Rain Poncho: The Andean Cloak That Learned to Keep You Dry

In nineteenth-century Chile, a Mapuche poncho was prized enough that it could be traded for several horses, or for up to seventy kilos of yerba mate. The word itself comes from the Mapudungun pontro or the Quechua punchu, and both mean blanket. Britannica describes the original as a rough, brightly colored, handloomed cloth worn in the early cultures of Latin America. Hold that picture next to a nylon hood and it is still the same idea: one piece, one hole, done.

The rain poncho is a later chapter. Britannica notes the style was adapted as rain gear, made of waterproof material and often hooded. I like it because it asks very little of you. There are no sleeves to fight and no belt to find, and in October, with shorts and tights or jeans and a knit underneath, it goes over everything.

The hooded group is the most wearable place to begin. The Ganni poncho in military olive and the same shape in lemon both have a big front pocket and a button front, and the page lists a 10K waterproof rating with fully sealed seams. The Weatherman Stride in chocolate brown is the pullover I would pick for a long commute, with a chest pocket and reflective piping. The Stutterheim in glossy black falls to the knee with snap closures, and the Moncler in red is the loud, oversized one for a gray day.

Before you buy, put your arms out and see where the hem lands. A rain poncho that stops at the hip leaves your jeans wet, and one that reaches the knee needs a snap or a zip so it does not flap.

Capes are the poncho's dressier cousin, and the useful test is the arm. Raise yours to hail a cab or reach for a door and see whether the fabric rides up or lets you through. The Burberry Belmont trench cape in honey is cut from water-resistant cotton gabardine, so it reads as a trench first and a cape second.

For true rain I would look at the swing shapes. The Soia & Kyo Nalani in poolside blue has a wide drape and a funnel collar, and the JACK1T Aurora in dusty pink has a cape detail across the back and a windproof shell. The Rains A-Line jacket in black and the longer A-Line in crackle black are the glossy, belted, hooded pair. They cover a skirt hem, which a short poncho never does.

Lauren Ralph Lauren's balmacaan in birch tan has a removable hood, so on a dry, windy day you can leave the hood at home. The Avec Les Filles swing trench in porcelain is the cream one for the office, and Kimi & Kai's Cami is a plain long black hooded raincoat that works over anything.

What I would skip: very pale cream if you walk to work on city streets, since splash marks show fast. Pick the tan or the black and keep the cream for dry commutes by car.

A poncho covers a backpack, and that is a real reason it has outlasted the raincoat. Accounts of the First World War say it was preferred over the raincoat because it kept both the wearer and the pack dry. A coat stops at your shoulders and your bag gets soaked. A hood and cape shape goes over both.

For a city bag the same logic holds. The Mac In a Sac in neon blue comes with its own stuff pouch, and the page lists 10,000 mm waterproofing with taped seams. The FP Movement packable in merlot packs into itself and has a bungee hood. Tilley's black zip-front poncho stows in its inner pouch, and L.L.Bean's Trail Model in bright yellow is nylon and falls at the thigh.

Barbour's Portree is a showerproof plaid poncho in black and white that comes with its own travel bag, which makes it the one I would pack for a weekend away. Totes has a simple royal blue one in one size, and the Outdoor Products graphite poncho and the Members Only black one both fold small enough for a tote.

Check the hood before you check the fabric: it should have a drawstring or a cord, or it will blow back in the first gust. What I would skip: any packable poncho you cannot fold back into its pouch in the shop. If it takes a fight, it will live at the back of a drawer.

Rubber has been in rainwear for a long time. Mackintosh introduced its rubberised cloth raincoat in 1824, and early coats had problems with poor smell, stiffness and a tendency to melt in hot weather. Boots took the same material and kept it. Today a poncho on top and rubber below is the most practical rain outfit I know.

The Hunter Original Tall in black gloss is the knee-high one, with a side buckle strap, and it is the pair that makes a short poncho look finished. The Hunter Play Short in matte black is the quieter ankle option with red, white and navy heel tabs. Barbour has two: the Bede in navy is tall, and the Wilton Chelsea in red has elastic gores and a white label.

If you do not like a tall boot, the Sorel Out N About IV Chelsea in black and sea salt and the Dr. Martens 1460 Rain on its lug sole both read as ankle boots first. Bogs makes the Amanda II tall in taupe gray, and Ilse Jacobsen's lace-up in a stone shade is the one I would wear with a dress.

Pull the boot on with the socks you will actually wear, and check the calf. What I would skip: a snug tall shaft under a long poncho, because the two fight each other at the knee.

A poncho is wide enough that you may not want an umbrella at all, but a hat is another story. A hood hides your hair and also blocks your side view, so a brim can do a better job. The Rains bucket hat in black is cut from the brand's PU fabric and lined with a soft breathable fabric, and the Lastelier Smile in orange is a glossy vinyl bucket with an interior pocket.

The Kanut Sports Kara in light gray has a wide brim and a black chin cord, with seam-sealed waterproofing, and Helen Kaminski's Frankie in mushroom is water repellent cotton for a damp day rather than a downpour. Either one goes under a hood only if the hood is roomy, so try them together.

For umbrellas, the Weatherman Trek in white has a 50-inch canopy that the brand says was wind-tested up to 55 mph. ShedRain has two: the Super Slim in black folds small, and the clear dome stick lets you see where you are walking. The Original Duckhead mini in leopard is the one that makes a rainy bag check feel less grim.

What I would skip: a big stick umbrella with a poncho on a crowded train. Choose the compact one.

I would start with the shape, then the hood. Check that it clears your bag, and that you can lift your arms. After that, choose the color you will put on without a groan at 7 a.m.

Then the boots, and last the umbrella or hat. For the Ganni poncho in lemon, I would wear gray knits and black Hunter tall boots. For a weekend away I would roll the Barbour Portree into its bag.

Ganni's creative director said she loves the idea that the most practical pieces can also be the most expressive. A cloth with a hole for your head has been that for a very long time.