Berets, Anyone?

[GrayEyes]

My BA universal thoroughly enjoying the Scottish Highlands last week! View attachment 84922

Oh, that looks very nice indeed!!

 

[Daan]

A little help with evaluating three berets my wife dug out of her old clothes. I don't wear this style so if they are something special, they need to go to a good home. They came from her grandmother, and were probably purchased here in the US during the 50s and 60s. I would like to put them in the classified section but I am totally ignorant of their vintage value.

View attachment 84893
Beret De Luxe, black wool probably 7 1/8th


View attachment 84894

Grand me're 1952, made in Quebec. This one seems to be more of a high quality than the others.

View attachment 84895

Genuine Basque Beret, Only a small mfg tag glued into the liner.

Help! I'm totally lost on these and don't really want to go Ebay if they would be desired by a fellow lounger.

Some nice berets, Red. You are correct re. their age; the two Basques would be made in the 1950's, possibly early 60s.
The first one, with the nice bayadère lining, carries a generic label, meaning a label that has no patent or association to one specific manufacturer. Given it's age, it could be made by one of around 50 manufacturers at the time... Value wise - hard to give any useful information. Bayadère berets in good condition can easily fetch prices between $50 and $100. However, yours is made for the North American market (fitted with an English language label) and won't be as much sought after as the original French models. Instead of listing it on Ebay, I would list it on a more serious collectors site like Delcampe.

The second, Grandmère, beret is a military style beret (hard to tell if it was a military issued model or not...) made by Dorothea Knitting Mills. These are good quality berets (as many Canadian servicemen and women can testify). Hard to tag a price to it; WWII models get decent prices, but this one was made in 1952...

The last beret was a cheap French made import (to the US). During the 1950s and 60s when berets where most popular in the States, numerous companies imported berets from France; sometimes under their own label (some with very fancy cardboard boxes and such), others (most) with a plain WPL label. WPL stands for the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939. I can't read the number on your label, but to me it looks like WPL 10888 - this number was registered to the Normandy Mfg Group in New York.

Hope this helps. Cheers

 

[Redfokker]

Some nice berets, Red. You are correct re. their age; the two Basques would be made in the 1950's, possibly early 60s.
The first one, with the nice bayadère lining, carries a generic label, meaning a label that has no patent or association to one specific manufacturer. Given it's age, it could be made by one of around 50 manufacturers at the time... Value wise - hard to give any useful information. Bayadère berets in good condition can easily fetch prices between $50 and $100. However, yours is made for the North American market (fitted with an English language label) and won't be as much sought after as the original French models. Instead of listing it on Ebay, I would list it on a more serious collectors site like Delcampe.

The second, Grandmère, beret is a military style beret (hard to tell if it was a military issued model or not...) made by Dorothea Knitting Mills. These are good quality berets (as many Canadian servicemen and women can testify). Hard to tag a price to it; WWII models get decent prices, but this one was made in 1952...

Thank you so much for this information. I knew the Lounge would come through, as it always does. My wife said they probably came from her maternal grandmother so they were probably purchased her in the Pacific Northwest, most likely Seattle. I am talking like a Dutch uncle trying to get her to wear the red Grandme're, we will see.

I think my first choice will be listing them here on the lounge classifieds, better to stay in the "family" whenever possible. Other venues at a later point. You are very kind to share your expertise with a beret newbie.
The last beret was a cheap French made import (to the US). During the 1950s and 60s when berets where most popular in the States, numerous companies imported berets from France; sometimes under their own label (some with very fancy cardboard boxes and such), others (most) with a plain WPL label. WPL stands for the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939. I can't read the number on your label, but to me it looks like WPL 10888 - this number was registered to the Normandy Mfg Group in New York.

Hope this helps. Cheers

 

[augustwest]

Still too warm to wear berets here [CA] but can hardly wait, about a month, so I can start wearing them again here.

 

[Daan]

Found on Ebay this morning, a line of new camel coloured "Biscuit Berets". Chinese made and sold @ $9.99, cheaper than any beret I sell.

A nice enough design, I guess, if you enjoy this sort of thing, but it puzzles me why on earth the choice of biscuits?

Quoting the seller: "Great quality.
Great for chilly weather or a glamorous affair.
Great for vacations, outdoor activities or just everyday wear. Perfect for ladies and teens."
I would like to stress: all berets I sell are great for glamorous affairs!!

 

[Babbo Philipe]

Biscuits, lol, sweet color though

 

[Nico]

Found on Ebay this morning, a line of new camel coloured "Biscuit Berets". Chinese made and sold @ $9.99, cheaper than any beret I sell.


A nice enough design, I guess, if you enjoy this sort of thing, but it puzzles me why on earth the choice of biscuits?

Quoting the seller: "Great quality.
Great for chilly weather or a glamorous affair.
Great for vacations, outdoor activities or just everyday wear. Perfect for ladies and teens."
I would like to stress: all berets I sell are great for glamorous affairs!!

What the

 

[Babbo Philipe]

come Nico, you know IF it were a BA, in that color you would get it, i sure the heck would

 

[Nico]

come Nico, you know IF it were a BA, in that color you would get it, i sure the heck would

Mr Philipe. You got me thinking about that colour now.

 

[totallyfrozen]

A little over a week ago when Hurricane Harvey was hitting my area, my father-in-law and I volunteered to try to help with the boat rescues of flood victims. We had rain gear on but we were soaked from head to toe regardless. It was COLD!

I thought of this thread and as I was wading through hip deep water, I said to myself, "I sure wish I had a wool beret right now."
You can bet I'll be picking on up soon. I don't want to be unprepared the next time I end up cold and wet.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nico]

A little over a week ago when Hurricane Harvey was hitting my area, my father-in-law and I volunteered to try to help with the boat rescues of flood victims. We had rain gear on but we were soaked from head to toe regardless. It was COLD!

I thought of this thread and as I was wading through hip deep water, I said to myself, "I sure wish I had a wool beret right now."
You can bet I'll be picking on up soon. I don't want to be unprepared the next time I end up cold and wet.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

totallyfrozen.
In my opinion volunteers willing to help their community are worth their weight in gold.
I agree a wool beret has great insulation properties and will help with the cold.

 

[Nico]

My newest acquisition a grey (Graphite) Basco pura Lana. I quite like it, no lining makes it nice and floppy.
Perfect head gear for mild weather.

 

[ErikFid]

My newest acquisition a grey (Graphite) Basco pura Lana. I quite like it, no lining makes it nice and floppy.
Perfect head gear for mild weather.


View attachment 85418

Very nice beret (and looking great on you!). You describe this one as grahite, but the photo on Dan's website shows this as a real grey; your picture looks more like a petrol-blue. Which of the two photos is more accurate, you reckon?
Looks like another parcel to anticipate soon...

 

[Nico]

Very nice beret (and looking great on you!). You describe this one as grahite, but the photo on Dan's website shows this as a real grey; your picture looks more like a petrol-blue. Which of the two photos is more accurate, you reckon?
Looks like another parcel to anticipate soon...

Hi Erik
I can confirm the Basco Pura Lana I ordered is graphite. Keep in mind lighting and other factors can influence the way the beret looks.
The colours you mentioned are not listed, you could be looking elsewhere on the Daans site.
Look under Italy, then Basco Pura Lana.

Good luck
N

 

[Babbo Philipe]

either way, Nico,
however this color is called, who really cares right--
you work it well, it looks very nice, grey has always pulled it off as a relaxed color, its passive,, yet very comfortable to the eye
heres to you friend, and the grey world

 

[Nico]

either way, Nico,
however this color is called, who really cares right--
you work it well, it looks very nice, grey has always pulled it off as a relaxed color, its passive,, yet very comfortable to the eye
heres to you friend, and the grey world

Thanks Philipe,
Also matches our hair colour. .

 

[Babbo Philipe]

LOL i am with you on that, i am getting greyer everyday, i love getting old, i don't like the losing strength part, pains here and there from past foolishness, but as a whole i dig it ....got a sweet collection of canes ready to go, lol,
i am 55 now, , as far as grey goes, i have yet to to see or feet an unmatched beret other than BA, i am so satisfied with them , yet so tempted for the laulhere heritage , i have a barkeza from way back, i wish i lived by Dan and could go through his shop, holy clams, i would end up with at least 5,

 

[Nico]

LOL i am with you on that, i am getting greyer everyday, i love getting old, i don't like the losing strength part, pains here and there from past foolishness, but as a whole i dig it ....got a sweet collection of canes ready to go, lol,
i am 55 now, , as far as grey goes, i have yet to to see or feet an unmatched beret other than BA, i am so satisfied with them , yet so tempted for the laulhere heritage , i have a barkeza from way back, i wish i lived by Dan and could go through his shop, holy clams, i would end up with at least 5,

I hear you Philipe.

Cheers
N

 

[Daan]

Speaking to some Argentinian boineros living in Wellington the other day, I loved hearing how many young people there (and in neighbouring Uruguay) wear berets, or boinas.

Beret wearing may be on the increase in France, boineros there (and in the rest of Europe) are still a small minority. What's more, where 9 out of 10 European berets are black, boineros in South America happily wear berets in bold and extravagant colours.

I always enjoy seeing how tough looking gauchos confidently wear bright red, beige or faded pink berets.
Whereas most berets made in colours other than black, navy and red now made by Boinas Elósegui and Boneteria Auloronesa are on request by myself, Buenos Aires manufacturer Bonigor has a massive choice in colours for their standard stock (and South Pacific Berets only stocks a fraction of these).

This article at The Real Argentina elaborates on the appeal of gaucho style clothing and accessories and its determining role in present day fashion.

Sadly, prices of the boinas Tolosa Tupida will have to go up soon (later this week) due to the high cost of importing from Argentina.

 

[Nico]

Wearing the navy Basco Pura Lana today. A very comfortable light weight beret, has a nice relaxed feel to it.