The Beret Project

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Roma - The Italian Popular Worker's Beret

Up to the 1970's, the Italian Popular Workers Beret was the standard headgear for workers in the Italian industrial heartland - small diameter berets of light wool, fitted with a headband and a checked satin lining.

These berets were and are made by Baschificio A. Setti; the heritage of a product that goes back to the year 1925, the year that Alberto Setti set up business in a workshop at number 24 of the Via Fanti in Carpi, Italy.

Alberto combined his commercial intuition with great technical know-how, reflected by the number of patents taken out and registered by his company. The concepts of quality control and the ongoing research to improve his products were the foundation stones of Alberto Setti's entrepreneurial philosophy - leaving a company that to this day produces some of the finest quality berets one can find.

Here, at South Pacific Berets, we stock the most famous of Italian berets: the Roma. A traditional worker's beret in a small (24cm) diameter. One of the best known adepts of this beret is, of course, Federico Fellini. The Roma is made of 100% wool and has a checked satin lining and is fitted with a headband; available in both black and navy in sizes 57, 58, 59 and 60.

Marinières and Berets

The proverbial Frenchman wears a striped shirt, or marinière, a beret, has a bottle of wine in one hand, baguette in his armpit and a roll-up dangling from the corner of his mouth.

These days, that picture, or caricature, is pretty much extinct, although it can be seen occasionally, staged for American tourists and holiday brochures.

The combination of the beret and marinière is more than a caricature though. The beret has been popular with sailors for centuries; for it's protective qualities, the absence of peaks and rims that could be caught in ropes or machinery, it's ease to stuff away in a pocket when not in use, etc.

A fantastic book about French sailors wear is "Les marins font la mode", in French, but very worthwhile for non-French speakers thanks to the wealth of photographic material.

Highly recommended and only available through Amazon.fr.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

"Le béret", by Magalie Fournier

Le béret par Magalie Fournier
Uploaded by ClapPatrimoine. - Independent web videos.

Gracias, Alejandro

Monday, May 16, 2011

Tattoos

There must be millions of beret-wearers with tattoos, but how many tattoos would there be of the beret (no, I don't have one, honestly).

Of course, there is the usual (and unusual) crowd fascinated by (the image) of Ché Guevara and no surprise to find a few tattoos there.

And then of course, there are the (ex-) Green Berets, the Legionnaires, the Para-Commandos... all unable to let go of their identity as "tough guy".

The picture below? I guess a lover, Willis' boyfriend... Your guess is as good as mine.

And although not carrying the image of the beret on him, I couldn't resist this one:

"This coffin awaits the traitor". Welcome to Vietnam.
More interesting material on the Ugliest Tattoo web site.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Back On-Line

Yes, after 47 hours of travelling (I managed to sleep some 6 out of those 47), I'm back in Wellington and back behind my PC. Well, just to post a few lines, really - looking forward to my bed right now!

Just a brief announcement of some developments at South Pacific Berets, some pictures of relaxed days in the French Dordogne and administrative notes:
- First: thanks to all those readers who put in orders over the last 4 weeks and practiced their patience - all orders will be shipped first thing Monday morning!
- I brought home some interesting new stock: "Roma Workers Berets" from Italy and
- Tonak berets in a variety of colours from the Czech Republic - they'll come available over the next few days from the South Pacific web site.

- I got myself a few nice souvenirs (berets, of course) an was pleased to find that the prices at South Pacific Berets are much (!) lower than in any of the French, Dutch and German shops I visited!
- And of course, I found a treasure trove of beret related material to post on; old documents, photographs, people, shops, postcards, etc., etc. - follow the blog over the next weeks!