Seeing lots of Ponchos for Fall 2014 in Milan!

Examples here at Emilio Pucci and Salvatore Ferragamo.

What: An oversize piece of fabric with a hole in the center for the head, frequently fringed and worn as an outer garment.

Why: Perhaps comes from poncho, a word used by the Araucanians of central Chile and neighboring Argentina meaning “woolen cloth.” In the 19th century, a poncho might have been worn—by gauchos of African, indigenous, and Spanish heritage who roamed Argentina and northern South America—not only for warmth, but also used as a bed, pillow, even a card table