The beret is in trouble. French production of the iconic wool hats—as synonymous with France as escargot or body odor—is in serious ... Men's berets made by Laulhere sell for at least 40 euros.

It was a day of great British brands at the London Collections: Men today, but the designers behind them were clearly feeling a bit French. Berets abounded at Margaret Howell and YMC, two ...

Men’s berets from Laulhere can cost anywhere from 40 euros to 75 euros, while women’s are priced between 20 euros and 95 euros. Imports can cost as little as two euros.

On Feb. 10, Laulhère, a 174-year-old beret company, became the country’s sole maker of traditional berets after it bought Blancq-Olibet, its only French competitor, which was almost 200 years old.

Jonathan Levin, general manager of Cable Car Clothiers, paints a somewhat sunnier picture, noting that he sells a good dozen of his $80 Borsalinos and $98 French Basque berets each month.

French newspaper cartoonists still use the beret as shorthand for pompous jingoism or nostalgia in politicians. Older men in rural communities, especially in the south, still wear them.

Women around the world strive for chic “French Girl” style, yet for men, no such template exists. Why that is reveals much about how homogenized men’s fashion has become ...