The Captain’s Shirt
Introducing our Worn Well Heritage Collection: The Captain's Shirt, inspired by my grandfather, my Papa, Capt. Carl Raffield.
As I get older, I realize how much of my life was influenced by my grandparents, even though my Papa left us when I was still young. My Papa, Capt. Carl Raffield, came from a long line of commercial fishermen on Florida’s Gulf Coast, a way of life shared by the Raffield family for generations, including my dad and his brothers. The water wasn’t just where they worked. It was the rhythm of their lives. Papa had a presence that filled a room, steady and capable, larger than life in the quietest way. When he passed, it felt like a great wake had moved through our family.
And like any wake on the water, the ripples didn’t stop there.
They carried through my Nanny, whose grit and love were just as strong, and through my parents, who built their lives along the same Gulf waters. My dad carried forward that deep connection to the water, while my mom brought a shared love for place and richness at home. My brother and I grew up in that current, guided by their example of hard work, hospitality, and deep love for this place, picking up those traits like shells on the beach.
Over time I’ve come to see how those currents reached me too, guiding the life I’ve chosen to build. I feel a deep pull to carry those ripples forward, honoring the wake behind me while creating one of my own.
When I look at our family tree now, I see more than memories. I see a foundation built by people who understood the rhythms of the water and the meaning of a life well lived. Their wake still moves through my life today, in my family, in the traditions we keep, and in the things we create at BECASA.
This style, The Captain’s Shirt, is inspired by my grandfather. He lived with grit, gratitude, and a deep connection to the water, fishing from the Florida Keys to Louisiana. The shirt’s roots are with the traditional Guayabera, a lightweight, functional shirt worn for generations throughout Latin America. It found its way into the wardrobes of accomplished Florida watermen like Papa and his close friend Mr. Leon Kenny of Pinellas Seafood, men who built their lives and legacies on the water.
These shirts became their signature: breathable, dignified, and dependable, always worn over a soft white cotton tee. He believed in building things that lasted, from the boats he captained to the life he lived. He led with quiet strength and honesty, and built a legacy that became the foundation for everything I hold dear. Born of place and designed with purpose, this shirt is part of BECASA’s Worn Well line. I hope it becomes something you live in, feel at ease in, and, above all, make your own.
Xx, Emily
