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Berets, Anyone?

JakeHacker

New in Town
Messages
30
People often feel awkward wearing things because of the associations they make with them. When it comes to berets, those connections range from military men like Lord Montgomery and the Special Forces segment of the U.S. Marines to labor leader Che Guevara and Hollywood film directors. There are many other associations, as well.

Actually, the original beret was a woven affair, in the same familiar shape though quite large and floppy, worn by sea fishermen from the Basque region of Spain and France. If you want a tough and hardy association, these fishermen are it.
My generic/superficial (probably wrong) association with berets was as typical of eccentric French painters.
 

Fern

One of the Regulars
Messages
194
Location
Arlington, VA
My generic/superficial (probably wrong) association with berets was as typical of eccentric French painters.
Welcome, Jake! Nice to see a post from 2008 get rebooted.

Others will tell you that beret and artists go back a long time in the 1900s! French and Spanish, but also Dutch and a little German even.
 

JakeHacker

New in Town
Messages
30
Welcome, Jake! Nice to see a post from 2008 get rebooted.

Others will tell you that beret and artists go back a long time in the 1900s! French and Spanish, but also Dutch and a little German even.
I can not justifiably take credit for the "reboot". I stumbled across this thread and immediately had an image of an artist with easel, paint smeared coat, neat mustache, over size brush, and of course beret, in exotic plaza somewhere, and he just had to be French. Probably a hold-over from some movie I no longer remember.
 

Mm25

One Too Many
Messages
1,020
My “Daily Boina”, as Fern says. Out hiking restored prairie grasslands.

BE9AD57D-CF8A-4016-ACF0-7325978C68BF.jpeg
 

Mm25

One Too Many
Messages
1,020
I like the Daily Boina theme.
Here is one from @Daan at South Pacific Berets. Excellent quality. Auloronesa Universal in a rich dark brown, small 9.5 plate. I received it pretty quick too. Exactly two weeks from NZ to California.
Rick,
Looks great!
We need to keep the daily posting going.
 

Fedster

Familiar Face
Messages
87
Location
Finland
Does anyone have any experience with a Scottish Tam? I think they are made on a much smaller scale, so I am not aware of any 'brand'. They also seem to be felted much more loosely than continental berets, so I wonder how weatherproof they are (alternatively, since the weather in Scotland is not exactly balmy, maybe even an Elosegui Fina could take a serious downpour -- I always wear berets that have a thicker felt in bad weather, but maybe they are an overkill?).
 

Mm25

One Too Many
Messages
1,020
Does anyone have any experience with a Scottish Tam? I think they are made on a much smaller scale, so I am not aware of any 'brand'. They also seem to be felted much more loosely than continental berets, so I wonder how weatherproof they are (alternatively, since the weather in Scotland is not exactly balmy, maybe even an Elosegui Fina could take a serious downpour -- I always wear berets that have a thicker felt in bad weather, but maybe they are an overkill?).
This may not be a direct answer, as I do not a have a tam, however, I have balmorals and Irish caubeens, both of which are similar.
Robert Mackie is a respected Scottish maker.
Most modern tams are constructed from two pieces, with the top sewn onto the sides. Caubeens are constructed the same way. They can be cut from heavy felted wool, or a smoother woven cloth type. Obviously, the thick denser version are more water resistant. Tams are usually wider in dimension than the others.
Balmorals are made like berets in one piece, from felted wool. The one I show is about the same density as my Elosegui berets, but they are generally smaller, and have a definite headband, like a military beret, tied in back with a ribbon.
And they all share the toorie!
92BDDE05-5A42-4770-BF41-00B1D6ACD117.jpeg
 

Fern

One of the Regulars
Messages
194
Location
Arlington, VA
This may not be a direct answer, as I do not a have a tam, however, I have balmorals and Irish caubeens, both of which are similar.
Robert Mackie is a respected Scottish maker.
Most modern tams are constructed from two pieces, with the top sewn onto the sides. Caubeens are constructed the same way. They can be cut from heavy felted wool, or a smoother woven cloth type. Obviously, the thick denser version are more water resistant. Tams are usually wider in dimension than the others.
Balmorals are made like berets in one piece, from felted wool. The one I show is about the same density as my Elosegui berets, but they are generally smaller, and have a definite headband, like a military beret, tied in back with a ribbon.
And they all share the toorie!
View attachment 410378
This green one is called a Balmoral? I need a closeup of that flash (the left side that has what appears to be a patch or embroidery.)

You must have THE hat collection, MM!
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,074
Location
London, UK
This may not be a direct answer, as I do not a have a tam, however, I have balmorals and Irish caubeens, both of which are similar.
Robert Mackie is a respected Scottish maker.
Most modern tams are constructed from two pieces, with the top sewn onto the sides. Caubeens are constructed the same way. They can be cut from heavy felted wool, or a smoother woven cloth type. Obviously, the thick denser version are more water resistant. Tams are usually wider in dimension than the others.
Balmorals are made like berets in one piece, from felted wool. The one I show is about the same density as my Elosegui berets, but they are generally smaller, and have a definite headband, like a military beret, tied in back with a ribbon.
And they all share the toorie!
View attachment 410378

My experience too. I'd put them all in the same family as berets, but to me they're not actually berets. The Jacobite bonnets (pretty much the same construction as a Tam - but no pompom on the top, mind) worn by Highlanders, and particularly associated now with the 15 & 45, hence the common name, are close to a beret but have that sewn-together patter with separate top & bottom in my experience. The similarity, though, does rather intrigue me, given a history of trade and co-operation with the 'Auld Alliance'.
 

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