How to Wear a Poncho

Over the holidays when I was at the mall, I spotted a very well dressed woman in a poncho. I know what you’re thinking! A poncho? Isn’t a poncho one of those weird blanket things without arms that just kind of hangs on you? Yes. It sounds sonot fashionable, but the way this lady wore it made me instantly want to style one. And here we are! 

I guess ponchos haven’t totally made a comeback yet because this one from & Other Stories was honestly kind of hard to find. Some of them looked more like oversized shirts, and other ones looked more like scarves than ponchos. And then there were some that had the right shape, but I wasn’t a fan of the pattern.

Ideally I was looking for a windowpane print, but this was as minimal as I could find. And I really ended up liking this poncho a lot more once it came in the mail. I love the earthy rust and burgundy mixed in with the black stripes, and the tassels add just a little touch of something extra. Plus it’s on sale right now so get to it!

STYLE TIP: To avoid looking naked under a poncho, wear a fitted crewneck tee rather than a scoop neck or a v-neck so that you can SEE it. Otherwise it’ll look like you just awkwardly wrapped the poncho around yourself and could flash someone at any moment.

Taking cues from the chic mall lady, I added a belt and a hat and opted for everything else one color to keep the focus on the poncho. Hey, I’m allowed to get inspo from others, too! The hat and poncho are both a little boho-esque, so to throw in a bit of an edge I opted for leather pants versus regular black jeans.

My pants are super old and from back when I used to work at J Brand, so I can’t find them anywhere. But I found this leather pair with ankle zippers and this high-rise leather pant. If you don’t want to buy leather or not in the market for a huge purchase like leather pants, try coated denim. These coated black jeans give a leather-like effect but they are faux and much, much more affordable.

I then finished the look with these studded Anine Bing booties. I have wanted these boots for a couple of years, so when I packed mismatched boots during one of my recent NYC trips, I decided it was the perfect excuse/time to finally get them. They are fun to wear and elevate any outfit because of the metal hardware.

So what do you think; would you wear a poncho?