Berets, Anyone?

[Daan]

Gauchos con boina

Some varieties of Argentine gauchos wear berets, reflecting their Basque heritage. Now I just have to figure out how to post a picture showing them.

The vast majority of berets, boinas, manufactured by Bonigor, goes to gauchos, farmers, peasants and wranglers. It is a big thing, the beret, on the Uruguayan, Brazilian and Argentinean Campo. Some beautiful pictures can be found in the book Gauchos, by Aldo Sessa - highly recommended!

Whereas many Europeans and North Americans shy away from the large diameter beret, these people working on the land (or on horseback), appreciate the extra material that provides shelter from sun, rain and snow.

 

[Daan]

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How to wear your beret in the British Army. It used to be dunked in cold water then left to dry on your noggin. Regimental badge over left eye.

With all these pictures of small and tight military berets, it is always a pleasure to see that even in the military one can show style by wearing a beret.

The French regiment of the Chasseurs Alpins are responsible for the introduction of the beret in the military in the 19th century. It were the British who adopted this headgear during WWI, realizing that their hard peaked caps were most uncomfortable for soldiers in their new gadgets: tanks. The British Royal Tank Regiment also adopted the black colour, as it wouldn't show stains in the messy and oily tanks of those days.

The Chasseurs Alpins or 'Alpine Hunters' are a special mountain infantry battalion of the French army, well known for their large, floppy berets (with txortena - unusual for military berets) called Tarte.

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. The Chasseurs didn't stay in the French Alps for long, as they were soon sent to Africa; fighting in Madagascar, Morocco and Algeria and, these days, Afghanistan. More information on the Chasseurs on my blog or here.

An interesting video can be seen here.

The large diameter beret (similar to the Spanish 'Txapeldun') offered sentries perfect protection from the snow and rain, in combination with their all-covering heavy navy cape.

 

[Orlan]

Here are my measurements, taken directly from the berets I own, when they were new:
Tolosa Tupida
-Cotton 98gr/30cm
-Plato Grande 12" 86gr/30cm very soft, smooth surface

Boinas Elosegui
-Basica 11.5" 96gr/30cm soft, coarse
-Exposicion Tupida 13.5" 118gr/31cm soft, smooth
-Super Lujo 12" 126gr/30cm stiff, smooth
-Super Lujo 13.5" 166gr/34cm
-Super Lujo 14.5" 175gr/37cm

This is my boina ( Elosegui basica)

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[Daan]

Berets for large sized heads

I often get the question if I can source Basque berets for large heads (size 62 and over) and so far, I found it pretty hard to find these. The headband-less range of both Boinas Elosegui and Bonigor fit well up to size 61, or 62, but for larger heads they need a lot of stretching (with a hat stretcher) to make them comfortable to wear.

Although this is not the right place to advertise one's wares, I believe there are no other hat shops or internet retailers outside South America that stock the berets made by the Fabrica Nacional de Sombreros from Montevideo, Uruguay. Headband-less berets in merino wool and cotton (with lining and sewed-on label) that fit well on heads sized 59-60 up to 64-65.

South Pacific Berets stocks these berets now in a variety of colours, in merino wool and cotton.

 

[Daan]

It's not just about the beret, it's the combination of personality and beret! Some great pictures of beret-wearers:

Giuseppe Ungaretti

Louise Bourgeois

Cosmogeno

At the Gardarem Lo Berret Festival in the Bearn

Au Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, 1930

Anthony Quinn and Anna Karina

Gaucho, Argentina

 

[Sincerely-Dee]

How to wear your beret in the British Army. It used to be dunked in cold water then left to dry on your noggin. Regimental badge over left eye.

When I was in cadets a few years ago they still used the whole putting it in cold water so that it moulds to the shape of your head. Very unpleasant in the cold weather...

 

[Charlie74]

Great photos, Daan. I own three black berets like the one you are wearing in the photo. They were given to me by friends who visited from The Netherlands. When they were about to come over they asked was there anything they could bring me and of course I asked for a beret (and received three)

 

[Charlie74]

Link to photo - still cannot figure out how to make the photo appear

http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab190/CharlieS74/th_c-beretL.jpg?t=1278175872

 

[ether823]

berets

I had to wear a beret in the late 60s early 70s as I was in the British Army (cavalry). The berets we were issued with were as we used to say "Tank sheets". We used to shrink them by having two bowls of water, one cold & one hot. You dipped the offending beret into the hot then into the cold for about 10 times, then left it to dry after shaping it to the required style. Hey presto next morning a perfectly shrunk beret. Today the soldiers seem to wear berets with the cap badge over the left ear. We wore the badge over the left eye as the regulations say.

 

[Daan]

Txapela's in Cotton

Bonigor, Buenos Aires (manufacturer of the Espinosa and Tolosa Tupida berets) extended their range with these beautifully made cotton Txapela's. A Basque beret in cotton with a 35 cm (13.8"), a true Plato Grande.

Since I got mine, I haven't taken it off, really! Who needs sunglasses when this headwear can do?

 

[Daan]

Some Great Basque Posters

Some really nice posters from the 1940's and 50's, when wearing a Basque beret was still cool and helped to attract visitors/customers...

 

[Daan]

More Basque Posters

And some more posters, all depicting Basque sportsmen - with beret...

 

[rlk]

Stetson Beret

 

[shortbow]

I really enjoy seeing these pics of the big, floppy berets. Worn that way, they make real sense as a weather-defeating garment. Up here in Canukistan the soldiers also heavily shrink their berets, so that they end up with this tiny, strange looking little beanie sitting way up high on their heads. Worn this way I cannot see the point as warmth is totally compromised and there is no protection from any kind of precipitation. And aside from the impracticality of they look totally silly to me.

I have an old German army-surplus beret which I used to wear bow-hunting, which while it is military the cut is generous and can be pulled around to form a brim for the eyes so one's glasses don't get wet and to shade the sun. Personally I feel the bigger beret was the progenitor of the British or Gatsby style cap.

I'd like to get one of these ginourmous SA specimens above illustrated. Very cool and practical hat.

My only problem with berets is that when one sees one around these parts they're usually on the heads of pensioners or ladies, and I wouldn't want to be misremebered as one of those. I'm old, but not that old.

 

[AlterEgo]

rlk,

A Stetson beret?! Though I thought I possessed considerable beret expertise, I've never heard of, much less seen one with a Stetson label. Can you tell us anything about it?

It appears to be far from new and might even be old enough to be considered vintage. Based on the sewn-in label written in French, lining, and especially the design of the sweat band and "Beret Deluxe" nomenclature, I'd say it was made in one of the old factories in the Basque or Bearn regions.

The label gave me a chuckle: A beaver and a cock holding up a shield featuring a big eye reminiscent of The Great Seal found on the back of the U.S. one dollar bill. Rather than the usual lion or bull or eagle or other such animal evoking a proud and strong image, there's a beaver and a rooster? Such a highly Americanized version of European heraldry--I love it.

Stetson probably contracted the manufacture to make it with its famous name on the label. What confounds me is why Stetson, with what I know as a totally different customer base, would ever offer a beret. Perhaps they were sold only in Europe. Whatever, but I'd speculate that berets were a poor seller for Stetson, and it quickly nixed this product; otherwise I would have surely seen or heard about them before.

It's a good-looking beret, though, and appears to be well made. Thanks for showing something new to me, and the pics are excellent. Please, anyone, tell us more about the curious case of the Stetson beret.

 

[rlk]

rlk,

A Stetson beret?! Though I thought I possessed considerable beret expertise, I've never heard of, much less seen one with a Stetson label. Can you tell us anything about it?

It appears to be far from new and might even be old enough to be considered vintage. Based on the sewn-in label written in French, lining, and especially the design of the sweat band and "Beret Deluxe" nomenclature, I'd say it was made in one of the old factories in the Basque or Bearn regions.

The label gave me a chuckle: A beaver and a cock holding up a shield featuring a big eye reminiscent of The Great Seal found on the back of the U.S. one dollar bill. Rather than the usual lion or bull or eagle or other such animal evoking a proud and strong image, there's a beaver and a rooster? Such a highly Americanized version of European heraldry--I love it.

Stetson probably contracted the manufacture to make it with its famous name on the label. What confounds me is why Stetson, with what I know as a totally different customer base, would ever offer a beret. Perhaps they were sold only in Europe. Whatever, but I'd speculate that berets were a poor seller for Stetson, and it quickly nixed this product; otherwise I would have surely seen or heard about them before.

It's a good-looking beret, though, and appears to be well made. Thanks for showing something new to me, and the pics are excellent. Please, anyone, tell us more about the curious case of the Stetson beret.

I suspect it was for the French Market(no "Made in France" typical of exports). Has a natural reed in the sweatband so probably some age. Still doesn't explain why Stetson bothered.

 

[donnc]

The label gave me a chuckle: A beaver and a cock holding up a shield featuring a big eye reminiscent of The Great Seal found on the back of the U.S. one dollar bill. Rather than the usual lion or bull or eagle or other such animal evoking a proud and strong image, there's a beaver and a rooster? Such a highly Americanized version of European heraldry--I love it.

It's a great idea, I suppose Ben Franklin would approve, but it's not what I see. That is no rooster - look at the tail. It might be one of more comical representations of an eagle, but I believe that's what they intended.

 

[Daan]

rlk,
Please, anyone, tell us more about the curious case of the Stetson beret.

I have seen a few Stetson berets, but they are pretty rare and I found it impossible (so far) to find any specific details on them. I believe these berets to be from the 1950's and they are most likely manufactured by Pierre Laulhère, in Oloron St Marie (Béarn, France - not the Basque Country).
As for the heraldry (quote: "Such a highly Americanized version of European heraldry"), all symbols on the label are actually French: beaver (common in France until hunted down for fur and castoreum), French eagle (typical representation of an eagle in French heraldry) and of course the Phrygian cap.

Labeling in berets is far from straightforward. Manufacturers have sewn in custom made labels for wholesalers, hat shops, mountaineering clubs, regional councils, etc., etc. So, it may appear there were 100's of beret manufacturers, there were actually only around 45 at the best of times in France and Spain combined (now there are only two: Boinas Elósegui and Pierre Laulhère/Beatex).
On The Beret Project I regularly post images of labels; there are 100's of them and there are actually numerous people who collect and frame these labels...
A good present-day example of custom labeling, are the Jaxon berets - made by Boinas Elósegui and identical to their own top berets.

 

[Harp]

I really enjoy seeing these pics of the big, floppy berets. Worn that way, they make real sense as a weather-defeating garment. Up here in Canukistan the soldiers also heavily shrink their berets, so that they end up with this tiny, strange looking little beanie sitting way up high on their heads. Worn this way I cannot see the point as warmth is totally compromised and there is no protection from any kind of precipitation. And aside from the impracticality of they look totally silly to me.

'High and tight' military berets admittedly offer little practical field usage.
"Boonies" of various type and other lids are more often worn in tropical
climes while wool knit watch caps offer both warmth and practicality.
The chausseur berets, loose and floopy, may provide shade and inclement
protection to some extent; however, this style might raise other issue,
such as peripheral vision clearance. As a fashion statement though a beret is tops.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Here's a tip.

Sportsman's Guide is selling used French military berets at the incredible price of four (yes, I said four) for $14.97! See them here. But what do I do with four berets?

Has anyone had experience with these? They are described as "used, in very good shape."