The Look goes on...

[Clouseau]

Which the hell side does on turn one's beret down, by the way?

If i understand correctly your question, i think that for example French and British soldiers wear them opposite sides (ones on the left, the other ones on the right). Now you are a civilian so do as you like.

The french paras don't wear their beret on the field (they are red, too good target), usually they wear helmets.

They wore in Algeria this interesting field cap that has back flaps to protect the neck from sun.
The back flaps wear often tucked in like you can see on this picture :

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

Thanks Gilles. It was more a rhetorical question, but the info is valuable anyway.

So at least if I cock mine down to the right I won't get odd looks from squaddies here. If I should travel to France, I'll cock it the other way - I certainly don't wish to offend any French paras!

 

[Clouseau]

Thanks Gilles. It was more a rhetorical question, but the info is valuable anyway.

So at least if I cock mine down to the right I won't get odd looks from squaddies here. If I should travel to France, I'll cock it the other way - I certainly don't wish to offend any French paras!

While French soldiers pull their berets to the left and British soldiers to the right, there are some exceptions (special corps). The Wiki article is rather interesting, and the United Kingdom, USA, and France chapters can be of some interest for the usual suspects of this forum…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_beret

 

[Donkey Jacket]

Iv'e always tilted mine to to the left with a bit of forehead showing, like the top pic. Maybe iv'e got a bit of french in me, this is usually combined with a trucker or suit jacket and jeans.

 

[Thin White Duke]

In the 1990s the yanks allowed all soldiers to wear black berets which pissed off the Rangers and Airborne as it was previously exclusive to them. Black for Rangers and maroon for Airborn. Special Forces just like our commandos / marines always had green. The problem is that the yanks are clueless how to wear one and instead of it being slightly loose they shrink them down to a little beanie size till it looks like a yarmulke with their regiment badge forming a little peak like TinTin's quiff. I believe they are changing things and going back to either the baseball cap style or the forage cap (aka c**t cap). Both look crap.

British regiments wear berets with the badge above the left eye and the 'fold' on the right side. They look much better when they are a bit looser like how Monty used to wear his. I saw pics of sixties Mods on scooters with the looser part pulled forward making a soft peak shape.

I admire you for having a go MM - it's a bold move. I justify my hat wearing, as being light skinned my selection of coloured panamas serves the purpose of protection from skin lesions on my forehead but a beret can't be justified as it's not so practical. At least for me with my thick barnet. For a Dr Evil like you, you have more latitude. We need pics!

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

British regiments wear berets with the badge above the left eye and the 'fold' on the right side. They look much better when they are a bit looser like how Monty used to wear his. I saw pics of sixties Mods on scooters with the looser part pulled forward making a soft peak shape.

I admire you for having a go MM - it's a bold move. I justify my hat wearing, as being light skinned my selection of coloured panamas serves the purpose of protection from skin lesions on my forehead but a beret can't be justified as it's not so practical. At least for me with my thick barnet. For a Dr Evil like you, you have more latitude. We need pics!

Well, the whole hat thing, for me, really started when my GP said I had UV damage to my scalp, coz I'm a bit of an Emerson. So I have decided to acquire a fairly large range of titfers.

No self-respecying mod from my school - and there was a small knot of us - would have worn a beret, because one of the caretaking staff (John by name, Pedro by nickname) wore one. He was a wee bit simple, had a very squeaky voice, and we suspected he had undergone a medical orchidectomy. Other parts of the NW may not have been so leery.

Pics? maybe. I still owe you a pic of my leather coat.

 

[Inkss]

In this pic from '63, the fella definitely has the slack in the beret pulled forward.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

TWO berets arrived. They're slightly too small and look atrocious.

 

[Donkey Jacket]

TWO berets arrived. They're slightly too small and look atrocious.

Did you get them off ebay? always find its better to get those hats from the surplus, same with all hats really.

 

[Thin White Duke]

In this pic from '63, the fella definitely has the slack in the beret pulled forward.
View attachment 829719

Good one Inkss. That's what I was trying to describe and how I remembered seeing it in other pics. It seems that they weren't THAT common in the early sixties period. Reading between the lines Richard Barnes seems to describe the French thing as a bit of a fad among a sub set, taken a bit too far by some lads.

Still, like I said a bold move but could be successful.

I don't like that phrase I see quite often on SF about having 'the ability to pull XX off'. Often applied to more daring moves such as hats. If you have the confidence to don your outfit, critically decide it looks good and then step out, then you are already 'pulling it off'. If you don't you should stay home!

 

[Clouseau]

You will notice the lad on the scoot is wearing a Béret basque (see the little pointed thing on the top of the beret) not the same shape/fit/size than a military beret. Used to be the preserve of old geezers here, you wouldn't be seen dead wearing one.
The thing is you won't see much today as... They are all dead now.

 

[Thin White Duke]

You will notice the lad on the scoot is wearing a Béret basque (see the little pointed thing on the top of the beret) not the same shape/fit/size than a military beret. Used to be the preserve of old geezers here, you wouldn't be seen dead wearing one.
The thing is you won't see much today as... They are all dead now.

Haha we needed some input from the Frenchman on berets.

There was one shop in my home town that supplied the school uniforms. The Catholic girls' school still had berets and they were like these with the little 'stalk' in the centre. IIRC the girls hated them and pulled them out. The hats were just flimsy felt, not the heavy worsted style with the leather headband like my Dad's RAF one.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

Did you get them off ebay?

Nope.

always find its better to get those hats from the surplus, same with all hats really.

Maybe so.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

Look, lads, I really AM going to get a beret. Somehow, some time.

 

[Jimmy Balantyne]

You will notice the lad on the scoot is wearing a Béret basque (see the little pointed thing on the top of the beret) not the same shape/fit/size than a military beret. Used to be the preserve of old geezers here, you wouldn't be seen dead wearing one.
The thing is you won't see much today as... They are all dead now.

Only type of beret I've ever worn. Had numerous over the years. For my part I've always found French kids more stylish than their English counterparts. Perhaps not in regard to British sub-cultures but the average Joe from France/Italy/Spain is light years ahead of the one from England. That's been my experience at least.