Where can I buy berets in DC?

July 12, 2012 6:53 PM

Where can I buy three black berets and gauloises cigarettes tomorrow or Saturday in Washington, D.C. (or on-line so they get here SUPER fast)?

Help me make our Bastille Day celebrations great! I'd like to supplement our revelry with berets and fancy French cigarettes but I don't know where to acquire them in time. Is there a store in the DC area that sells berets at this time of year? Black ones? Three of them? If not, how can I order berets such that they will be here by Saturday afternoon without getting bankrupted by the shipping costs?

Also, where can I get gauloises in DC, ideally in the Columbia Heights area?

Thank you thank you for any suggestions/help you have!

posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl to shopping (11 answers total)

You should be able to get Gauloises at any decently stocked shop selling cigarettes, I'd imagine. I smoked them as a pretentious teenager and they were super easy to find in NYC. I can't imagine it would be any less easy in DC.
posted by elizardbits at 7:07 PM on July 12, 2012

Yeah, I'm not particularly concerned about those, it's the berets in which I'm really interested. The galouises are just a bonus in case anyone knows somewhere nearby that DEFINITELY has them.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:12 PM on July 12, 2012

Call the halloween costume and army surplus stores near you. I've seen berets at either (different city though).
posted by volition at 7:14 PM on July 12, 2012

You try thrift stores for the berets, or if you're at all handy with fabric just make some that would work for an evening. I thought one of my friends might have had one for our little project that would could lend you, but doesn't look like it.
posted by exogenous at 7:23 PM on July 12, 2012

Proper Topper in Dupont Circle.
posted by candyland at 7:24 PM on July 12, 2012

Alas, Gauloises haven't been exported to the US since 2003.

I always channel my inner pretentious teenager by picking up a carton of them at the duty-free when I'm traveling internationally, but otherwise I don't think there's any way to get them in the US other than one of those shady grey-market cigarette importer websites. I have never used them, but even if they're legal and shipping non-counterfeit cigarettes, which I sort of doubt, there's certainly no way to get delivery from one by Saturday.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 7:26 PM on July 12, 2012

Oooh, thanks for that info! Any French cigarettes my local tobacconist would stock? The more outlandish the better but with filters.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:30 PM on July 12, 2012

Yeah, you can't get Gauloises or Gitanes in the US -- not even the blondes. Get candy cigarettes from Candi's Candies in Arlington and wrap the packs in blue paper?
posted by holgate at 9:30 PM on July 12, 2012

YES! Thank you candyland! I just called and they have some berets in stock so I will head over there soon.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:05 AM on July 13, 2012

Army / Navy surplus stores sell berets, if that doesn't work out.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:48 AM on July 14, 2012

Thanks so much! I did get the berets from Proper Topper but unfortunately no luck with any French cigarettes.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 1:21 PM on July 14, 2012