Berets, Anyone?

[Fern]

Out and about on VDay!

 

[Fern]

Repping ‍while

 

[Fern]

“Basking” at work, lol

 

[Fedster]

What are the differences in use between a beret alpin and a txapeldun? A txapeldun seems slightly larger, but were they historically used by anyone, or are some sort of curio for tourists?

 

[Daan]

What are the differences in use between a beret alpin and a txapeldun? A txapeldun seems slightly larger, but were they historically used by anyone, or are some sort of curio for tourists?

Ouch..., a curio for tourists...? No, far from it. The origin of the txapeldun lies with the Pyrenean shepherds and the reason why these oversized berets were popular with them is simply: protection. The weather in the Pyrenean mountains is as changeable as in New Zealand and these berets formed the perfect shield against rain and snow, as well as protecting the eyes and face from the bright sun.

The name means as much as 'champion'; txapel is Basque for beret and dun means "the one who has". The connection to 'champion' comes from the fact that in Euskadi berets are traditionally awarded as prizes.
You can still see that in typical Basque sports like Aizkora proba (wood chopping),Giza-abere probak (dragging games), Harri jasotzea (stone lifting) and Ingude altxatzea (anvil lifting).

These days, a txapeldun is typically awarded to cycling champions.

As for the differences between txapeldunak and Chasseur Alpin berets: the txapeldun is larger (between 35 and 37cm in diameter where the Alpin is approximately 33.6cm).
The original Chasseur Alpin berets were actually the size of txapeldunak, as you can see on photos from the Great War, before regulations kicked in.

Txapeldunak made by Boinas Elosegui can be found here; our own Aotearoa models (on discount) here.

 

[Fedster]

Three Elosegui txapelduns. I hang all berets for a while, using gravity to soften them up. I know some berets are soft from the start, but I really like Elosegui even though I find them too stiff from the start.

 

[Leyomi]

Looks great on ya! I like that you wear it basque style — centered on your head.

Thank you for those kind words!
I'm from Gascony (near the coastal city of Mimizan) and most people here wear it like that, my dad and grand-dad wore it that way, i believe some people in Bearn wear it in a different manner, more on the ear, and of course the beret there is brown

 

[katyaplease]

After an absence of many years, the quintessential Italian beret is back!

The Basco Roma is the classic beret from Italy. A beret that was worn by many, if not most, factory workers, fishermen and peasants mid 20st century, hence it's Italian name 'Basco Popolare Operaio Uomo' or 'Popular Workers Beret'.
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The Roma was traditionally made by Bascificio A. Setti. but since 2020 not in production anymore. To ensure the Roma's survival in the 21st century, South Pacific Berets teamed up with a small artisan beret manufacturer to recreate this illustrious beret - now available again in black, navy and bordeaux.
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All are one-size-fit-all models, fitted with a cotton lining and the label portraying the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus - a symbol of Rome since ancient times, and one of the most recognizable icons of ancient mythology.
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That's actually an AWESOME initiative. Boneteria Aotearoa seems to know their business specifically in berets and duplicate the original shape.

 

[Fern]

Thank you for those kind words!
I'm from Gascony (near the coastal city of Mimizan) and most people here wear it like that, my dad and grand-dad wore it that way, i believe some people in Bearn wear it in a different manner, more on the ear, and of course the beret there is brown

How cool, I bet your town had some migration from the old French Basque region.

I looked this up online: “Mimizan is not part of the Basque Country. It is located in the Landes region of southwestern France. The Basque Country is a region that straddles the border between France and Spain, and it has a distinct culture and language. Mimizan is located about 100 miles north of the Basque Country, and it is not considered to be part of the Basque Country.

Also: Is that beret your only one? I’m imagining you have a few.

 

[Leyomi]

How cool, I bet your town had some migration from the old French Basque region.

I looked this up online: “Mimizan is not part of the Basque Country. It is located in the Landes region of southwestern France. The Basque Country is a region that straddles the border between France and Spain, and it has a distinct culture and language. Mimizan is located about 100 miles north of the Basque Country, and it is not considered to be part of the Basque Country.

Also: Is that beret your only one? I’m imagining you have a few.

Despite the reputation, the béret is'nt a "basque" only cap, and the origine of the béret are in fact from the province of Bearn in Gascony (berret is a gascon word, a language i speak, it mean roughly "cap" or "beanie", many cap was called "berret" some times ago in the province).

Many people wore and wear beret in the landes region of Gascony they was famous in France as "stilt shepherd".

Also i dont know if it's the basque way to wear it, to me it seem it's juste the optimal way for protection and a "shepherd" thing, my grand dad was from a long family of sheep sheperd!

I had another beret who was the one my grand dad wore, but it sadly was way too small, also had a laulhere i losted in Paris

 

[Fern]

Despite the reputation, the béret is'nt a "basque" only cap, and the origine of the béret are in fact from the province of Bearn in Gascony (berret is a gascon word, a language i speak, it mean roughly "cap" or "beanie", many cap was called "berret" some times ago in the province).

Many people wore and wear beret in the landes region of Gascony they was famous in France as "stilt shepherd".

Also i dont know if it's the basque way to wear it, to me it seem it's juste the optimal way for protection and a "shepherd" thing, my grand dad was from a long family of sheep sheperd!

I had another beret who was the one my grand dad wore, but it sadly was way too small, also had a laulhere i losted in Paris

Yes, I read about those shepherds in the early early posts of this thread. I get the idea about the “basque” style of wearing the beret/txapela/boina from my fave vendor in Bilbao: