Pack a Poncho

My first poncho was a soft merino intarsia one (worn in this post and on massive sale right now).  The colours in it go with practically everything I own, so it was a really easy choice.  I wore it so often that I got a second one in solid black merino and then this third one in luxurious red cashmere.  I had the matching red sweater (worn underneath) from a previous year, and Winser London gifted me the red poncho/cape at Christmas.  I’ve been very vocal about my love for the specific colour of red called ‘Hollywood Red’ that Winser London does.  I love all reds of course, but to me this shade is particularly clear and perfect, so of course I’m absolutely thrilled with the poncho.

Today, I wore it with a red beret I’ve had for years, and I really like how they look together.  The tartan boots are from Marks and Spencer; I have Sharon from Best Before End Date to blame for that.  She featured them in a post about boots last September and I couldn’t click fast enough to get them!  Please excuse my visible fitbit in these photos (a post on my love/hate relationship with that piece of technology coming soon).  I usually remember to take it off before blog pictures, but we took these right after my son’s school morning assembly and I just forgot.

Last month, I submitted my article for the March 2019 issue of Reader’s Digest UK.  We always write three to four months ahead, which forces me to keep my eyes peeled for new and interesting things on the horizon.  Have I mentioned on here that I write a Fashion column for Reader’s Digest?  I don’t know if I have, but I do and it is something I really enjoy.  According to my (very biased) family, the UK version of Reader’s Digest is better and more personal than the US one, so I mail a stack of copies over every few months.  Anyway, I decided to make the March article all about the poncho, since I’m now such a convert.  To me they are the perfect layering item; just wear something light underneath on warm days, and a warm sweater underneath on chilly ones.  Transitional wardrobe, done.

What I love most about the modern poncho is that there is not even a whiff of the just-back-from-a-gap-year-in-South-America vibe about them.  No fringes.  No llama motifs.  No sludgy earth tones. No rustic boho fabrics.  On the contrary, the right poncho lends an effortlessly luxurious statement to nearly any outfit.  One last thing I must mention now that I am a card-carrying poncho party member is how brilliant they are for travel.  Unlike a cardigan or a jumper, a poncho folds neatly into a perfect little square which fits into my carry-on luggage or handbag, to be whipped out wrinkle-free, when needed.

With springtime ahead (she says, while it is just above freezing outside today), I’m now on the lookout for another poncho; something in face-flattering, lipstick-matching pink or maybe a cheerful turquoise to work well with my current craze for gold jewellery.  Given how much I’ve worn my other ones this past autumn and winter, it will be a worthy and easy statement piece to add to my wardrobe.

This week my post is short and sweet because I am in the middle of writing a short story for NYC Midnight .  My blogger friend Mithra who writes The Bubble Joy suggested I do this.  While it seemed like a great idea at the time, it really REALLY doesn’t right at this minute!  It is a crazy writing contest with almost 5000 writers from 44 countries writing a 2500 word story on a random assignment.  I was assigned Romance, with a central character who is a locksmith, and the subject of the story has to be an invitation.  You get the assignment on Saturday at midnight, and you have exactly 8 days to submit it.  There is a second and third round, but I am certainly not expecting to get that far!  I view this like a marathon; I entered it to participate and challenge myself, not to win 1st place.  So you’ll have to excuse me now, I have some gripping decisions to make about my short story…  The characters I have written do not suit my original ending at ALL, so I have to either totally change the ending or totally change my characters to fit the ending.  I am all at sea, trying to figure out how to write myself to shore, trying my best not to kill off these characters that are perplexing me.  Killing the main characters isn’t the usual thing for a Romance.  Although, it worked for Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet so who knows what today holds for my couple.  I sure don’t!

Outfit details
Beret: Amazon
Poncho/Cape: Winser London
Sweater: Winser London
Trousers: Winser London
Boots: Marks and Spencer (sold out)
Bag: Hermes

Disclosure: Thank you to Winser London for gifting me this gloriously cocooning poncho/cape.  I was under no obligation to post it, but it would be a shame not to!

Linking to: notdeadyetstyle