TOTE JERGA

About Jerga: The Real Academia Española defines "Jerga" as "thick and coarse fabric." In Mexico, particularly, this term is used to refer to a textile that began to be produced in colonial times by Spanish entrepreneurs in makeshift workshops to meet the demand for low-cost clothing and materials for transporting products and fruits. These mills and workshops, which used cotton as the raw material, experienced significant growth in the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala, underpinning what would become the predominant economic activity in this region of the country in the following centuries.

To manufacture jerga, "cotton waste" is used. These cotton wastes are unsuitable for clothing production because of their short fibers, which are very adherent to the seeds after ginning. The wastes undergo a process of cleaning, combing, carding, and spinning before they become a textile. Jerga is an absorbent and very resistant cloth with a coarse weave and hemmed edges to prevent fraying.

A Surf Icon: In the 1970s, jerga ceased to be a common household item and became a star accessory in the California surf community. This change was due to surfers visiting the beaches of Baja California to surf on the Mexican coasts. The need to dry off and stay warm on cold coastal nights led tourists to acquire the coats known in Mexico as "jerga" hoodies. Foreign surfers called them "the Baja sweater," Baja Hoodie, Baja-style Hoodie, Hippie Hoodie, or Poncho Baja, and since then, the garment has been embraced by various urban subcultures.

Tough tote bag made from jerga, a thick and coarse textile.
Reinforced stitching and French-style assembly.
Material: 100% Cotton.
Size: 40 x 48 cm. / 15.7 x 18.9 in.
Weight: 150 g.
Exclusive to Utilitario Mexicano.
Made in Mexico.