I understand that modern outer layers are more functional. A leather jacket, for example, can be dressed up or down so as to be worn in a variety of situations. It is also better at keeping you warm.
However, I think capes/cloaks are more aesthetically pleasing garments. It also feels good to have the fabric flowing around you as you walk. But what do you think?
Because we live in hell now and a cape would cook us.
Depends on the fabric and color. Look at arab countries, people there use tunics and loose clothing that cover most of their bodies and are mostly fine in +40°C
I really enjoy capes or cloaks as an aesthetic element. Whilst I wish they were more commonplace, I also enjoy being able to have aspects of my fashion that are just a bit “weird”
I have a nice collection of them ranging from cheap Amazon capes to a custom Cloak and Dagger wool and velvet cloak that has lasted me almost a decade. I mostly use them for performing but have worn smaller cloaks and ruanas out before. They’re particularly wonderful on those crisp, slightly chilly autumn nights in October.
University students in Portugal do when wearing traditional attire.
The actual reason that we don’t is pretty much because of the invention of sewing machines. Once sewing machines were widespread, making coats became sooo much cheaper than they had been. Coats need a lot of tightly made seams which took time and so made coats very expensive. With sewing machines, making these seams was vastly quicker and more reliable.
Coats win over cloaks in so many ways because you can do things with your arms without exposing them or your torso to the rain and cold: impossible with a cloak.
Capes were the short versions - and intended to cover the shoulder and back without seams that might let the rain in, but with the new machine made seams, they were not needed either.
The really big change was when it became affordable to outfit armies with coats instead of cloaks or capes. At that point all the caché and prestige that was associated with military rank disappeared from cloaks and capes and they were suddenly neither useful not fashionable.
Nowadays, of course, they are no longer what your unfashionable dad would have worn: they are quite old enough to have regained a certain style.
I know someone who wears a cloak cape. They explained this to me how practical it was back 300 years ago that you could wear your nightly blanket.
I asked them if that was a situation they ran into often while living in Brooklyn. Having to bed down for the night with your cloak.
Or just living in New York where it’s cold in the winter. It’s a blanket you wear over your coat. You’re not supposed to wear it as your only piece of outer clothing.
As an avid cloak lover, I can attest that the reasons others state about practicality are pretty much spot on. That said, my 3/4 round wool cloak with a cotton liner is the warmest and coziest winter garment I have ever owned. I have three of them, and a lighter blue velvet one for dressy occasions in spring/fall.
Getting into a car with a big cloak though is tougher than with a normal coat. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not a problem, but it does take some practice! I do love my cloaks and I would love to see them make a comeback though!
Women can get away with it. My coworker has a beautiful full-length, wool winter cape she wears just for every-day. I bet men could, too, with a suit on a formal occasion.
I bet men could, too, with a suit on a formal occasion.
I disagree. I think some men could pull this off, but it would mostly come across as cartoony in most circumstances. Even 3-piece suits are seen as too formal/old-fashioned by people.
Where I could see cloaks looking fashionable and natural is in milsurp/gorpcore inspired outfits. Something like This cloak is pretty damn interesting and would look just fine On this outfit Or this one
I’m in an urban center where you still see a fair amount of suits downtown during business hours. Honestly, capes or cloaks with the outfits you linked I would just assume were blankets and I’d expect to be asked for change…I mean, I see that already, every day. It’s an “interesting” look alright.
While they were already in decline, the trend of Capes an Cloaks really dropped sharply in the 1950’s. With improving technology in the transportation sector and the rising prevalence of jet engines, the risk of getting sucked into an air intake or caught in some piece of machinery was just too great. Punctuated by a series of gruesome incidents , the new rule in fashion was set. No Capes.
Edna, is that you?
Because we don’t ride horses anymore.
This is the real answer. For many more questions too. One day in the distant future people will ask why don’t we ---- anymore and the answer will be because we don’t drive cars anymore.
I wear a capelet in winter and it doesn’t work well with my backpack. I suppose I could design a front wearing pack to carry my laptop.
Damn, I didn’t think about backpacks!
When I read this, I can’t help but think of the “no capes” scene from The Incredibles.
In all seriousness, they were a uniquely Roman-area thing (moreso before its fall and people like the Gauls wanted less association with their Roman roots). You just don’t associate them with the Chinese, Indians, Incans, etc. I’d wear a cape if they weren’t more associated with men, would be cooler than sitting here in a quarter zip sweater over a blue plaid shirt and jeans, some normie I am.
First we’d need to ask what could a cloak or cape provide for the modern man that jackets and coats don’t already do while giving the wearer free movement of their arms?
The cape’s association with wealth and nobility is also hurt by the fact that the upperclasses these days are more interested in appropriating the style of lower class people (I.e. pre-distressed jeans) to try and appear as more down to earth.
The pre-distressed jeans are such an irritating trend to me. I’d rather see apparel get more durable, rather than making it so that it’s nearly worn out already. For a while there was a trend of making selvedge-edge jeans with 14oz raw denim that you had to spend a month or more breaking in; I’d like to see that trend come back, since those jeans lasted for years of daily use (just, don’t machine wash them!), and you got wear patterns specific to the individual that owns them.
The pre-distressed image: I want my clothes to look like I work without personally doing any work.
Because I am not count Dracula
I think once my kids learned how to make blanket caps a lot of things ended up broken in a very short timeframe and I banned capes.
I scrolled through every comment and not one has questioned the sanity of the OP and other commenters.
I don’t wear a cloak/cape because it’s 2024 and I value my job and the relationships I have.
I also don’t because the utility just isn’t there. A coat with sleeves that stops mid thigh is good for 90% of situations, and a longer version for rain or heavy snow. I cannot imagine a situation where a cloak would somehow trump a jacket, and I mean both in form and function. And form does have some import, not saying you need to go out and wear the latest styles, I’m pretty standard as they come, T-shirt and jeans, but at first glance, if I see someone in a cloak, it’s just an odd first impression.
To answer the question, it’ll come back in fashion when some rich/famous people decide it’s back in fashion, I guess.
I don’t understand the weird remarks about sanity and commenters in your first part and it entirely sets the tone of the rest of the comment.
If you’re in a relationship where you can’t wear a cloak then it’s a bad one, it’s a clothing piece and you should be able to express yourself and your job should not be able to fire you either.
It’s entirely on you if a cloak is an odd impression, there’s tons of people that think they’re cool and such. Cloaks can have practical use cases.
You frankly come off as an asshole and it’s unnecessary and sad.
I don’t wear a cloak/cape because it’s 2024 and I value my job and the relationships I have.
They’re fine with you being a rude jackass, why would they care what you wear?
I’m nice to all of them, because they’re dressed normally.
I don’t get it. OP asked a question and I gave my thoughts. I don’t think my thoughts are far off base. Folks may not like them and that’s fine.
If I saw someone show up dressed as in the picture OP shared, I would immediately think this person lacked maturity. If anyone thinks that somehow looks suave or debonair, they are mistaken. If my friend showed up dressed like that, I would ask what he was doing. I would still be friends with him though, because it’s just an article of clothing. But I think if you’re trying to make good first impressions and you show up dressed similar to the picture in the OP, you may not get the reactions you’re looking for.
But by all means, go for it. It really doesn’t matter.
