Tarte Chasseur
Earlier on in The Beret Project, I wrote a post "Size Does Matter" and everyone familiar with berets would agree - it makes a huge difference whether you have a 25 or a 35cm (9.5" or 14") on top of your head. I have a liking for the larger diameters, 28cm (11") as an absolute minimum, but then, I am blessed, or not, with a rather large head.
Little choice when you are in the military and, if you happen to have a small head, you can question your luck when you are placed with the Chasseurs Alpins. I can't help admiring this French captain, instructing Afghan soldiers in pistol shooting; I guess he's a size 55 or so, but despite that, he manages to wear his "tarte" with style.
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l'origine des tartes des chasseurs alpins: se protéger la partie du visage exposée au vent glacial des montagnes. Les chasseurs alpins sont des athlètes et des hommes d'une extrême rusticité. Merci de leur rendre hommage!
ReplyDeletePeut-être réserverez-vous un post au béret vert de la légion étrangère: là aussi le béret est virilement porté .
"Large" starts at 34cm :), anything below 30cm is no more than a Jarmulke!!
ReplyDeletenow if I only could get the big ones in the lightweight fabrics, instead only in the to-heavy-for-summer Super Lujo quality :(
I've been looking at photos of the Tarte Chasseur on the internet. Some of them seem to be a dark navy blue, some look absolutely black. Is it a trick of the eye? Are they all navy blue? Is one worn in the field, and one for dress uniforms?
ReplyDeleteNo, not a trick of the eye.
DeleteIn principal, the 'Tartes' are navy (dark blue), both the dress version and the winter version. Hence the nickname for the Chasseurs Alpins: "Blue Devils".
More recently in history (I don't know when exactly), the dress version berets changed to black, but to make it even more confusing, the navy colour is still used as well.
I don't know what the French army regulations are exactly - shall try to find out.
Meanwhile, there is also a dress version in Havana brown, but this is a beret made for South Pacific Berets - not an army issued beret.
Thank you Daan!
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