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My Take on the Beskap Atela

In the past few years I've tried to appreciate my heritage more. It started with batik shirts. But I've always been drawn to beskaps. The challenge with beskaps is, of course, that they can't be worn as daily attire — a bit like wearing a tuxedo or morning suit out and about.


The chance presented itself when I attended the solicitors' admissions ceremony at the Law Society of England and Wales. These pictures were taken in the Law Society's library.



The beskap style I chose is called atela, which is from the Yogyakarta region of Java. It features a single-breasted jacket, rather than double-breasted used in beskaps from Solo. I picked the plainest jacket there was — no ornaments, no embroidery, and with cloth-covered buttons. The jarik (i.e., the batik cloth) I chose features a pattern called "wahyu tumurun." Its main characteristics are the crowns and birds against a backdrop of branches and leaves. It's supposed to bring the wearer guidance and honor. Amen to that.




The headpiece (called blangkon) and mules (called selop) form part of the ensemble. I picked a black blangkon to match the jacket. For the selop, I had a shoemaker in Cibaduyut, Bandung custom-make a pair using real leather for the upper, lining, insole, and outsole. They're now my go-to footwear for short walks from my house.


For the occasion, I wore a solicitors gown — obviously not part of the beskap atela ensemble.

However, to my delight, they went quite well together. I also did away with the keris (the squiggly dagger), which is supposed to be carried on my back. I felt that it would tip the scale too far to costume territory. It's probably also not a good idea to bring such a large dagger on an international flight. It ultimately didn't matter, because it would have been covered by the gown.


Written by: Nikki Krisadtyo




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