Ahh, poncho season is finally here! These cozy, oversized sweaters instantly up the polished factor when thrown over the simplest base outfits (like leggings + a tee). The key for petite ladies to pull off these roomier knits is in the proportions. I avoid too much bulk material-wise, and like to keep the length above my upper thighs. Below are a few options under $100 that should work on shorter ladies!
1. Karen Scott poncho sweater (5 colors)
This very affordable poncho sweater is actually my Mom’s (she’s 5’2″), and she’s modeling it above as well! The overall shape is rectangular instead of circular. It’s more of a cape-style sweater because there are no defined armholes. This is a great piece to just throw on over a leggings or jeans, for that quick but polished Fall outfit. When worn with leggings, you can rotate the poncho positioning so that the longest triangle part can cover your crotch and tush. If you want it to appear a little shorter in length, then you can rotate it asymmetrically like I did above. The listing for this also says to size down, but I thought the S/M fit true to size!
The one that my mom and I are wearing above is in regular sizing, but this year Karen Scott also made a similar poncho sweater in Petite that should fit just slightly shorter!
2. Maison Jules poncho w/ faux suede shoulders (2 colors)
I’ll start with this popular one above from last year (read my review)! It comes in two neutral colors, in a medium weight knit material. I’m trying on the current year version above, and confirm the fit and feel are the same as before!
3. Maison Jules cable poncho (3 colors)
Another cute option from Maison Jules – this is the most similar sweater I can find to my beloved older Anthropologie poncho. It’s a heavier knit and will keep you warm on breezy Fall days. Note that the style of both Maison Jules ponchos (and my Anthro one) had little “sleeves” attached to the curved bottom hem of the sweater. When you lift your arms up high, the sweater hem will lift with it, and you won’t be able to wear a normal coat with sleeves over it (I usually wear a cape coat or just let the poncho be the outer layer). I was surprised to see poor online reviews due to these features, since they are pretty typical of most poncho sweaters I’ve tried on!
4. KarEN Scott Cable Poncho
