Besides France, which other country was the first to mass produce the 'beret'?

A 'beret' is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, wool felt, or acrylic. Mass production began in 19th-century France and Spain, countries with which it remains associated. 'Berets' are worn as part of the uniform of many military and police units worldwide, as well as by other organisations. Military 'berets' were first adopted by the 'French Chasseurs Alpins' in 1889.

They were approved for use by King George V in 1924. Another origin of the Royal Tank Corps (RTC) beret is that it was suggested to Alec Gatehouse by Eric Dorman-Smith. While the two officers were serving at Sandhurst in 1924, Gatehouse, who had transferred to the RTC, had been given the task of designing a practical headgear for the RTC.

The specifications were that it had to protect men's hair from the oil in a tank but not take up space in the cramped interior, and he led Gatehouse straight to his room. Hanging on the wall was his Basque 'beret' from Pamplona. He tossed it across, and Gatehouse tried it on. The beret design was adopted.

The 'beret' fits snugly around the head, and can be "shaped" in a variety of ways – in the Americas it is commonly worn pushed to one side. In Central and South America, local custom usually prescribes the manner of wearing the 'beret'; there is no universal rule and older gentlemen usually wear it squared on the head, jutting forward. It can be worn by both men and women and are still quite popular today.