Berets, Anyone?

[Fedster]

Dan

I realize these merinos by le Beret Français are new on the market… I will still ask if you think the brown version will shrink like an Elosegui or hardly at all like a Manefactur de Beret.

Out of curiosity, how much do the Elosegui shrink?

 

[Daan]

Dan

I realize these merinos by le Beret Français are new on the market… I will still ask if you think the brown version will shrink like an Elosegui or hardly at all like a Manefactur de Beret.

First, ALL berets shrink, it is in the nature of the natural material that a beret is made of.

How much a beret shrinks, has to do with the quality of the fibres, the density of the knitting, the felting and fulling process, the craftsmanship of the maker and also the care of the wearer.
A cheap "Parisian-tourist-market-beret" is typically light weight, light density and not made of A-grade merino wool. It looks fine when you pull it on, but after a good downpour it will feel and look like a wet sock pulled over the head. When dried, it'll be cm's smaller in diameter (and may smell like a wet sock too).

The berets made by Manufacture de Bérets show very, very little shrinkage. This is partly because of the quality of the French merino wool fibres and much more to a knitting technique that was developed by the company's founder Denis Guédon (and a well kept secret).
Between the former and the latter is a large range of berets made in varying ways of slightly different fibres - some more prone to shrinking than others.

Personally, I don't have issues with boinas made by Elósegui. Yes, there can be some minor shrinkage initially (after a few good dousings), but I never found this problematic, talking millimeters.

Other berets, like the d'Arles by Le Béret Français, will overtime show some shrinkage, but again, when looking after your headgear properly, this doesn't amount to more than a few mills over time.
The important thing is to let a wet beret dry slowly and away from a direct source of heat (put it on a heater and you'll see it shrink cm's instead of mm's!).

Hang it out on a washing line in the wind or in a well ventilated area.
Better still (although I have to confess I hardly ever do this myself...) is to fit a dinner sized plate inside your beret when drying - it will help keep its shape and size.

 

[NoHorse]

Fedster:

in my experience the manufactur berets shrink so little that I disregard that factor in ordering a size. The Eloseguis that I have shrink something like a 28 cm becoming a 27cm - but then I walk daily in rain, sleet, hail and snow. I do dry them gently, with rolled towels inside the edges to maintain a rounded shape. I do that with all my berets. It makes them fit and look better.

Dan:

thanks for the info.

one wonders how Monty managed to have a beret always looking just so, with its double badge… becha he had more than one… and staff to look after ‘em!

 

[Babbo Philipe]

Out of curiosity, how much do the Elosegui shrink?

Terrible if washed by hand wrong they shrink uneven believe me I know I have ruined many berets. The best berets I have found on shrinkage is BA. But anytime you wash them or get them completely wet you need to shape them. I use a small wheel barrel inner tube but ever so gently as to risk pulling the stitches out of the liner. Just enough to get the wrinkles out and dry evenly and slow it usually takes a day or more to dry if done right. This being said try not to wash the berets a lot it is wool

 

[Babbo Philipe]

Fedster:

in my experience the manufactur berets shrink so little that I disregard that factor in ordering a size. The Eloseguis that I have shrink something like a 28 cm becoming a 27cm - but then I walk daily in rain, sleet, hail and snow. I do dry them gently, with rolled towels inside the edges to maintain a rounded shape. I do that with all my berets. It makes them fit and look better.

Dan:

thanks for the info.

one wonders how Monty managed to have a beret always looking just so, with its double badge… becha he had more than one… and staff to look after ‘em!

I also keep wrapping or bamboo paper towels inside my berets when not being worn

 

[Mm25]

I also keep wrapping or bamboo paper towels inside my berets when not being worn

You’ve made me think I should do something similar since my one complaint with my Elosegui berets is the hard edge on them from storing them stacked. I’ve often thought about stuffing them, but have never gotten around to doing it. Maybe someday.

 

[Babbo Philipe]

You’ve made me think I should do something similar since my one complaint with my Elosegui berets is the hard edge on them from storing them stacked. I’ve often thought about stuffing them, but have never gotten around to doing it. Maybe someday.

Sometimes when they are new I flip them inside out as to get rid of the hard edge Also I have used my inner tube while inside out

 

[Mm25]

Sometimes when they are new I flip them inside out as to get rid of the hard edge Also I have used my inner tube while inside out

Actually, that sounds like a great idea. I can do that without significantly increasing their storage size. I’m going to try it right now on one and see how it goes.
Thanks!

 

[quikrick]

Sometimes when they are new I flip them inside out as to get rid of the hard edge Also I have used my inner tube while inside out

Does the inner tube leave that funky rubber smell?

 

[Babbo Philipe]

Does the inner tube leave that funky rubber smell?

Maybe for a few minutes but I clean the rubber with soap and water. Also when the berets are in my drawer I have soap bars ,scented patchels and such as keep a nice smell on them

 

[Fedster]

in my experience the manufactur berets shrink so little that I disregard that factor in ordering a size. The Eloseguis that I have shrink something like a 28 cm becoming a 27cm - but then I walk daily in rain, sleet, hail and snow. I do dry them gently, with rolled towels inside the edges to maintain a rounded shape. I do that with all my berets. It makes them fit and look better.

Thanks for the info! I am in a slow cold war with 'someone' who thinks small berets look nicer, whereas I like large berets because they are more practical. That means I can always say I am shrinking (a little bit) a larger beret by using it!

 

[alanfgag]

One of the things I love most about berets is their ease of stowage. I used to spend time deciding which of my vintage hats I would bring along for travel but now I bring berets almost exclusively. I have a couple (Elósegui) that I reserve for foul weather and treks but I usually resort to a Tilley brimmed hat (it stows flat) when downpours are likely. And then there is the umbrella. But I pay no attention to the storage of berets... they sit stacked in a couple of piles on a shelf in the front closet. I love that my berets are sans souci.

 

[Mm25]

One of the things I love most about berets is their ease of stowage. I used to spend time deciding which of my vintage hats I would bring along for travel but now I bring berets almost exclusively. I have a couple (Elósegui) that I reserve for foul weather and treks but I usually resort to a Tilley brimmed hat (it stows flat) when downpours are likely. And then there is the umbrella. But I pay no attention to the storage of berets... they sit stacked in a couple of piles on a shelf in the front closet. I love that my berets are sans souci.

Totally agree!
About a year ago I switched almost exclusively to berets for daily wear because they are so easy. They remove all of the hassle fedoras or westerns can present in modern wearing, and still look stylish.

 

[Fedster]

Totally agree!
About a year ago I switched almost exclusively to berets for daily wear because they are so easy. They remove all of the hassle fedoras or westerns can present in modern wearing, and still look stylish.

Same here

 

[Daan]

Following all the posts on how boineros store their berets, I found these pictures in my files - sent to me by a customer years ago.

A very clever and beautiful method!

 

[dkstott]

Following all the posts on how boineros store their berets, I found these pictures in my files - sent to me by a customer years ago.
View attachment 497658 View attachment 497659
A very clever and beautiful method!
View attachment 497660 View attachment 497661

Very cool. It'd work for newsboy and flat caps too.

 

[1280almas]

________ hat / ________ sling

video:
https://disk.yandex.com/i/DrZtI-qMGVCPZQ

 

[dkstott]

Totally agree!
About a year ago I switched almost exclusively to berets for daily wear because they are so easy. They remove all of the hassle fedoras or westerns can present in modern wearing, and still look stylish.

Sounds like my reasoning for switching to caps for daily wear.

 

[NoHorse]

Ooooh, that beret hanger… I will have to build something like that for myself. Four or five levels, one above the other, so that the total hanging height is like a coat. Top edge of the arc padded to keep the beret edge full.

 

[Bird Lives]

Hey Daan, who, what, where and how are you doing? I've been away, now I'm back in Southside Turkey. I'm going to rummage through here and see what's going on.

I posted my Elosegui Pirineos over on the What Cap are you wearing today and thought of you. You were so great filling me in on how these caps are made. You're the man!
So I thought, since this really is a beret, I should post it over here too.