Along with the Eiffel Tower and baguettes - it's one of the national symbols of France. The beret. The hat is worn by everyone from fashionistas to the French military. The south west of the country became the centre of the beret-making industry in the 1950s, using wool from sheep in the nearby Pyrenees mountains. But now there's only one traditional beret maker left - and it might be forced to close down. Beatex, based in the town of Oloron Sainte Marie, has been battling against cheaper foreign competitors since the 1970s, but now the euro zone crisis has brought it to the brink. Beatex Chairman Pierre Lemoine says while the company has enough orders, it can't access credit. SOUNDBITE: PIERRE LEMOINE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BEATEX BERET COMPANY, SAYING (French): "At the moment we're facing a cash-flow problem. I have to manufacture berets that will be paid for in two, three, four, or five months. That means I have to pay my workers and the social security charges even though I won't be paid myself for five months. So I need cash or a bridging loan from the bank to handle this financial hole." Beatex's 50 workers currently make around 200 000 berets a year - around half of those are for the French military and NATO forces. The local mayor has also joined the fight to save the company. SOUNDBITE: BERNARD UTHURRY, MAYOR OF OLORON SAINTE MARIE, SAYING (French): "Beatex even has a special partnership with NATO and that underlines the credibility of the company. They could even bring out more original types of beret. But the company has a problem balancing its books and we have to try and resolve this problem together." Beatex is currently holding talks with banks and local government. But if they fail, the company is warning that a national icon will no longer be made in France. Joanna Partridge, Reuters
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