Crochet You Say?

The Wearwithal, Age 8. Crochet and fringe poncho. Sassy hip.

When I was 8 years old, my mom made me a crochet poncho and dressed me in it. At that age,  I didn't have much input on my wardrobe, so I wore it, begrudgingly. Mom didn't understand that nobody at school wore ponchos, and I dreaded every time she made me put on that thing. 

Fast forward to today, and I like to believe my mom is a fashion maverick, years ahead of her time. My poncho is long gone (neither of us know what happened to it), but oh what I would give to have that super cool, beautifully fringed, hand-made piece from my crafty mom again.

I'm reminded of my poncho because as Valentine's Day looms, many are looking for inspiration for a Valentine's Day outfit. To me, nothing screams sexiness and romance more than lacy things. While my poncho was the complete antithesis of sexy romance, crochet does come in many variations, and my poncho paved the way for other crochet to sneak into  my wardrobe, like this delicate, crochet lace top from Alexis. Here I'm wearing it with stretch lambskin pants and platform lace-up boots because I love contrasting the delicate girlishness of lace with the toughness of leather.

And in case you missed it, crochet is hot right now. From dresses, such as this For Love & Lemons romper, to tops and especially amazing swimsuits such as current fashionista fave Kiini, crochet is back in a big way.

Mom would approve.

What I'm rocking:
TOP: Alexis
PANTS: Level 99
EARRINGS: Baublebar (similar here)
BOOTS: Charles David
PONCHO: Mom ;-)

Photography by Carrie Kinsella