Beret

A beret (UK: BERR-ay, US: bə-RAY; French: béret [beʁɛ]; Basque: txapel [t͡ʃa.pel]; Spanish: boina [ˈbojna]) is a soft, round, flat-crowned cap made of hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, wool felt, or acrylic fibre.

Mass production of berets began in the 19th century specifically in the Basque Country, where they were already common headwear among the indigenous population, before spreading to Southern France and the north of Spain; as such, the beret remains associated with these countries. Berets are worn as part of the uniform of many military and police units worldwide, as well as by other organizations.

History

Archaeology and art history indicate that headwear similar to the modern beret has been worn since the Bronze Age across Northern Europe and as far south as ancient Crete and Italy, where it was worn by the Minoans, Etruscans and Romans. Such headgear has been popular among the nobility and artists across Europe throughout modern history.

The 17th century Dutch artist Rembrandt was well known for wearing a beret and may have inspired the beret's association with artists.

The Basque-style beret was the traditional headwear of Aragonese and Navarrian shepherds from the Ansó and Roncal valleys of the Pyrenees, a mountain range that divides southern France from northern Spain. The commercial production of Basque-style berets began in the 17th century around Oloron-Sainte-Marie in the Béarn province of southern France. Originally a local craft, beret-making became industrialised in the 19th century. The first factory, Beatex-Laulhere, claims production records dating back to 1810.