the Laulhère Béret Casquette range; true berets in the sense of manufacturing, but with a definite peak. Not quite a beret, not quite a flat cap - it's a Béret Casquette! And now available in Basque Authentique quality in Bordeaux and Grey.

Also completely new in our range is the béret Pedrito (or "Little Peter"), an an old Laulhère label that has seen continuous use over the decades. The Pedrito is a top quality merino beret in marine (navy), 10.5 pouces / 295mm diameter with leather headband, satin lining and luxurious finishing. The card-playing Pedrito comes in a cotton gift-bag, at $ 65.00.

And many existing labels have been re-stocked, so most labels, colours and sizes available again!
Have a look here, on the Laulhère shelves of South Pacific Berets: http://southpacificberets.com/france---bérets-laulhère.php

Laulhère is also the principal supplier of berets to the French military (and many armies around the world), including the Foreign Legion.
French military berets are of very small diameter, between 23.5 and 26cm. South Pacific Berets stocks two types of French military berets: the black version which is the standard for most of the army and the green version as used by the Foreign Legion and Marine Infantry Commandos.

Apart from the colour, both berets are identical; fitted with two air vents, satin lining, real goat leather headband with drawstring and carrying Laulhère's Commando label. Available in sizes 57 - 60 at $ 44.50.

 

[Daan]

The Foulard Super Exposition is the French equivalent of the boina Super Lujo; a top-of-the-range beret in Laulhère's finest finishing, highest quality merino wool with leather headband in a 10 pouces / 280mm diameter.

Impermeable, of course, and one of the very best berets available in this diameter. This foulard comes in a black Laulhère gift box.

Until next year, only a very limited number in sizes 57-60 is available here.

 

[Daan]

Sure, berets (like every other headgear apart from baseball caps) may be on the decline, but there are still plenty people who wear one in the same way as their father and grandfather used to do.
Forest manager Thierry Dupré is an such man. He is a natural with animals; like his father and grandfather who practised horse-drawn tree hauling, Thierry combines efficiency and respect to nature in his work. No damage, no pollution, no noise!

Thierry is a member of a cooperative that provides advice and practical help to clean hard to get to and sensitive forest sites, canals, rivers, etc. and does a variety of agricultural work the old way; ploughing, tilling and hay making.

Thierry works with horses, mules, donkeys and cows (oxes). Please explore his web site (in French) with lots of fascinating information and pictures.

Thierry works with "reindeer" too, for a Christmas event

And yes, always wearing his beret, in black or brown; I would think a French made classic workers beret.

 

[jhe888]

I think a bigger diameter would be a little better on me, but I still like it:

 

[Daan]

I think a bigger diameter would be a little better on me, but I still like it

It's always funny how one's own perception can differ from how others perceive it. I think this small diameter beret (boina Super Lujo 242?) looks excellent on you, very similar to what was common in 1950's France and Castilla, where small diameter berets were the norm then (whatever the head-size of the wearer).

Thought I'd look for some good examples from that era:

Felipe Primero, Spain and actor Paco Rabal, Spain

"Two Faces", unknown photographer, Spain and Instagram picture of Kelly Brook, but it's really the beret what it is all about

Iconic beret wearer: Spanish author Pia Baroja and Ursula McCannell's oil-on-board painting "Blue Beret", 1973

"Man feeding pigeons from his mouth", unknown photographer, Paris 1950's and Au Jardin de Luxembourg, Paris. 1930

Beret diameters have a lot to do with the geographical location, or origin, of the wearer. Not so much in France (where diameters tended to change over time from small to medium), but in Spain it was typical for men in Asturias and Castille to wear small diameter berets, while Basques and Navarans (especially from the mountains) were more likely to wear large diameter berets.
The same is valid for Argentina and Brazil: diameter and colour tell much about the origin of the boinero (and his political affiliation).

Small diameter berets available at South Pacific Berets are typically the Italian Basco Roma, the ultra small Czech made Radiovka, Argentine boinas Espinosa, the small Bakarra and NIEBLA berets by Blancq-Olibet, the Spanish Super Lujo 242 and, presently on SPECIAL, the DEER Basque.

 

[jhe888]

Thanks for the compliment and the interesting photos. It seems I am in good company.

It is a Laulhere Basque Authentique. I've had it for a while - maybe ten years or a little more. It is hard to find my size - which is a 62, or even sometimes a 63.

 

[Daan]

Thanks for the compliment and the interesting photos. It seems I am in good company.

It is a Laulhere Basque Authentique. I've had it for a while - maybe ten years or a little more. It is hard to find my size - which is a 62, or even sometimes a 63.

I wouldn't have guessed; nice beret! I stock the same in a béret bayadère version (size 62 included!), assuming yours is a 9.5 pouces (267mm) diameter.

 

[Daan]

The Basque word Txapela is generally translated as beret, but really means 'hat'. A beret is a hat, but a hat not necessarily a beret… The word has become synonymous though with Basque identification and culture; restaurants, bars, etc called Txapela are many.

In the Basque Country it is the custom to award a beret to the winner of a competition, especially a bertsolari competition (a bertsolari is a singer of bertso, a musical verse generally sung by two alternating bertsolaris). The Basque word for champion is txapeldun – literally, 'one who has the hat (beret)'.

The txapeldun is the quintessential Basque beret, the most perfect embodiment of a tradition that goes back centuries, the ultimate protection from sun, rain and snow for the Basque shepherds in the Pyrenees mountains, a hat widely adopted by artists with a reminiscence of the Renaissance and generally, a fantastic beret to wear.

Typically, the txapeldun is embroidered for special occasions, be it a sports event, a political statement or weddings.

South Pacific Berets sells two sizes of txapelduns, presently on SPECIAL, the 15" and the very-very large diameter in 16" (which is respectively 13.7" and 14.6" in US sizes and 34.9cm and 37.2cm in the metric system). Three colours available: Black, Navy and Bordeaux (Maroon).

 

[great white]

I wear the RCAF blue beret and I have a UN blue beret downstairs in my keepsake box.....

 

[chrism]

Military berets started with the UK Commandos in the 1940's. One of the first Commando Troops paraded in all kinds of headgear from different regiments of the British Army and their aristocratic officer didn't like it. So from the nearest haberdashery , being in Inverness Scotland , the nearest to their training ground at Achnacarry , Spean Bridge , berets were purchased being the only thing the store had in sufficient numbers. Green was chosen because it was the colour of this officers heraldic coat of arms , his being a green salamander. And so green became the colour of SF in the UK. [SAS changed to beige later.] The paratroopers followed suit with maroon [ not sure why unless it was all the store had.] These berets were intended for the boy scouts. And black for the tank regiments , Desert Rats , hence Monty beret. After the war all regiments adopted berets. Other countries followed suit. Germany being the last , green for panzer grenadiers , red paratroopers and black for tankers. The beret 'stuck' because it was proved practical because it was wool and kept the head warm , even in the rain. It could be stowed away when wearing a helmet. And it could be made into different shapes to not provide a tell tale profile at night. In tanks it was more practical than a hat. [Source ; The Green Beret , Hilary Saint George Saunders {Abe Books} and a more recent publication Commando Castle , Stuart Allen {Amazon}

Here in France the Breton beret is still worn but only by old men. I have one , black , it is lined in synthetic silk [Viscose ?}, has an imitation leather head band [ugh !] and is pure wool with a little wick on top of the head. Prefer my felt trilby , parce que je ne suis pas Francais et je suis jeune a soixante dix ans.

 

[Daan]

Military berets started with the UK Commandos in the 1940's. One of the first Commando Troops paraded in all kinds of headgear from different regiments of the British Army and their aristocratic officer didn't like it. So from the nearest haberdashery , being in Inverness Scotland , the nearest to their training ground at Achnacarry , Spean Bridge , berets were purchased being the only thing the store had in sufficient numbers. Green was chosen because it was the colour of this officers heraldic coat of arms , his being a green salamander. And so green became the colour of SF in the UK. [SAS changed to beige later.] The paratroopers followed suit with maroon [ not sure why unless it was all the store had.] These berets were intended for the boy scouts. And black for the tank regiments , Desert Rats , hence Monty beret. After the war all regiments adopted berets. Other countries followed suit. Germany being the last , green for panzer grenadiers , red paratroopers and black for tankers. The beret 'stuck' because it was proved practical because it was wool and kept the head warm , even in the rain. It could be stowed away when wearing a helmet. And it could be made into different shapes to not provide a tell tale profile at night. In tanks it was more practical than a hat. [Source ; The Green Beret , Hilary Saint George Saunders {Abe Books} and a more recent publication Commando Castle , Stuart Allen {Amazon}

Here in France the Breton beret is still worn but only by old men. I have one , black , it is lined in synthetic silk [Viscose ?}, has an imitation leather head band [ugh !] and is pure wool with a little wick on top of the head. Prefer my felt trilby , parce que je ne suis pas Francais et je suis jeune a soixante dix ans.

Hello Chrism - welcome to the Fedora Lounge! Good to see more people posting on 'Berets, Anyone'.

Nice post, but if you permit me, not completely correct. The military beret goes back some 5.5 decades earlier: it was in 1888 that the French Government created 12 specialised mountain battalions, feeling threatened after Italy created 6 Alpini regiments of mountain troops, positioned close to the French border. These Chasseurs Alpins had as their trademark a very large diameter beret (and still do), nicknamed a "tarte", or "pie". They didn't stay in the French Alps for long, as they were soon sent to Africa; fighting in Madagascar, Morocco and Algeria, taking their large berets with them. These were the first berets used in an organized military uniform way.

Before that, berets were already in use in various other conflicts, by irregular armies during the Spanish Carlist wars, but not strictly as a standard piece of uniform.

The use of berets in the Bristish military started after the 1st World War, initiated by Major-General Sir Hugh Elles, who had also `invented` the regimental colours of the Royal Tank Regiment before the battle of Cambrai in 1917.
When the French 70th Chasseurs Alpins division were training with the British Tank Corps during the First World War, Elles considered their distinctive large berets would also make practical headgear for his men.
This flexible headdress allowed troops to work in extremely cramped conditions whilst providing some protection to the head. Furthermore, Elles is said to have suggested that "the beret is convenient for sleeping in". But he considered the Chasseurs Alpins style of beret to be too sloppy and the Basque beret too skimpy, so the British beret was based largely on the Scottish Tam ‘O Shanter.

Using the rationale that also dictated the future colour of Royal Tank Regiment’s overalls, the colour black was selected as it would not show dirt, grease or oil stains.

From there, the use of the beret in the military spread. Often first through 'Special Forces' units (Green, Maroon and Red Berets), later adopted by whole armies (navies and air forces).

Interestingly, The French started all this with the 'oversized' tarte in the French army and now set the trend for military berets with the ultra-small diameter berets for most military units and the Foreign Legion. A trend picked up by various armies across the world (most notably Italy and Spain).

 

[chrism]

Of course the beret existed in the military before WW2 ! After all it was a common form of European dress. Here in Brittany the Breton beret was the local headgear and worn by their regiments and still worn today but that use did not spread beyond the ethnic locality besides which it was/is huge and nothing like its world wide variant. This Breton headgear gave them a unique distinction. I was tracing the modern genesis [ i.e. since WW2 ] of the adoption of the beret. I should perhaps point out that in the later war years many allied nationalities passed through the commando course , French , Belgians, Dutch, Poles . And of course American Rangers who did not adopt the beret because Eisenhower said the original commandos merited the distinction. [President Kennedy introduced the green beret for US Special Forces I believe.] Its true the RTR adopted the black beret in 1924 exclusively in the British Army but it was not common. Would not agree the French set the trend for the modern beret , the fact that the British Army was wearing the beret as standard from 1949 besides which the French Army suffered defeat after defeat post WW2 so the French style wasn't trendy ! If you read Hilary St Georges book you find that during the war they took what was to hand and did not have the luxury of designing new forms of dress and that set the trend for the after war years.Tam O Shanter was a different kettle of fish , broad with a hat band and khaki and of course a tassel. Anyway n'er mind as we say in Scotland it's all on Wikipedia.

 

[chrism]

Interesting beret history and Picasso in today's press.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...lo-picassos-influence-on-britain-8960894.html

 

[Daan]

Interesting beret history and Picasso in today's press.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...lo-picassos-influence-on-britain-8960894.html

Nice article.

Picasso was not only a good role model himself, he also used the beret in many of his works.

"Homme au béret basque", "Marie-Therese Walter" and "Woman with a Tambourine"

Adolf Hoffmeister, who set up the anti-fascist magazine Simplicus in the 1930s, after the German satiric magazine Simplicissimus was banned by the Nazis, was a talented artist and caricaturist, often illustrating his own work. I like these beautiful pictures of a beret wearing Picasso.

And then there are the actual berets, inspired by Picasso.

 

[Daan]

What better news to share here than the birth of a new beret?

Not many would have envisioned this at a time when the few manufacturers left are struggling hard to survive, but alas, miracles do happen. Denis Guédon is dedicated to the béret Béarnaise like few others and has worked all his life in the beret industry of Oloron Sainte Marie. From the 15 factories in operation 50 years ago, only one is left and until recently, the future of this company, BÉATEX, looked everything but promising. Faced with the risk of having to transfer part of the production to Spain, or even complete closure, BÉATEX's technical director Mr Guédon decided to set up his own label of 100% French (Béarn) made artisan berets.
Since conception of his ideas, much has happened. BÉATEX got a new owner (Promodis) and changed it's name back to the original name: Laulhère, and the company is very much alive and healthy these days (and producing 100% French berets).
Still Mr Guédon continued his dream and here they are: a range of beautifully, hand-crafted, 100% Béarnaise berets!

"Boneteria Auloronesa", it proudly states on the embroidered label, depicting the iconic two blue-horned red cows of the Béarn.
Production is very small, by any standard (3500 units per year) and all made by just one very dedicated person.
I am incredibly impressed by the quality of these berets and see some very stiff competition for the boina Elósegui 150 Años Edición Limitada, the beret that I previously called the "best beret available in the world".
The sad part is that the few sample berets I had in stock sold out within a couple of hours (apart from the one I have been wearing ever since receiving them). It will be late January before my first large order arrives and will be available.

What makes these berets so special? The first, and most obvious reason is simply "quality". A finishing that is absolute top level; perfection in detail, whether the indented rim in the satin lining surrounding the label, the drawstring in the rim of the headband-less berets or the satin-rimmed ultra soft leather of the head-banded berets. Pleasant, soft to the touch and impermeable.

The question of course is whether there is room for another beret manufacturer in an area where three manufacturers are already having a hard enough time to survive (2 in France, 1 in Spain)?
Yes! I certainly believe there is room for a small niche of top quality, artisan made berets, made in the very birthplace of the beret, the French Béarn.
And soon these berets will be available in a range of diameters, with and without headband, at South Pacific Berets.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Here is Capitán Milton Wollf looking very dapper in a beret. He was the commander of the famed Lincoln-Washington Battalion of the XV Brigada Internacional, which fought as part of the loyalist Ejército Popular during the Spanish Civil War. I met him later in his life at one of his book signings and he was still wearing the same type of beret!

Fun fact: after returning to America from Spain in 1938, he was labeled an undesirable "premature antifascist" and had a number of difficulties. In 1940, with the U.S. still neutral, he joined the British SOE where his contacts with European Communists were vital in helping to get arms to various resistance groups. Once The United States entered WWII, he joined the U.S. Army, fighting in China-Burma-India Theater of Operations and eventually again went back to clandestine work, helping the Allies coordinate with Italian antifascist partisan units. At one point he was even the mayor of the tiny town in California my parents retired to!

 

[Daan]

Here is Capitán Milton Wollf looking very dapper in a beret. He was the commander of the famed Lincoln-Washington Battalion of the XV Brigada Internacional, which fought as part of the loyalist Ejército Popular during the Spanish Civil War. I met him later in his life at one of his book signings and he was still wearing the same type of beret!

Good picture and new to me. I much enjoyed Milton's books, 'Another Hill' (now out of print) and 'Member of the Working Class' (presently only $ 18.00 here, highly recommended). This is from the NY Times book review:
"At the age of twenty-two, author Milton Wolff became the last commander of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion, the volunteer unit that fought against fascism during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). "Member of the Working Class" is Wolff's story, from his childhood up until he prepares to depart for Spain. Throughout Wolff's story, rich, curious details emerge about working-class life in the 1920s and 1930s. This blunt account of a rough, unadorned American life helps us find clues to Wolff's future persona. How did the man who Ernest Hemingway called 'as brave and good a soldier as any that commanded battalions at Gettysburg" become the natural leader of the volunteers who went to Spain to fight fascism?"

Another photograph of Milton Wolff (from The Beret Project) with Hemingway and one on horse-back in Spain, with beret, of course.

 

[chrism]

I have a Niebla beret , it is also made to a very high standard I think. What do you think ? Good to keep theses crafts alive.
http://www.cappelleriamelegari.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3114&language=en

 

[chrism]

Here's another link.
http://southpacificberets.com/france---béret-niebla.php