Break Out Your Baja Hoodie? Jerga? Drug Rug?

- How did the Ultimate Hippie Hoodie get its Name(s)? -

Fall is approaching and you know what that means, (besides people talking way too much about pumpkin spice) it's time to break your Baja out!

Baja? Jerga? Drug Rug? Whatever you call it, we all know what these cozy patterned woven pullover hoodies are, but where did they manage to get these monikers?

How they got their Name(s)

If you call yourself a hippie, there’s a pretty good chance you (or one of your cannabis-loving companions) have a Drug Rug hanging somewhere in your closet. (Or, more likely, crumpled up in your laundry so you can wash out the stench from your stash.) Maybe you picked it up at your local head shop, bought it at your last festival, or even got it on your vacation to Mexico. You might call it a Baja or even a Jerga, but either way, this cozy hoodie is an ageless item- emblematic of the free-loving hippie counterculture which grew in the ‘60s and lives on in the hearts of free spirits today!

Jerga? Baja?? Drug Rug!?

While many associate the colorful patterned pullover we all know and love with free-loving hippies, it actually has a much older history. It was based on the patterning of the traditional Mexican Striped Falsa blankets which were fashioned into a pullover with one big pocket. The Sudadera de Jerga, or Jerga for short, has been worn by people in Central and South America for over seven hundred years. And because of this history, some who got theirs south of the border still call the garment a Jerga.

Reborn by the beaches of Baja, Mexico, (hence the name ‘Baja’) these comfy and durable hoodies were brought to the hippie scene of California in the ‘70s by surfers after their quests down the coast for the gnarliest waves. Once they made their way to Cali, this simple hoodie took the hippie scene by storm!

Whether it was because they were embraced by the psychedelic drug-loving hippie counterculture, or maybe because they were thought to be made of hemp, people also started calling them Drug Rugs.

Sustainable Style

Though people often think they’re made of hemp, Baja hoodies are usually made from a blend of cotton or acrylic. And, in case you didn’t have enough reasons to wear them, many of our styles are sustainably made from 100% recycled materials! No matter what they’re made of, these super comfy and durable hoodies are perfect for throwing on during chilly days, before late night beach walks, hikes, or keeping you warm while smoking a little something. This might be why stoners, surfers, and hippies through history have blazoned a Baja!

The Legend Lives On

Whether you grew up during the rise of this legendary item or you came of age a bit later, some storied stoner character comes to mind when you think of the Drug Rug. Maybe you conjure thoughts of Sean Penn as Spicoli, the hero of his history class, ordering pizza while dawning his Drug Rug. Or your brain goes to the definition of California Cool, Luke Perry as Dylan, who broke out his Baja in Beverly Hills, 90210. Even those born in the ’00s has a Drug-Rug-wearing individual they can identify. For example, as recently as last year in the Ocean’s 8 movie, Rihanna’s blunt-smoking, Reggae-loving hacker character named Nine Ball rocked a Rasta Baja throughout the film. Even designers are hopping on the Baja bandwagon, creating their own Jerga-inspired pullovers with huge price tags.

While some may think the Baja is just a hoodie, it is way more than that. It is a symbol of a certain way of life, an aspirational item for anyone, anywhere who wishes to keep the laidback lifestyle alive!

Could it be the new push for legalization that has everyone dawning drug rugs? Or maybe it’s a way of letting our ‘freak flags fly,’ showing that the Summer of ’69 is still alive in our free-loving souls. Either way, the Baja is a timeless item we will always have hanging in our closets!