It had a brief renaissance about two years ago in Vogue
filtering eventually down to H and M and the likes but not a peep has been
heard about it since... until this week in Armstrongs. I have a theory about this... the cape is not
ideal for the modern woman who wants to walk to work with a coffee in one hand
and tweet manically on her i-phone with the other. It is not great for trying to get your bus
money ready before the bus mows you over on the way past or whipping out your
oyster card for a multiple change tube journey.
In these circumstances the cocooning comfort of the straight jacket like
cape is, I agree, a little impractical.
The
poncho has existed since the beginning of fashion history, however the cape in
its current form can be traced back to the 1800s when anyone of substance would
be able to produce a selection of heavily embellished numbers for a multitude
of occasions. Indeed a lady was strongly
advised to have not one but three evening wraps (capes) within her trousseau were
she to be taken seriously in high society.
So what happened to this high status, highly practical garment? Well unfortunately for the cape, the coat
came along and this boasted something that the cape could never offer; a
sleeve.
There are however, a number of positives applicable to the
twenty first century cape. It has a
certain elegance in its billowing structure and wide hood, anyone confident
enough to wear a garment which denies to accentuate anything other than the
width of their shoulders has to be commended.
More importantly, it covers a multitude of sins - a large lunch or a
stain on a dry clean only ensemble. Even
the generic hangover combo of 80s jumper and saggy leggings can be disguised as
something rather chic when paired with an over the knee boot and the faithful
cape. So this winter at Armstrongs why
not go a bit Florence Nightingale and spend your coffee money on a cape
instead.
