Berets, Anyone?

[Daan]

This week saw the launch of a new line of berets.
The new Boneteria Aotearoa 'Bique-les' beret line is inspired by the illustrious Spanish Basque beret manufacturer La Encartada (Balmaseda, 1892 - 1992).

The La Encartada factory in Balmaseda (Bizkaia, Basque Country) was one of the largest beret manufacturers ever, established in 1892 and continued production until it's closure a century later, in 1992.
Founder Marcos Arena Bermejillo was the typical “Indian” (a man who made his fortune in the New World and returned to Spain). He returned from Mexico to his hometown of Balmaseda and decided to invest his money in a beret factory.

It turned out to be not only a profitable enterprise, but also a progressive labour experiment, taking well care of the workers - which was far from customary in those days.
La Encartada was a comprehensive factory, generating its own (hydro)energy, fully controlled production, had auxiliary workshops to repair and manufacture spare parts, a cardboard and packaging workshop, vehicles for transport, etc.

The new Bique-les line of berets are top quality, heavy duty Basque berets in classic black and dark navy, made of 100% fine Australian merino wool. The berets are fitted with a solid cotton lining and carry the woven Bique-les label.
The goat as a symbol of resilience and determination is as old as humanity, in cultures the world over, and is an apt image of what these berets stand for.

The Bique-les range of berets are all 'universels', one-size models that stretch and adjust to the individual wearer's head size and shape.

The diameters range from the very small ∼25cm model, to the large Plato Grande/Chasseur in ∼33cm and more in between.

 

[Fern]

I thought I'd show off my new beret d'Arles...

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The unbleached merino looks great on you.

 

[Fern]

Hi guys! Thought I’d stop by and see how the aficionados are doing and what/where everyone is rockin their boinas. Hope everyone is doing well and healthy!

A few weeks ago I was in NY to accompany my niece to her university welcome reception, and chose to wear one of my Encartada 11”.

 

[Mm25]

Hi guys! Thought I’d stop by and see how the aficionados are doing and what/where everyone is rockin their boinas. Hope everyone is doing well and healthy!

A few weeks ago I was in NY to accompany my niece to her university welcome reception, and chose to wear one of my Encartada 11”.

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Stop by more often!

 

[alanfgag]

Sun inspired beret for the opening of an exhibition at Burchfield Penney Art Center.

 

[alanfgag]

Wow... five pages back. This thread needs some love!

 

[Babbo Philipe]

Wow... five pages back. This thread needs some love!

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love the deep
brown,

 

[Babbo Philipe]

Hi guys! Thought I’d stop by and see how the aficionados are doing and what/where everyone is rockin their boinas. Hope everyone is doing well and healthy!

A few weeks ago I was in NY to accompany my niece to her university welcome reception, and chose to wear one of my Encartada 11”.

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you people look great, very happy

 

[alanfgag]

 

[Daan]

The new SPECIAL this week is one of the best sold berets ever at South Pacific Berets: the tartan lined, Czech made, Rádiovka (or Fidel model). It is the smallest diameter beret (at 24cm diameter) we stock and a personal favourite.

Available in (stretchable) sizes 56 - 60. An absolute treat!

Available in Black (with leather headband), Bordeaux, Winter-Green and Deep-Blue - on special from $38.50 @ $25.00

 

[quikrick]

 

[Daan]

The First Nation Australia Limited Edition is a series of top quality foulard berets handmade by La Manufacture de Bérets in Orthez (Béarn).

All models are universels in 100% French merino wool from Arles; available in Black, French Khaki and the natural Merino d’Arles (in the darkest undyed/untreated merino wool) in four different plateaus from 10p/28cm to 12p Alpin/33.6cm.

The berets are lined with a solid cotton lining depicting artwork by four Aboriginal Australian artists; the patterns are random per beret.

The artists:

Gathering by the Creek by Janet Long Nakamarra (L) and Anna Pitjara (R)

Bush Tucker by June Smith (L) and Possum Land and Water Dreaming (R) has been designed by Heather Kennedy

 

[Daan]

A close relative of the beret: the tam o' shanter (in the British military often abbreviated to ToS) or "tammie" is a name given to the traditional Scottish bonnet worn by men. The name derives from Tam o' Shanter, the eponymous hero of the 1790 Robert Burns poem.

The tam o' shanter is a flat bonnet, originally made of wool hand-knitted in one piece, stretched on a wooden disc to give the distinctive flat shape.
The earliest forms of these caps, known as a blue bonnet, were made by bonnet-makers in Scotland. By 1599 five bonnet-makers' guilds had formed in cities around the country: Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Perth, Stirling and Glasgow. At the end of the 16th century, it was said that the Scottish caps were the normal fashion of men and servants, and they remained so throughout the 17th century.

In WWI, a khaki Balmoral bonnet was introduced in 1915 for wear in the trenches by Scottish infantry serving on the Western Front. This came to be known as the "bonnet, tam o' shanter", later abbreviated among military personnel to "ToS". It replaced the Glengarry – which was the regulation bonnet worn by Scottish troops with khaki field dress at the start of the war. Originally knitted, the military tam o' shanter subsequently came to be constructed from separate pieces of khaki serge cloth.

The Scottish Balmoral is sometimes simply described as synonymous with the tam o' shanter.

South Pacific Berets stocks a range of Australian handmade tam o’ shanters in natural wool.

 

[Fern]

Hey guys, found an interesting hat historian on YouTube and I thought y’all might enjoy this video. He’s got others that are equally interesting and well researched.

 

[Daan]

A little background on what is likely the largest beret wearing country (when counting military berets...).

By order of the NKO of the USSR dark blue berets became part of the female summer uniforms and for students of military academies. [Above left: Marya Dolina; PE2 Pilot and Dep. Sqn. Commander of the women's 125th Guards Bomber Regiment]

In 1963, Ministry of Defence order 248 introduces a new field uniform for the Special Forces and USSR Marine Corps – including berets. Privates/sailors and nco’s wore black cotton berets; officers berets in black wool. A red star was placed at the centre front and a flag badge was stitched to the left side of the beret.

June 1967 saw the introduction of berets for the airborne forces. Designer/artist A. B. Zhuk proposed maroon berets, as was typical for airborne troops around the world. These were worn during the November 1967 parade, but soon after, were replaced by light blue berets as the military leadership didn’t want to conform to western ideas and thought ‘sky blue’ more appropriate for paratroopers.

Prior to the Red Square parade of 1968, beret badges were moved to the right side, so to be visible for the top brass watching from Lenin’s mausoleum (no joke).
Next were the units of the armoured corps, who got black berets (this time following the western trend) in 1972.

In 1989 the troops of the Ministry of the Interior (MVD) got olive coloured berets and could earn the maroon beret by qualifying in tests, courage or in battle.

Meanwhile, a camouflage cotton beret became standard issue for infantry and a green beret for border troops. All these berets were typical Soviet/Warsaw Pact models: not knitted and felted, but made of various pieces of woven felted wool sewn together, fitted with a (fake) leather rim and 4 air vents (2 on each side).
A similar model, but of much higher quality, is still made in Poland: the Warszawski and Sosabowski berets.

 

[DougC]

Hey guys, found an interesting hat historian on YouTube and I thought y’all might enjoy this video. He’s got others that are equally interesting and well researched.

I saw this on youtube this morning—pretty sure it was a great and informative hour.

 

[Fern]

I saw this on youtube this morning—pretty sure it was a great and informative hour.

*10 minutes.

 

[Daan]

South Pacific Berets is proud to present two new "old" berets: the exact, handmade, replicas of the original Tartes of 1888 and 1915.

In the early days, berets typically exceeded the later formally sanctioned plateau (diameter) of 33.6cm. While officers often bought their smaller "luxurious" berets privately, troops were issued berets that came from a large number of suppliers - some traditional beret manufacturers, others made by regular uniform makers in woven wool cloth, typically consisting of 3 or 4 parts sewn together and measuring 36cm.

In July 1915, the French high command proposed to replace the stiff, unpractical kepi of the infantry troops by a beret, similar to the Chasseurs Alpins. General Joffre accepted but instantly, the Chasseurs formed a protest movement, wanting to maintain the monopoly of their berets. General Joffre accepted their (loud) concerns and changed from berets to side caps, but meanwhile, several thousand berets were issued in the standard WW1 uniform colour 'bleu horizon' (it was reasoned that in the flat lands of Northern France and Flanders, the light blue uniforms would be perfect camouflage against the horizon).

Despite a relatively short production, the light blue beret became very popular, and many soldiers wore it until the end of the war and after.

Now available at South Pacific Berets in a limited number, exact replica's of these illustrious berets, or Tartes, in navy and 'bleu horizon' in sizes 58 - 64. 36cm, 100% wool fitted with the traditional unbleached cotton lining and size-stamped. The navy models come with a replica of the traditional badge of the Chasseurs' hunting horn in daffodil (Chasseur slang for 'yellow') in felt (with an iron-on backing).

 

[DougC]

*10 minutes.

Nope—I watched just about all his other videos for about an hour.

 

[singlechange]

My thanks to all here who are beret fans. Now I can't imagine why I never before gave the beret any consideration. My very first ever is this extra large 14 inch Aotearoa Txapeldun in the color called savien-blue. I think I will never want anything smaller.