Why Capes Are Fashionable Again

Many people are unsure as to why capes have something of an unusual feel to them nowadays

, especially when worn by men. It is not that long ago that a cape would have been part of everyone's wardrobe. You just need to go back a few decades to see the police force wearing capes, admittedly in the days before they needed to carry all manner ot gadgets; and nurses still wear a version to this day, although it is in a semi-formal capacity, echoing a time when nursing was quiet a different job.

Capes must be one of the simplest ever items of clothing, because it is basically a square piece of fabric with a component to hold it in place around the neck. If you really want to witness how cape wearing can prove effective, go back a few thousand years to the Romans, whose soldiers relied on capes and skirts without so much of a blush. But for the ultimate in cape wearing manliness, look no further than ancient Greece and the Spartan fighters, whose lifestyle is now synonymous with hardship and bravery. Watching the film 300 over and over will show you what it meant to wear a cape back then.

Throughout history, capes have remained very fashionable while at the same time functioning as a perfect weather barrier. Think of a medieval farm worker and you'll probably imagine a type of hooded cape, but members of the aristocracy would also pick one of their capes up when called on to venture outdoors on their regal business (they would call it a cloak, even though there is little to distinguish them besides a bit of furry accesorising).

The literary world would be a poorer place without its capes}, which often give their wearers legendary status in themselves. As well as all the countless caped witches and wizards, think of Little Red Riding Hood without her hooded cape; or Batman or Superman stripped down to their leotards; or Sherlock Holmes tramping across the hillsides wearing just a deerstalker hat and a waistcoat. Zorro liked to flash more than his trusty blade; Count Dracula would be frightful; and Darth Vader's cape makes his as scary as Obi Wan Kenobi's makes him humble. But the list is endless.

In the same way as most items of clothing, capes have experienced a certain degree of updating over the centuries whilst still keeping their cape-like style. For example arm slits are sometimes cut in them and even sleeves can be added without transforming the cape into an overcoat. It is probably the lack of zips and buttons and lining that makes it instinctively clear that a cape is a cape, although it may be difficult to nail down. And we must not forget the poncho, which is another version of fabric with just a head hole, and has certain cape-like qualities (but without a front opening). Vince Noir of Mighty Boosh fame has claimed that it is impossible not to feel be happy in a poncho. Perhaps capes could make the same claim too, because if there is one item of clothing that have happiness, mystery and glamour in abundance, those in the TV, book and film business have known that capes are the answer.

by: Callum Asterman

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