Berets, Anyone?

[GrayEyes]

Having received my Foulard Alpin Universel from Boneteria Auloronesa, in dark blue, I thought it worth showing you four shades of dark blue.

I just received a BA universel in marine, and it's almost impossible to differentiate between blue (marine) and black (noir) in anything less than full, natural sunlight. Indoors, they look basically the same.

I had planned on taking some photos, but I haven't had a chance yet.

 

[RJR]

Having received my Foulard Alpin Universel from Boneteria Auloronesa, in dark blue, I thought it worth showing you four shades of dark blue.
In the pictures you see a black Boinas Elosegui, center top. The one from left to right
-Boneteria Auloronesa,
-Boinas Elosegui Super Lujo,
-An old one from SPB, from the very first production run, if I remember correctly,
-Laulhere Chausseur Alpine with Bakarra logo (showing the "ridges" from excessive shrinking with hot water to compensate the lousy sizing).
Quite some variances, eh?
(Please excuse the lint on the berets, the terrace wasnt sweeped properly and the dog leaves its traces everywhere, as it should be)

Interesting contrast,do you have a favorite?

 

[Daan]

I just received a BA universel in marine, and it's almost impossible to differentiate between blue (marine) and black (noir) in anything less than full, natural sunlight. Indoors, they look basically the same.

Great subject to bring to attention! I have had actually one customer return a navy Auloronesa beret, saying he ordered navy and not black...

The colour 'navy' (colour code #010138) was named for the uniforms of the British Royal Navy since 1748 (and was subsequently adopted by other navies around the world); a deep, dark blue that's almost black. As navy used in garments (and berets) has a tendency to fade over time, various navies (like the US Navy) changed their unfiforms from navy to black.
Typically, in natural daylight the colour shows as a dark blue, but indoors it can easily be mistaken for black (and if beret bags are not probably labeled, I sure struggle to determine between black and navy at times when I get new stock in!).

Looking into the matter, I came across this appropriate Esquire article 'How to tell the difference between navy and black' - very recognizable.

As for the blue shade berets I stock, most are true navy (Auloronesa/Aotearoa, Laulhere, Tolosa Tupida); some are in between navy and blue (Elosegui, Castilla) and some berets are blue (the Czech Classics and Radiovka's, the Serbian UČA), etc.

Then there are the blues in an altogether different range of blue shades, like the Tolosa Tupida in "Midnight Blue", Carpathian Mammoth in "Pacific" and the Spanish "Azul Cielo"

 

[Bouwerij_Jongen]

Wearing the green today in honor of my paternal grandmother, Bridget Whalen.

A day of liquid sunshine in the Pacific Northwest.

 

[Nico]

Got to admit ,I also had trouble identifying black (noir) vs navy (marine).
Thanks for the clarification Daan.

 

[Nico]

Just about to head out. Wearing my Auloronesa today.

 

[Daan]

Just about to head out. Wearing my Auloronesa today.
View attachment 70002

Same nice day at this side of the Tasman Sea; still warm enough to don my super-soft olive green boina Tolosa Tupida.

 

[Daan]

Be it the aftermath of Saint Patrick's Day, the start of spring in the northern hemisphere or just a matter of good taste, this week a good selection of berets on SPECIAL; all in GREEN, all at a 20% discounted price (as long as stock lasts, with some models in short supply), from Czech Classics via boinas Tolosa Tupida and Super Lujo's to Foulards Aotearoa and Barretines 100%.

 

[NoHorse]

Great subject to bring to attention! I have had actually one customer return a navy Auloronesa beret, saying he ordered navy and not black...

There is even more to it than this.

I was quite taken aback when I got my blue Elosegui, having somehow expected a darker, navy-ish color. Not only is it a bluer blue, it also has a strange reflective sheet to it that I don't expect from wool. This makes the color seem even lighter under direct light. I suspect that it is the GoreTex treatment that does this.

My noir Auloronesa is the blackest matt-black I have ever seen. It' like outer space or something - and has this color in all lighting. I like that, and look forward to getting a navy and brown one in due course.

...and it's finding its shape nicely!

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Kreissaege]

One of my favourite beret-related videos.

 

[Babbo Philipe]

There is even more to it than this.

I was quite taken aback when I got my blue Elosegui, having somehow expected a darker, navy-ish color. Not only is it a bluer blue, it also has a strange reflective sheet to it that I don't expect from wool. This makes the color seem even lighter under direct light. I suspect that it is the GoreTex treatment that does this.

My noir Auloronesa is the blackest matt-black I have ever seen. It' like outer space or something - and has this color in all lighting. I like that, and look forward to getting a navy and brown one in due course.

...and it's finding its shape nicely!

Auloronesa has the most insane colors out there, so deep and exact, the brown is perfect, all the colors are exactly what I would expect, i have a loden green coming and have high hopes on that one too,

 

[NoHorse]

During a walkabout in town today, I saw two different people, in different places, wearing what looked like the German "Baskenmütze" - two air vents and the seam above the bottom edge.

Does anybody else see beret wearers from time to time?

 

[Kreissaege]

Rarely. Only old guys.

 

[Babbo Philipe]

i am an original, no one in my town wears them, and their euro , deep italians, croations, mexicans, greeks, corsica, ishchitano etc. europeans don't even wear them , how does such a thing happen

 

[Daan]

Does anybody else see beret wearers from time to time?

Rarely. Only old guys.

i am an original, no one in my town wears them, and their euro , deep italians, croations, mexicans, greeks, corsica, ishchitano etc. europeans don't even wear them , how does such a thing happen

What pessimism! I am the first to admit that berets are no baseballcaps, but not to be seen at all, or only on our elders... New Zealand is probably one of the countries in the world with the lowest density of berets (not including the stock at Beret HQ in my backyard!). Still, every time I go into the CBD or for a walk along the City's waterfront, I see at least one or two fellow boineros (and believe me, I spot a boinero when there is one!). Any day with a good proverbial Welly wind blowing will reward you with many boineras; women being more sensible than men usually typically go for a beret in bad weather.

This also shows in sales of course; when I set up The Beret Project, some 10 years ago now, I would import a box of 12 (or if a was feeling particularly brave, 24) at a time. These days orders are rarely under 100 pieces and repeated every few months.

The same is valid elsewhere; I have been going to France and Spain every other year and love to see how every time I spot so many more berets. And yes, that includes the cities - not just the Béarn and Ariège.

"Nice talk"? "Proof"? My Dutch brother, aka the Beret Spy, is a lot more daring than me and shoots pictures of every boinero he sees in the wild. Visitors of my Facebook page know the frequent updates. I'll post some here (alas, a maximum of 10 only on TFL...).

And be honest, would you like it to be (much) different? Imagine every ballcap-wearer suddenly donning a beret; every Trump supporter a red txapela with "Make America Great Again"...

 

[Babbo Philipe]

Daan, my beret loving friend , and fellow advocate for good looks, --pessimism, holy clams, none here, my town is only 40 blocks long never seen one with a beret, i work a lot but still, no berets, in a Euro town in So cal, pessimism , not at all, its a darn shame, but really i am not saddened, no reason to be, i am who i am, i have always been a non conformist ,and honestly i stand out in a crowd and people respond , not cuzz of my dashing good looks , lol, but my hats, ,, caps on the other hand is/was a longshoreman given or at least was, now baseball caps , which i refuse to wear------i was a 1940,s man in my teens when i was pulling tugs and barges---18 inch arms and strong as a bull, now i am an ole fart, lol-- wait till get my new saxophone and bass guitar, i am alive again not waiting for my retirement

now 55 and then 30, maybe i will start a new trend and berets might start happening, , either way i stay a beret lover

 

[RJR]

Daan, my beret loving friend , and fellow advocate for good looks, --pessimism, holy clams, none here, my town is only 40 blocks long never seen one with a beret, i work a lot but still, no berets, in a Euro town in So cal, pessimism , not at all, its a darn shame, but really i am not saddened, no reason to be, i am who i am, i have always been a non conformist ,and honestly i stand out in a crowd and people respond , not cuzz of my dashing good looks , lol, but my hats, ,, caps on the other hand is/was a longshoreman given or at least was, now baseball caps , which i refuse to wear------i was a 1940,s man in my teens when i was pulling tugs and barges---18 inch arms and strong as a bull, now i am an ole fart, lol-- wait till get my new saxophone and bass guitar, i am alive again not waiting for my retirement

now 55 and then 30, maybe i will start a new trend and berets might start happening, , either way i stay a beret lover

View attachment 70078 View attachment 70079

 

[GrayEyes]

Does anybody else see beret wearers from time to time?

Actually, I see them far more than I would expect. There are different categories of beret wearers here. There are the elderly ladies who wear berets in winter. Lots of them, in fact. Every now and then, I see a gentleman wearing a beret with a nice jacket or suit or other stylish, dressy outfit. And it's usually a black man or a European immigrant. I see berets occasionally when work takes me to the university. Definitely a handful of professors who wear them.

I'm not sure if I should be thrilled that berets are not uncommon or experience a twinge of regret that I am not so unique!

 

[GrayEyes]

I'm not sure if I should be thrilled that berets are not uncommon or experience a twinge of regret that I am not so unique!

And I've been doing my part to spread the style. I gave an Espinosa to my former boss after he repeatedly complimented me on mine. And I gave an Elosegui to my former assistant who thought mine was "cool."