One day when I was walking around Madrid, I saw this bullfighter’s vest in the front window of a store north of the Royal Palace of Madrid. I loved the style and details on it, but wondered: is there any significance to the designs or elements of a bullfighter’s vest? I learned that the bullfighter’s vest – or jacket, is called a “chaquetilla” in Spanish, and is more than just an article of clothing. There is both tradition and symbolism, and I wanted to learn more. Here’s a full view of the bullfighter jacket from which the detail above is taken:
The bullfighter outfit as a whole (including the hat and pants in addition to the jacket) is called “trajes de luces” which translates to “suits of lights,” due to the way they glimmer in the sunlight. The shoulder pads that you see are called “hombrera,” which are meant to provide an element of protection, and are only attached to the jacket at the top of the shoulder, leaving the arm freedom of movement.
The items that you see across the chest (with the red circles and hanging gold braids) are called “alamares,” which is the plural version of “alamar,” which refers to a braid. In the context of Spanish bullfighting costumes, I’m seeing them also referred to as “Austrian knots,” which have a long history in military uniforms, and not just with Austrians – I see that they are common on both English and Hungarian uniforms as well. They don’t appear to offer much protection from a bull’s horns, but seem to be more decorative in purpose.
The color of the ornamentation on the chaquetilla often indicates the bullfighter’s rank; use of gold embroidery reflects an elite matador status, while silver embroidery is typically used for lower-ranked bullfighters.
You can see a similar-styled jacket on this sculpture of the bullfighter Antonio Bienvenida (1922-1975), also seen in Madrid. Antonio Bienvenida was a Venezuelan-born Spanish bullfighter who was one of the best known bullfighting figures of the 1950s.
I did not see a bullfight while I was in Spain, I’m not 100% sure I’d want to, as far as the violent aspect of it being a battle to the death (of the bull, unless the matador gets gored). Bullfighting is a deeply rooted part of Spanish culture, and I do have some curiosity about it since I know it was a popular theme (and event to attend) for Picasso; but of course there’s understandable criticism, debate and controversy about it due to the way the bulls are treated. Setting that aside, I’m sharing these pictures with an appreciation for the artistic quality and my fascination with the design of the costume and jacket.