The poncho, a well-known sleeveless garment with unsewn sides and a space for the head to pass through, has its origins in South America along the Andes Mountains. There is A poncho an outer garment designed to help keep the body warm. A rain poncho is made. Ponchos are considered American garments and are used by the Native peoples of the Andes since pre-Hispanic times. It's believed to come from the Quechua puchu or Mapudungun pontro, even though the origin of the word poncho is not clear. Popular among all the people who have lived along the Andes the poncho is also a very important cultural icon for some people that are native.
One of those indigenous inhabitants has formed the largest group of Indians in South America, which once stood at nearly 1.5 million at the start of the 21st Century. The Mapuche people historically occupied half of the territory we know today as Chile and Argentina, but their existence has significantly declined and they currently occupy about ten % of the Chilean and Argentine populations respectively. It was the Mapuche who spread what we know today as the poncho throughout Spain and Latin America although there's contention as to the origin of the garment.
The Mapuche are highly-skilled weavers and created a range of items as well as ponchos, including shawls, dresses and headbands. Slitting allowing the material itself makes the poncho.
Current uses for the poncho include rain expulsion - . A garment based on the poncho was employed during the Civil War as raincoats for US troops. And of course as a fashion item, ponchos are a prominent style piece during autumn and winter. Popular among girls of all ages and produced in a range of fabrics and designs, the poncho is among the must-haves in the fashion world.
Having been worn by their people for Centuries, the poncho is closely connected to Mexican culture In the form of the Sarape with motifs that are pre-Hispanic and Iberian. This cloth is widely considered an iconic symbol of Mexico. The poncho has two distinct styles. The serape poncho (found in assorted colors and with fringed bottoms, these are long shawls which look like fashioned blankets= and the falsa poncho (popular in tourist areas, these have a much slacker weave and are worn loosely over the shoulders).
Although the poncho was formerly a conventional clothing item born out of the necessity to keep warm and protect the body from harsh weather conditions while still having the freedom of motion to continue working comfortably, it is now more frequently worn as a fashion accessory and can be found in the vast majority of style outlets. Ponchos have also been drawn to public attention when worn by renowned faces; for example, the actor Clint Eastwood famously wore a poncho from the 1964 film "A Fistful of Dollars" and more recently the former President George Bush donned a traditional Peruvian poncho alongside the then Japanese Prime Minister and South Korean President at the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2008.
Ironically, even though in history only males were permitted to wear the lavish designs of ponchos, it seems that girls are taking their revenge by wearing bright and extraordinarily intricately patterned ponchos during the colder months. The poncho continues to be a hugely popular item of clothing and its journey from South America to the west is certainly complete.
For more information about ponchos, please check these sites: Wikipedia on Ponchos and also http://www.shopmetoday.de/ratgeber/24/wie-traegt-und-kombiniert-man-ponchos-richtig.html
One of those indigenous inhabitants has formed the largest group of Indians in South America, which once stood at nearly 1.5 million at the start of the 21st Century. The Mapuche people historically occupied half of the territory we know today as Chile and Argentina, but their existence has significantly declined and they currently occupy about ten % of the Chilean and Argentine populations respectively. It was the Mapuche who spread what we know today as the poncho throughout Spain and Latin America although there's contention as to the origin of the garment.
The Mapuche are highly-skilled weavers and created a range of items as well as ponchos, including shawls, dresses and headbands. Slitting allowing the material itself makes the poncho.
Current uses for the poncho include rain expulsion - . A garment based on the poncho was employed during the Civil War as raincoats for US troops. And of course as a fashion item, ponchos are a prominent style piece during autumn and winter. Popular among girls of all ages and produced in a range of fabrics and designs, the poncho is among the must-haves in the fashion world.
Having been worn by their people for Centuries, the poncho is closely connected to Mexican culture In the form of the Sarape with motifs that are pre-Hispanic and Iberian. This cloth is widely considered an iconic symbol of Mexico. The poncho has two distinct styles. The serape poncho (found in assorted colors and with fringed bottoms, these are long shawls which look like fashioned blankets= and the falsa poncho (popular in tourist areas, these have a much slacker weave and are worn loosely over the shoulders).
Although the poncho was formerly a conventional clothing item born out of the necessity to keep warm and protect the body from harsh weather conditions while still having the freedom of motion to continue working comfortably, it is now more frequently worn as a fashion accessory and can be found in the vast majority of style outlets. Ponchos have also been drawn to public attention when worn by renowned faces; for example, the actor Clint Eastwood famously wore a poncho from the 1964 film "A Fistful of Dollars" and more recently the former President George Bush donned a traditional Peruvian poncho alongside the then Japanese Prime Minister and South Korean President at the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2008.
Ironically, even though in history only males were permitted to wear the lavish designs of ponchos, it seems that girls are taking their revenge by wearing bright and extraordinarily intricately patterned ponchos during the colder months. The poncho continues to be a hugely popular item of clothing and its journey from South America to the west is certainly complete.
For more information about ponchos, please check these sites: Wikipedia on Ponchos and also http://www.shopmetoday.de/ratgeber/24/wie-traegt-und-kombiniert-man-ponchos-richtig.html