The Poncho and the Crochet Shawl

Ponchos and crochet shawls come up in passing across the 1970s section, as examples of global influences and of loose, unstructured clothing. They're worth their own entry, because for a lot of women the poncho or shawl was the most personal piece in their wardrobe: very often, they'd made it themselves.

The poncho comes from South America, particularly the Andes, where it's a traditional garment: a large piece of woven cloth with a hole for the head, worn over the shoulders as a cloak. Its simple shape had turned up in Western fashion before - Bonnie Cashin used ponchos in her designs in the 1950s - but it became a mass fashion in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Westerns - especially Clint Eastwood's mid-1960s "Dollars" films - are often credited with helping popularise it, along with the decade's broader interest in traditional dress from around the world. The fashion versions came in woven wool with Andean-style stripes and patterns, in knitted and crocheted versions, and in suede, often with long fringe at the edges.

The crochet shawl was the poncho's close relative. Triangular shawls with deep fringes, often made from "granny squares" - small crocheted motifs in several colours, joined together - were draped over the shoulders with long skirts and peasant blouses. Crochet was everywhere in the decade: waistcoats, hats, bikinis, and bags, as well as shawls. Both garments fitted the bohemian silhouette perfectly, adding a loose, soft layer over flowing clothes without any tailoring.

What made them so popular was that they were easy. A poncho is essentially two rectangles or a single square with a neck opening, so it needs no fitting at all, and it's an ideal beginner's project for knitting, crochet, or sewing. Magazines published patterns constantly, and the home-craft culture of the decade made handmade clothing something to be proud of. That's the part I love: ponchos and shawls were a fashion that ordinary women could create from scratch, in their own colours, and wear with real pride. Vintage handmade 1970s ponchos are still easy to find - and every one is slightly different.