Ponchos have been around since 1717, originating in South America, along the Andes mountains and are defined as basically a blanket of woven fabric with a hole in the middle, which is then slipped over the head to be worn as a sleeveless garment.  It was often used for protection and to keep the body warm.  Of course the fashion industry captured it and it became quite popular here in the U.S.  in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

While it has never gone fully out of style, there is a resurgence in today’s fashion and it remains as a hot and trendy item.  I wish now that I had kept some of the colorful ones that I wore originally in the 70’s.

The poncho is a great item to wear on cool crisp Autumn days and can be layered up with a turtleneck sweater or a long sleeve T-shirt.  Add a beret, which is a soft, round, flat-crowned wool hat to complete the look and you are ready to go for any type of activity.

Because of the loose fit, ponchos can be worn by any body type and a person of any height can feel comfortable in it.  Young or old, ponchos are for everyone.  And again, with my goal to keep things at $25 and under, it is fairly easy to find one in that price range, although you can find some much more costly.

Comfort remains to be the driving motivator in my search for fun fashion and the poncho ranks high on my list for comfort and style.