Berets, Anyone?

[Edward]

Constantly intrigues me how many variations there can be on what looks ostensibly such a simple item of headwear. I retain a soft spot of Laulhere in particular having visited the factory back in 2017, but am also extremely fond of my Billy Chyldish cotton berets - one Fear Naught in the slate blue, and Goat in a Trees in red, burgundy, and green. The green one was worn out to see The Pogues on Saturday. Really enjoy these as Summer options on days when I don't need a brim and want something I can easily sling in a pocket or a bag when I'm indoors.

 

[Leyomi]

The legendary brand MBBB (Manufacture Bayonnaise de Bérets Basques) was founded in 1928 at the Rue Brigadier Muscar in the Saint Esprit district of Bayone - the capital of the Basque Country.
View attachment 702228
MBBB soon became a major player in the field of berets, with a large variety of labels, supporting sports events and introducing novel marketing methods for the time; sponsoring sports events (typically road cycling) and offering their own system of 'coins' in different values under the Bérets Milton name.
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The MBBB Milton labels were extremely popular in France and internationally. The company went down during the 1950s.
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Fast forward to 2025: after a local hatter found a truly massive number of old (1940s) MBBB labels stored in a cellar, contact was made with the Bayonne based beret manufacturer Le Béret Français and a decision was made to resurrect the brand - using the original labels and stay true to the style and quality of the original MBBB berets, including the signatory brown satin lining.
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MBBB now stands out as an elegant and authentic brand, where each piece tells a story: that of the artisans who once handcrafted these iconic berets. By focusing on local production, respecting ancestral methods, MBBB has become the standard-bearer of Basque expertise.
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These 10p/28cm universal size berets are now available from South Pacific Berets, all models $58.15.

Bayonne isn't the capital of the basque country, the capital of the autonomous community in Spain is Vitoria Gasteiz but each basque province have their own capital (and many argue about the capital for the whole Euskal Herria, for many Iruña, pamplona is spanish, is the historical one as the capital of the Navarre kingdom ), Bayonne is the capital of the Lapurdi (or Labourd), a old partly basque speaking fief of Navarre and then viscounty of Gascony, some people consider it to be the capital of Iparralde (french part of basque country) but it's not unanimous, espescially because it was not really a heavily basque speaking city (the whole city is "charnègue", local word who mean "mixed") but rather a occitan speaking one

 

[Daan]

Bayonne isn't the capital of the basque country, the capital of the autonomous community in Spain is Vitoria Gasteiz but each basque province have their own capital (and many argue about the capital for the whole Euskal Herria, for many Iruña, pamplona is spanish, is the historical one as the capital of the Navarre kingdom ), Bayonne is the capital of the Lapurdi (or Labourd), a old partly basque speaking fief of Navarre and then viscounty of Gascony, some people consider it to be the capital of Iparralde (french part of basque country) but it's not unanimous, espescially because it was not really a heavily basque speaking city (the whole city is "charnègue", local word who mean "mixed") but rather a occitan speaking one

Yes, I should have written "capital of the French Basque Country", but apart from that, it is a murky business to define truths about a term that has no legal value; formally, there simply is no capital of the French Basque Country, but in the minds of many Basques in Labourd, Basse Navarre, and Soule, Bayonne is that capital without doubt.

While Vitoria-Gasteiz (on the Spanish side) is the capital for the entire Basque Country, Bayonne is recognized as the administrative, cultural, and economic hub of the French Basque region. Consensus on matters of national identity and ownership of heritage and history are of course a great recipe for arguments (and worse)...

In a cultural sense, the Fêtes de Bayonne, are a major annual festival, celebrating Basque traditions with sports, music, parades, and more.

Bayonne houses the excellent museum Musée Basque et de l'histoire de Bayonne (with some very interesting beret related artefacts) and Bayonne features many Basque architectural elements and typical Basque timber-framed houses.

Then of course Bayonne is famous for it's Basque cuisine; piperade, txuleta, veal axoa, chipirons a la plancha and jambon de Bayonne - ask Basque chef Alain Darroze from Bayonne.

 

[Daan]

Uruguay’s former president José Mujica, once a Marxist guerrilla, flower farmer and boinero-extraordinaire, whose radical brand of democracy, plain-spoken philosophy and simple lifestyle fascinated people around the world, has died yesterday, 13 May 2025. He was 89.

, widely known as “Pepe”, spent all of Uruguay’s 1973-1985 dictatorship in prison, where he was tortured and spent years in solitary confinement.

During his 2010-2015 presidency, Mujica oversaw the transformation of his small South American nation into one of the world’s most socially liberal democracies. He earned admiration at home and cult status abroad for legalizing marijuana and same-*** marriage, enacting the region’s first sweeping ******** rights law and establishing Uruguay as a leader in alternative energy.

He sparked global fascination by shunning the presidential palace to live in a tiny farmhouse and donating most of his salary to charity.
In his final interview, Mujica repeatedly answered interview questions with philosophical aphorisms.
“Life is a beautiful adventure and a miracle,” he said. “We are too focused on wealth and not on happiness. We are focused only on doing things and – before you know it – life has passed you by.”

Mujica had no children and is survived by his wife, Lucía Topolansky, another former militant.

 

[alanfgag]

Bon Vendredi!

 

[Daan]

On 15 May, Marcel Bauer, a member of the Left Party from Baden-Württemberg, was thrown out of a Bundestag session because he was wearing a beret. The Karlsruhe politician refused to remove the hat.

Parliamentary Vice President Andrea Lindholz (CSU) excluded Left Party politician Marcel Bauer from the ongoing plenary session, to the applause of the CDU/CSU and AfD. The 33-year-old had previously refused to comply with her request to remove his black beret or voluntarily leave the room.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1030973075706793

The Left Party MP had already clashed with Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) over his beret an hour and a half earlier. Klöckner had asked Bauer to remove his beret: "I would ask you to do so, because it is customary in this House—and if that is not possible for you, please leave the room." The Left Party politician from the Karlsruhe-Stadt constituency did so, but later returned.

 

[indy_jols]

Watching this old BBC archive documentary about farm workers in the south west of England in 1969, I was surprised to see that the two main labourers being interviewed are wearing berets. I know berets were commonly worn by workmen in continental Europe, but I've only ever seen their British counterparts in caps. I wonder if it was a localised thing in Dorset, or whether there were just loads of cheap berets knocking around in army surplus shops?

 

[Daan]

Watching this old BBC archive documentary about farm workers in the south west of England in 1969, I was surprised to see that the two main labourers being interviewed are wearing berets. I know berets were commonly worn by workmen in continental Europe, but I've only ever seen their British counterparts in caps. I wonder if it was a localised thing in Dorset, or whether there were just loads of cheap berets knocking around in army surplus shops?

Great documentary from another time...
Flat caps were, and are, definitely more popular than berets in the UK, but berets have always been around, with much historic material from across the country to proof it. The UK's industrial centers had many workers donning berets, but farmers, bureaucrats, academics and artists also took to the beret.

Then some of the worlds' best known berets were British made: Kangol from Cleator in ***berland. This is from before their production moved to Malaysia and then China...

On the left of the political spectrum, the beret was always popular in Britain, partly due to the many volunteers in the International Brigades who brought their boina back from Spain. Like Stephen Fullarton (L) and Bob Doyle (R).

In the arts there is of course beret-icon Billy Childish (L), and well before him Augustus John (R).

In music, names that come up straight away are John Lennon (L) and Johnny Rotten (R).

Factory workers producing the very British Morris Minor (L) and a Michelin representative (R) in 1953.
That already brings me to the maximum number of 10 pictures one can publish per post, but trust me, there are 1000s and 1000s more!

 

[indy_jols]

Great documentary from another time...
Flat caps were, and are, definitely more popular than berets in the UK, but berets have always been around, with much historic material from across the country to proof it. The UK's industrial centers had many workers donning berets, but farmers, bureaucrats, academics and artists also took to the beret.
View attachment 713051 View attachment 713052
Then some of the worlds' best known berets were British made: Kangol from Cleator in ***berland. This is from before their production moved to Malaysia and then China...
View attachment 713053 View attachment 713054
On the left of the political spectrum, the beret was always popular in Britain, partly due to the many volunteers in the International Brigades who brought their boina back from Spain. Like Stephen Fullarton (L) and Bob Doyle (R).
View attachment 713063 View attachment 713055
In the arts there is of course beret-icon Billy Childish (L), and well before him Augustus John (R).
View attachment 713059 View attachment 713060
In music, names that come up straight away are John Lennon (L) and Johnny Rotten (R).
View attachment 713061 View attachment 713062
Factory workers producing the very British Morris Minor (L) and a Michelin representative (R) in 1953.
That already brings me to the maximum number of 10 pictures one can publish per post, but trust me, there are 1000s and 1000s more!

Absolutely fascinating! Thanks for the information and the photos, Daan. I particularly like the one of the Morris Minor factory – and of course we all want to look like Wild Billy!

Real shame they don't make Kangols in Cleator any more. I bought a modern Kangol beret some years ago and was mightily disappointed by the quality – but on the plus side I then went searching for a better one and came across a certain online emporium based in New Zealand...

 

[Daan]

Absolutely fascinating! Thanks for the information and the photos, Daan. I particularly like the one of the Morris Minor factory – and of course we all want to look like Wild Billy!

Real shame they don't make Kangols in Cleator any more. I bought a modern Kangol beret some years ago and was mightily disappointed by the quality – but on the plus side I then went searching for a better one and came across a certain online emporium based in New Zealand...

A couple more from the Morris Minor factory.
And to stick with the subject of workers in vehicle factories:

The CZ Motorbike factory in Strakonice, the same town where TONAK-FEZCO Berets is based (L) and a female beret wearing worker in a Russian tank factory during WWII (R).

At the assembly line of the Czechoslovak Skoda factory in Mlada Boleslav (L) and at the Russian LIAZ Truck Factory in Mnichovo-Hradiste (R). In this case a LIAZ 706.

These are workers at a French Renault factory (L) and inside the factory (R).

Inspector at the Peugeot Factory.

 

[Edward]

View attachment 713348
Inspector at the Peugeot Factory.

Great posts - especially love the UK shots. Have you seen much evidence of berets in Ireland in the 20th century? The only photos I've managed to find over the years were mostly military-style berets being worn in a military or paramilitary context. It still feels much more of a 'statement' piece to wear a Basque style beret in Belfast even now (to be fair, it's only been a decade or so since wearing a fedora there stopped getting me shouted at in the street, ha.).

In Britain, it seems the 70s were when the image of the beret changed. There was, of course, Robert Lindsey in Citizen Smith (BBC sitcom, 1977-1980) as Walter Henry "Wolfie" Smith, a parody of a would-be revolutionary:

Wolfie's beret was of course styled after the iconic image of Che Guevara. Perhaps the bigger impact on the beret in British popular culture, though, was Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer in Some Mother Do Ave 'Em, another BBC sitcom that ran from 1973 to 1978:

Where as Wolfie, while parodied as a bit of a hippy dreamer was still within the 70s notion of contemporary manliness, Frank was very much an effete, Mummy's Boy type. Frank was a much beloved character to whom various slapstick disasters happened (Michael Crawford did all his own stunts, including crashing through windows and motorcycle riding), but he certainly wasn't seen as a role model. Even now, anyone much over 60 will probably refer first to Frank Spencer if they see anyone in a beret. Frank's beret was very much a military style; I don't recall if the show ever explained that. I've never quite known whether the beret declined in popularity for men in Britain because of the character, or the character wore one because it was seen as a little outdated and quaint, which suited the character.
Of all my hats, there beret remains the most unusual, probably, in that it's extremely rare for me to see another man wearing one anywhere I go in one of mine. Mostly restricted to vintage events, really. I love Frank, but he cast a long shadow that made a lot of men wary of the beret after that. It's a style that really deserves more of a revival.

Interesting that the Peugot ad to my eyes seems to lean into a certain fusty stereotype, though I think here it's more just an Anglosphere stereotyping of the French. I've yet to dare wear a beret in Paris (the only people I have seen do so are tourists, usually from the US - never the French). I recall when I was down in Oleron for a wedding in 2017 (the groom arranged a factory visit to the Laulhere plant, which was great), though, a lot of the locals still wore them as a standard item. Long may that continue in the Basque country.

 

[indy_jols]

Great posts - especially love the UK shots. Have you seen much evidence of berets in Ireland in the 20th century? The only photos I've managed to find over the years were mostly military-style berets being worn in a military or paramilitary context. It still feels much more of a 'statement' piece to wear a Basque style beret in Belfast even now (to be fair, it's only been a decade or so since wearing a fedora there stopped getting me shouted at in the street, ha.).

In Britain, it seems the 70s were when the image of the beret changed. There was, of course, Robert Lindsey in Citizen Smith (BBC sitcom, 1977-1980) as Walter Henry "Wolfie" Smith, a parody of a would-be revolutionary:

View attachment 713440

Wolfie's beret was of course styled after the iconic image of Che Guevara. Perhaps the bigger impact on the beret in British popular culture, though, was Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer in Some Mother Do Ave 'Em, another BBC sitcom that ran from 1973 to 1978:

View attachment 713441

Where as Wolfie, while parodied as a bit of a hippy dreamer was still within the 70s notion of contemporary manliness, Frank was very much an effete, Mummy's Boy type. Frank was a much beloved character to whom various slapstick disasters happened (Michael Crawford did all his own stunts, including crashing through windows and motorcycle riding), but he certainly wasn't seen as a role model. Even now, anyone much over 60 will probably refer first to Frank Spencer if they see anyone in a beret. Frank's beret was very much a military style; I don't recall if the show ever explained that. I've never quite known whether the beret declined in popularity for men in Britain because of the character, or the character wore one because it was seen as a little outdated and quaint, which suited the character.
Of all my hats, there beret remains the most unusual, probably, in that it's extremely rare for me to see another man wearing one anywhere I go in one of mine. Mostly restricted to vintage events, really. I love Frank, but he cast a long shadow that made a lot of men wary of the beret after that. It's a style that really deserves more of a revival.

Interesting that the Peugot ad to my eyes seems to lean into a certain fusty stereotype, though I think here it's more just an Anglosphere stereotyping of the French. I've yet to dare wear a beret in Paris (the only people I have seen do so are tourists, usually from the US - never the French). I recall when I was down in Oleron for a wedding in 2017 (the groom arranged a factory visit to the Laulhere plant, which was great), though, a lot of the locals still wore them as a standard item. Long may that continue in the Basque country.

The Frank Spencer struggle is real. I am very fond of my berets but I do get a good deal of 'OOOOH BETTY!' from the over-70s.

 

[Edward]

The Frank Spencer struggle is real. I am very fond of my berets but I do get a good deal of 'OOOOH BETTY!' from the over-70s.

It's funny how you can date people by pop culture references that way. I remember when I wore a long, black leather trenchcoat in the early 00s... you could tell what side of 40 someone was by whether they shouted "Matrix" or "Her Flick". Whichever it was, 99% of the time people were trying to be complimentary, just within a limited frame of pop culture reference.

 

[Daan]

Great posts - especially love the UK shots. Have you seen much evidence of berets in Ireland in the 20th century? The only photos I've managed to find over the years were mostly military-style berets being worn in a military or paramilitary context. It still feels much more of a 'statement' piece to wear a Basque style beret in Belfast even now (to be fair, it's only been a decade or so since wearing a fedora there stopped getting me shouted at in the street, ha.).

In Britain, it seems the 70s were when the image of the beret changed. There was, of course, Robert Lindsey in Citizen Smith (BBC sitcom, 1977-1980) as Walter Henry "Wolfie" Smith, a parody of a would-be revolutionary:

View attachment 713440

Wolfie's beret was of course styled after the iconic image of Che Guevara. Perhaps the bigger impact on the beret in British popular culture, though, was Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer in Some Mother Do Ave 'Em, another BBC sitcom that ran from 1973 to 1978:

View attachment 713441

Where as Wolfie, while parodied as a bit of a hippy dreamer was still within the 70s notion of contemporary manliness, Frank was very much an effete, Mummy's Boy type. Frank was a much beloved character to whom various slapstick disasters happened (Michael Crawford did all his own stunts, including crashing through windows and motorcycle riding), but he certainly wasn't seen as a role model. Even now, anyone much over 60 will probably refer first to Frank Spencer if they see anyone in a beret. Frank's beret was very much a military style; I don't recall if the show ever explained that. I've never quite known whether the beret declined in popularity for men in Britain because of the character, or the character wore one because it was seen as a little outdated and quaint, which suited the character.
Of all my hats, there beret remains the most unusual, probably, in that it's extremely rare for me to see another man wearing one anywhere I go in one of mine. Mostly restricted to vintage events, really. I love Frank, but he cast a long shadow that made a lot of men wary of the beret after that. It's a style that really deserves more of a revival.

Interesting that the Peugot ad to my eyes seems to lean into a certain fusty stereotype, though I think here it's more just an Anglosphere stereotyping of the French. I've yet to dare wear a beret in Paris (the only people I have seen do so are tourists, usually from the US - never the French). I recall when I was down in Oleron for a wedding in 2017 (the groom arranged a factory visit to the Laulhere plant, which was great), though, a lot of the locals still wore them as a standard item. Long may that continue in the Basque country.

Ireland...? Not the most prolific in (Basque) beret wearing, but you're certainly not alone:

The uniform of Aer Lingus air hostesses featured berets.

Sir Jack Leslie, the Monaghan aristocrat, was a mild-mannered World War II hero who developed a fondness for berets and wild disco dancing in his later years.

Jim O'Connor, surveying the damage to the Old Bank at Courtown Woods, County Wexford, Ireland, as the remnants of Winter Storm Hercules continue to pound the Irish coast (L) and Brendan Francis "Brush" Shiels (R), a musician best known for being the frontman of Gary Moore's first rock band, Skid Row..

Then of course, there is the literary giant Samuel Becket (L & R).

Berets are typically big in rugby (a phenomenon seen in Aotearoa-NZ too).

Unknown boinero walking the streets of Dublin.

 

[Edward]

Ireland...? Not the most prolific in (Basque) beret wearing, but you're certainly not alone:
View attachment 715197
The uniform of Aer Lingus air hostesses featured berets.
View attachment 715199 View attachment 715202
Sir Jack Leslie, the Monaghan aristocrat, was a mild-mannered World War II hero who developed a fondness for berets and wild disco dancing in his later years.
View attachment 715203 View attachment 715204
Jim O'Connor, surveying the damage to the Old Bank at Courtown Woods, County Wexford, Ireland, as the remnants of Winter Storm Hercules continue to pound the Irish coast (L) and Brendan Francis "Brush" Shiels (R), a musician best known for being the frontman of Gary Moore's first rock band, Skid Row..
View attachment 715205 View attachment 715206
Then of course, there is the literary giant Samuel Becket (L & R).
View attachment 715207 View attachment 715208
Berets are typically big in rugby (a phenomenon seen in Aotearoa-NZ too).
View attachment 715209
Unknown boinero walking the streets of Dublin.

Great stuff - thank-you!

Jack Leslie was quite the character.

A few years ago, actor / stand-up / travelogue presenter Michael Smiley interviewed him on a cycling tour he did round the north of Ireland; he was still clubbing and into pretty ******** EDM when he was in his late 90s. I think he was 97 when this clip was recorded:

It's not in the clip, but later on Smiley played him some then very up to date techno that he said was okay, but he preferred the harder stuff...

 

[alanfgag]

A few chill days in New Hampshire... glad to have brought the Le Vincent 9 pouces with me.

 

[ADK]

I wanted to share a little lesson I learned this weekend while working on a few of my berets as I thought it might be helpful for others in the thread.

I’ve got a couple of the King Form U.S. Army berets in merino wool, which I’ve been using as inexpensive summer options. I remove the “flash” and the stiffener and, usually, that’s it. I also own some very nice ones from South Pacific Berets, beautiful Japanese merino Flamingo berets that I really enjoy – but I don’t want to abuse them with summer work! But back to the King Form…

The ones I had were size 7 5⁄8, a bit roomier than I prefer (I typically wear a 7 1⁄2). So I figured I’d experiment a little to see if I could shrink one down just a touch. Nothing too extreme… just hot tap water and a splash of Woolite in the sink. I gave the beret a quick swirl (maybe 45 seconds), then popped it on my head wet to shape it. At first, it seemed to shrink nicely (albeit a little too much already which was super surprising), especially the leather band, which came down about an eighth of an inch and now fits great.

However, lesson learned, the wool itself shrank way more than I expected. After drying, I’d say I lost a “heavy” inch in diameter all the way around. What I ended up with is basically a skull cap. Not at all the silhouette I’m after!

So… a cautionary tale: these King Form berets shrink fast and hard. Maybe all merino wool shrinks that fast, though I've never tried this on a good beret or have I had the need or want to! So, if you’re only trying to adjust the band slightly but if you’re hoping to preserve the drape and shape, maybe skip the hot water route.

Looking forward to more berets and fewer experiments in the future!

ADK

 

[Daan]

A collection of beautiful vintage photos from the Spanish Basque Country.
These are copies from magazines; the photographer is Garikoitz Estornés Zubizarreta.

 

[AlchemicalTheorist]

I am a big fan of Tony Sylvester’s brand AWMS. He sells “short flight” berets in black and seasonal colour releases which I find are much easier to wear without drawing comments or funny looks. They work well in formal dress and casually.

His shop is here: https://awms.bigcartel.com/product/the-beret

This is taken from AWMS’s shop and is Tony himself.

 

[jon_slider]

Super Lujo and Txapeldun - the latter being lighter in weight (per square meter/inch) as made in a less densely knitted wool

“the latter” means the Txapeldun uses lighter weight material than the Super Lujo, correct?

Thank you for the wealth of beret info!

can you also confirm that the material desity per sq meter of the material, also changes when going to diameters above 12.5”?

My 12.5" Elosegui weighs about 4oz while my 14.5" weighs about 7oz.. not sure how much of that difference is due to the diameter difference, as distinguished from a change in material density.

fwiw, Im in the habit of soaking my new berets in Hot water and then wearing them wet, until they dry on my head. The hot water shrinks them by about 2" in diameter, and makes them less floppy.