A piece of my roots

One of the most enduring accessories throughout modern fashion history is the beret. Erroneously related to its origins with France and everything that has to do with the French, the beret is simply a flat, circular, wool felt hat with a small “tail” that peeks out from the top. It's warm, waterproof, and can be put in your pocket when not needed. It has been used by diverse communities in society and in multiple countries over the years. The beret was originally a men's hat, although some women had worn it since the 19th century, but the big change came in the 1930s when Coco Chanel, famous for wearing comfortable men's clothing and adapting it for women, made the beret a fashion statement. Movie stars like Greta Garbo and Brigitte Bardot then wore it in movies and the beret has remained a rather feminine fashion accessory ever since.

This hat is also known as “Basque txapela” (pronounced chapela). The first historical reference to the txapela in Europe dates to the Late Middle Ages. In those times, it was up to twice the diameter of the head that supported it. The Dutch painter Rembrandt was very fond of wearing it, with numerous self-portraits in which he appears to wear one very large. The French Revolution is key to explaining the origin of the said headpiece in the Basque Country. The commercial exchange between both sides of the Pyrenees became very active once the War of Independence ended back in 1814 and that is how the Basques also began to use the beret, who bought it in France. Many declare the period of 1833-1840 encompassed by the Carlist Wars as the beginning of the heyday of the use of it. In fact, one of the best-known soldiers of that conflict, the Carlist general Tomás de Zumalacárregui, wore a red, wide-flowing txapela and his army was named after it as the txapelgorris (The red berets).

After the Carlist Wars, in the mid-19th century and coinciding with the last stage of the Industrial Revolution, the first txapela factories arose in the Basque Country. Berets Elosegui is one of them, a company from the town of Tolosa that has been operating since 1858 supplying Teletxapela, a known txapela brand. La Encartada Berets in Bizkaia, was the other reference Basque beret factory in the Basque Country, currently closed and converted into a museum. Towards the end of the 19th century, industrialization and the advancement of machines allowed these companies to considerably increase productivity and prepare for the txapela boom, which would arrive in the golden 1920s of the last century.

Nowadays, the Basque txapela, full of history, tradition and symbolism, has become a sign of identity for the Basques. To such an extent that it is called the same way in other languages (béret basque, beretto dei basque, basque cap, basken mütze among others). Its use is not exclusive to older people, but fashionistas of all ages have recovered the hat fashion to achieve a French look: elegant and chic. In addition to the traditional beret, real decorative wonders are often seen, made with embroidery, for a touch of personality splash. It is a tradition in the Basque Country to crown the head of the winner in sports competitions with an embroidered txapela, with text and images alluding to the event and which will serve as a trophy to remind them of their achievement. It is difficult to imagine a txapeldun (the champion of a tournament, derived from the Basque txapela, “hat” and -dun, “the possessor of something”) without their trophy. Likewise, one can find them customised often, embodying traditional values of Basque culture, and given as gifts and souvenirs for weddings, tributes, celebrations, anniversaries and other social events.

As a symbolic gesture to my roots, I am proudly wearing my own txapela in electric blue going for the fashion vibe. This is beautifully matching the balloon-shaped trousers with the handmade black belt, made of upcycled bike tyre. On top. a black sweater tucked-in and a vintage wool jacket with maxi shoulders. The laced-up shoes are one of my favourite pairs in black with some rough-paint effect at the front in grey and white. White are also the socks making the look more casual-quirky. An odd pair of sport socks with Wally from the “Where’s Wally” print in them. The red tartan scarf is the perfect touch to elevate the look and creates a beautiful, colour contrast with the blues. Black is the colour leading in the last elements of the outfit with leather gloves, the art portfolio case and the classic RayBan sunglasses.