Poncho or Cape? How to Warm Up in Long, Medium and Short Layers
From the elegant poncho to the short poncho, the autumn winter 2024 fashion focuses on the layering of very warm and fluid garments with which to wrap not only the shoulders. The best models from the fashion shows.
Among the warm pieces of autumn and then winter there is an often underestimated variant, the poncho. Women or men , we can calmly say it is a rather versatile and unisex piece. Often open under the arms, it is worn from the head to let it wrap the shoulders and torso in a warm embrace. And to the question of how many types of ponchos exist , we immediately respond with a selection, more than targeted, among the looks of the autumn winter 2024 collections . There is the poncho with an asymmetrical cut with a triangle effect on the front which is the most classic of the models with the cape variant with a high neck or hood; the one with openings for the arms and there is of course the waterproof rain poncho to protect yourself from adverse and humid weather. Easily placed in South America and often worn by Native Americans, the poncho - which in Spanish means meek - also has Asian origins with the Polynesian and Indonesian versions. In our collective imagination we have two clear images: the worn striped poncho worn by Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's 1966 western masterpiece The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and the waterproof one worn by Léa Seydoux in the soggy woods of The Lobster, a dystopian film. by Yorgos Lanthimos released in 2015.
To get back to today, we have selected three sections, each dedicated to three different lengths and proportions: the short poncho with a cape-like effect à la Sherlock Holmes, the midi cape above the knee as flattering as a mini dress, and the cape to wrap around the shoulders, letting it flutter in the wind.
Short ponchos and mini capes, the gentle style of winter
Let's start with the shorter versions proposed in the range of models for autumn winter 2024. From Rabanne Julien Dossena sent down the catwalk a series of really interesting asymmetrical ponchos : folk at the right point in colours and patterns, but updated in proportions. Styling detail? Layering, layering, layering. Chemena Kamali for Chloé chooses and recovers seventies volumes to cut out from thick and solid gabardine a series of short capes with which to dress even the most romantic of dresses.
Midi capes, when the poncho becomes tailored
Shaped shape, concentrated and compact volumes, almost two-dimensional. These are the most evident characteristics of the cape , a tailored version of the poncho , where the sleeves are not present in traditional resolution but offer discrete openings on the sides of the silhouette. Carolina Herrera by Wes Gordon has proposed several. Here we see it in double-face wool in grey melange and gold buttons in a reference to those ultra-graphic and bon ton volumes of the sixties that Catherine DeNeuve would have appreciated. Francesco Risso with Marni also recovers a similar reference but declines it in primitive and wild materials and resolutions that are decidedly irreverent.
If the elegant women's poncho is long it stimulates the styling game
Finally the latest version of the poncho, cape and cloak variants: a free and dynamic version to be worn with great creativity. Designed to wrap and cover mainly the shoulders in an asymmetrical way like a long fluttering band, the "modern" poncho shares the space of the outfit revealing a part of it. Moschino by Adrian Appiolaza has designed the short cape in brushed mohair with a boat neckline and ends with gloves. Even Issey Miyake with Satoshi Kondo has indulged himself working as always on fluid, free and mutant shapes to include the concept of a short poncho as a shoulder cover.
How to wear the poncho and cape
How to wear a poncho? An elegant women's poncho with a maxi design is perfect as the main "piece" of the outfit. Just match it with a pair of graphic trousers so as not to interfere with the upper volume. If the poncho is short, cape-style, just add a long dress to enhance its hippie nature. How to liven up a classic coat , maybe black and maybe egg shape ? With a very special piece like the contrasting white lace cape. Finally, give free rein to textures and volumes of knitwear and sweaters to peek out from the openings of the padded waterproof poncho.
