Traje de luces

Two famous toreros: Joselito el Gallo and Juan Belmonte wearing the traje de luces.
Torero Antonio Barrera dressed in a traje de luces with the ceremonial capote de paseo over his left arm and the montera in his right hand
Detail of la chaquetilla.

The traje de luces[1] (suit of lights) is the traditional clothing that Spanish bullfighters (toreros, picadors and rejoneadors) wear in the bullring. The term originates from the sequins and reflective threads of gold or silver. These trajes are based on the flamboyant costumes of the 18th-century dandies and showmen involved in tauromachia, which later became exclusive to the bullfighting ritual. Later adornments include the montera hat, elaborate embroidery and decorative accessories.

Toreros

Getting dressed to kill constitutes a ceremonious ritual by itself, The matador is attended by a squire (mozo de espadas) who helps him to get dressed, often according to a 'lucky' ritual in the privacy of a hotel room.

Components of the traje de luces for a torero may include:

Picadors

Components of the traje de luces for a picador (the mounted goader).

Rejoneadores

Rejoneadores are mounted lancers who slaughter the bull whilst sitting on horseback. The Spanish rejoneadores use the traditional suit of Andalusian cattlemen, while the Portuguese rejoneadores dress in the style of Frederick II of Prussia, a fashion similar to 18th-century gentlemen-horseriders.

Goyaesque corridas

These bullfights celebrate the earliest versions of the modern ceremony, which evolved in the 18th century, and which were recorded by the painter Goya. The suit is similar to the conventional traje de luces, but with less adornment. the Taleguilla tights are more comfortable, being of silk with gold thread. Goyaesque toreros perform the paseíllo with a bicorne hat capote de brega (struggle cape) which is similar to the muleta, but in stiffer material, and without the stiffening rods.It measures between 113 & 123 cm and weighs some 4 – 6 kg. Bullfights in the style of Goya are known as Ronda, and are celebrated in Spain at the end of September, and also at Arles in France.

References

Notes

  1. Pedraza, Felipe (First published 2005). Iniciación a la fiesta de los toros # 4.4 El traje de torear (in Spanish). Biblioteca Edaf ISBN 978-84-414-0293-5. Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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