Berets and How to Form Them

[NavyHopeful]

I have just merged a bouquet of Beret threads into this one, and stickied it.

There should be enough repetitive advice in here to last until the new polymer ones come out circa 2034.

And by then, berets will be army only, and every one else will be using ball hats, Air Force wedges or navy peak caps... 

Unless we have some new futuristic headdress coming out soon...

 

[Tibbson]

I've never been taught a "tradition", but have always done it the same way. Liner out, cardboard cut down to shape of capbadge, soaked in hot water and right side pulled down but keeping the capbadge upright. Then again, I don't use the logistik unicorp pizza berets, so I don't end up with massive amounts of fabric over my ear or a giant trench behind the badge.

I've never cared for the logistik type berets, the ones with the cloth bands, even when they were the ones everyone was trying to buy on their own.  I much prefer the old style ones that were issued for years and years.  I still scour  surplus stores looking for the old ones in my colour.  To each their own I guess.

 

[2ndChoiceName]

What are the logistik ones? The one I was issued had lots of material and was quite thick, and it had a sweatband that was vinyl made to look like leather. Then the other one I use primarily now, which I kept from when I was in cadets, has the nylon sweatband and has less, thinner material. Are those the logistik ones? I'm so confused.

As an aside the thick one had tonnes of material which necessitated a deep trench, but it did hold its shape quite well. It has very well defined creases while the one I use now doesn't hold the crease quite as well but looks better, in my opinion.

 

[Schwartzie55]

Quick question about the beret which has some postings on earlier pages. Post BMOQ Mod 1, is it ok to remove the liner to make it easier to shape? Not sure if that it would cause a problem at RMC/FYOP. Apologies if I haven’t posted in correct thread.

 

[BeyondTheNow]

Quick question about the beret which has some postings on earlier pages. Post BMOQ Mod 1, is it ok to remove the liner to make it easier to shape? Not sure if that it would cause a problem at RMC/FYOP. Apologies if I haven’t posted in correct thread.

AFAIK, it’s still the policy to not remove the liner during course unless your staff expressly instructs you to do so. Mind you, many do. Items issued are not considered as belonging to the recruit until they graduate. You’ll risk a jacking up, but depending on staff I’ve also seen them make the recruit buy a new beret (BMQ & BMOQ) They’re not expensive, but better just to wait IMO.

 

[theprivate]

So for those who don't know what ACISS DP1 is like (or has been recently from what I'm told), they treat getting your cap badge at the end of the course as a huge deal. You're stuck wearing a cornflake up until that point.
During the course, I tried messing with my beret to make it look better. I had already cut out the liner, which instantly made it look better. I tried it with a trench, no trench, pulled as tight as possible, increasing/decreasing the fold on the side etc. My method of forming, which works well in my experience, is putting my beret upside-down in the sink and filling it with hot water until my beret (not the sink) is completely full of water, then wringing it out, forming it, and wearing it for a couple hours. Usually it will start drying in this time. When I'm about to go to bed I'll put it on a lamp or something so it doesn't look "wrinkled" from drying while folded.
The look  I ended up going for is minimal-no trench, pulled tight with a small fold on the side. Rather than a straight horizontal line above my eyebrows when I'm wearing it, I have it just barely touching my right eyebrow with it a couple cm above my left eyebrow. I find it has a very "deliberate" look to it. Looks best right after a haircut.