So BLANKETS Are The New Street Style Thing?

In the short 2 weeks time I’ve been away living a bohemian gypsy lifestyle, barefooted & careless, apparently the posh ladies over in the big cities decided to transition to fall with one massive piece to keep them warm: the blanket. Or maybe they’re/we’re just too hung up on the laziness and coziness of our beds every single morning, so we instead decided to take it all with us. After all, not too long go pajamas were a thing. For daytime. Next thing you know, we’ll be wearing our duvets in winter, or why not have a carry-on pillow around our necks. Ha. I’ll take one in prints please.

Okay, so maybe I stretched this one a bit too much. Or maybe not. Did you see Burberry’s take on the PONCHO for 2014-2015 Fall/Winter? Literally a very luxurious, yet cozy, but utterly expensive (I’m betting well wroth it though) massive blanket, much like Louis Vuitton’s menswear giant scarf from a few seasons ago. Apparently it’s the IT thing of this fall. Interesting.  So, blankets, ponchos, capes, cloaks… tomato, tomato you know. The point is, any variety of the blanket-inspired-coats and overcoats are IN this season and really make a great no-fuss transitional piece.

Blankets – we all know.

Ponchos – are those overcoats with one hole to pull your head through, usually in a square or rectangular shape.

Capes – are the same as the ponchos except they have 2 extra holes for your arms. And are usually more tailored, or resemble very feminine retro circled oversized coats. Aaaand look absolutely fantastic with long gloves.  I know this cape/poncho look is anything but new (it’s actually centuries old), but for me… it’s a trend that’s quite challenging in a sense that I’ve never quite cared about this look. Okay. Disliked it majorly. Reason? Well… I always felt it was way to bulky and slouchy and willowy and did nothing for me nor anyone else for that matter. I felt it channeled the old-lady-living-with-200-cats-smelling-like-expired-medicine look.

And really it never much does anything thermal wise. Yeah you’ve got your neck and shoulders covered, but seriously the rest of it is hanging out there letting the morning wind and chill in, you know. And the look of your hands or arms hanging from the 2 holes of a cape, I found so pretentious. You’re obviously cold so don a fucking coat.  NOW… scratch all that. And let’s all get over my erratic personality. The switch to liking the blanket-trend happened in 2 stages. (1) Last season when my friend Tina sported a very very very cute & trendy poncho or cape, rocking the very things I disliked about the look: arms out in blizzard cold, long gloves, not a coat, yet not a blanket. But you know what? It looked fabulous. It looked chic, feminine, very retro yet Fashion Week street style circa 2013. It looked effortless with jeans and flat pumps, but quite dressed up in very Gossip Girl kinda style.  And stage (2) happened over this weekend when I saw – again – those ponchos from Burberry’s collection 2014 – 2015 Fall/Winter, both on the runway on Cara Delevingne as well as as on the streets worn by Olivia Palermo or Rosie HW. And… the outcome of putting (1) and (2) together basically translates right now to major crush. Well OK, I’m in love, and I shall not shy away from showing it this season.  Ponchos, cloaks, capes and blankets here I come.

About that silhouette paranoia I used to have: well… I still think the blanket-trend will make me look slouchy and willowy (when I’m in heels), borderline homeless when in flats, or a massive chicken wearing a blanket standing on a grill when I have my fat days, BUUUT there’s something very French-chic about this nonchalant style. (no, not about looking like an artificially enhanced chicken.) Not to mention liberating for lack of overly sexed up woman image.  Let’s have a look at more street style pics…  In case the cat-lady image is still haunting you remember it’s all about the expensive, luxurious details: rich-looking rings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, a pair of posh sunglasses, sexy shoes, or over-the-knee boots. Balance the knit, Aztec prints, bohemian, fuss-free, cozy style of the poncho with the exact opposite for an overall sophisticated style.

What do YOU think of the PONCHO look?