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Berets, Anyone?

Babbo Philipe

A-List Customer
Messages
339
Location
San Pedro
bordeaux Auloronesa., great color, Auloronesa itself is one the best berets on the market, in my opinion
Photo on 9-16-16 at 4.18 PM #2.jpg
 

NoHorse

One of the Regulars
Messages
105
Location
Penultima Thule

Michael A

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,287
Great look michael A, dig the beard, berets always are in season
Thanks Philipe.

Good to see a vintage beret back in use - however, it's the JACKET that catches my eye! Wrong thread, I know, yet I must ask: make, model and type of leather please.
Thanks. Sorry to say that all I can tell you is that Gap sold the jacket. The tag with model info is completely without ink. I assume that means the jacket has a few years on it. By the weight and look of the leather I'm guessing cowhide.

Michael
 

PJT

New in Town
Messages
3
Location
New Jersey
c'mon everyone-the coolest thing a cat could wear back in the day
was a black beret...and black turtleneck, shades were NOT optional, and
mumbling was the mode of communication; any hep-cat that didn't wear
a beret was wearing a stingy-brim; no base-a-ball caps; dig?
 

PJT

New in Town
Messages
3
Location
New Jersey
I can dig it, man. Actually, I do have a black beret that goes well with my white mustache and goatee. I has grown on me over time but I'd never call it my go to hat.
 

GrayEyes

Familiar Face
Messages
79
Location
a northern factory town
I came across this article about Laulhère, which offers an interesting perspective on the beret industry today -- namely Laulhère's perspective!

The article is entitled "Laulhère, dernier fabricant historique de bérets français, se joue des modes." For me, one of the key sentences is this quote by Mark Saunders: "De petits ateliers ont été créés récemment au Béarn et quelques autres réalisent les étapes de finition après avoir acheté un béret brut. De l'autre côté des Pyrénées, Elosegui, un fabricant d'Irun (Pays Basque espagnol) résiste aussi..."

My rough translation is "Some small studios were recently set up in Bearn, and some others do the finishing stages after having bought a raw beret. On the other side of the Pyrenees, Elosegui, a manufacturer in Irun (Spanish Basque country), also holds out."

Presumably, Boneteria Auloronesa is one such recently-established "small studio," and Saunders's comment on it is judgment-neutral. I suspect that Le Béret Français is the firm he is dismissing in this quote. And he acknowledges Elosegui as the Spanish equivalent of Laulhère, a larger, tradition-rich firm in the heart of beret country, hanging in there.

In this English article, Saunders states, "the company was not the only beret-maker in France, but was the last 'historic' manufacturer" -- clearly making a distinction, which is basically what he did in French.
 
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Babbo Philipe

A-List Customer
Messages
339
Location
San Pedro
I came across this article about Laulhère, which offers an interesting perspective on the beret industry today -- namely Laulhère's perspective!

The article is entitled "Laulhère, dernier fabricant historique de bérets français, se joue des modes." For me, one of the key sentences is this quote by Mark Saunders: "De petits ateliers ont été créés récemment au Béarn et quelques autres réalisent les étapes de finition après avoir acheté un béret brut. De l'autre côté des Pyrénées, Elosegui, un fabricant d'Irun (Pays Basque espagnol) résiste aussi..."

My rough translation is "Some small studios were recently set up in Bearn, and some others do the finishing stages after having bought a raw beret. On the other side of the Pyrenees, Elosegui, a manufacturer in Irun (Spanish Basque country), also holds out."

Presumably, Boneteria Auloronesa is one such recently-established "small studio," and Saunders's comment on it is judgment-neutral. I suspect that Le Béret Français is the firm he is dismissing in this quote. And he acknowledges Elosegui as the Spanish equivalent of Laulhère, a larger, tradition-rich firm in the heart of beret country, hanging in there.

In this English article, Saunders states, "the company was not the only beret-maker in France, but was the last 'historic' manufacturer" -- clearly making a distinction, which is basically what he did in French.
well being a beret aficionado of some sorts i have had many berets and still do, laulhere was the finest, but times honestly have changed and their quality has ,in my opinion , sadly been sacrificed, in may ways , thiner felts, faux leather compressed leather etc, this was my experience in the sized berets (campan, deluxe etc.) the straight wool berets i would think be still salvageable , but thinner, ----
my berets now are strictly bonateria Auloronesa, who was if i am not mistaken and dare say his name, for matters of personal preference, was a high positioned management fabricator or such for Lauhere, ,His fame as a maker was well known in certain circles-- he went on his own and to be honest brought back an old tradition, a thick foulard felt that is very dense, it is so fine tuned during the process phase, that minimal shrinkage in the hottest water afterward will not affect its shape, it is one the best berets on the market, there was another quality beret company made in france that Lauhere bought out some years ago, i was saddened when they went out of business i can't recall their name, one of their brand names where Barkeza, it was sold at madeleines suits in france , now closed
 
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GrayEyes

Familiar Face
Messages
79
Location
a northern factory town
Yesterday, my wife got her first beret: a Laulhère that I had ordered for her.

IMG_0007.jpg

We were both disappointed by the quality of the product. Even she, who has no prior beret experience, found the wool to be thin. I was surprised that the warp/weft of the weave was so clear to the eye. In other berets, the fabric is a nice smooth homogeneity to the weave. But on this beret, you can see the concentric circles of the weave.

IMG_0003.jpg


It's also rather thin. I was not impressed.

I was going to return the beret, but it's a cold day here in North, and she needed a hat to wear. She popped it on her head and headed out into the snow before I could send it back. I did order her an Elosegui Dame con Foro. I'm hoping that its quality will be appreciably better.
 

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