so I've just bought a cape for going out on winter evenings - good or am I going to look like a wally?

[deaconblue]

undecided. Is black from next cape

I only want to be a scottish widow for the cash (there's a reason she looks that smug and it's NOT the cape that's for sure)

Antidote - glad you didn't opt for the cape - slightly too reminiscent of a poncho wearing mariache band member :o.

The nurses still wore the capes in the 50s and 60s. I mind my mum going off to work with hers
It was reversible, one colour for going on duty and one for coming off

I too went to a school that had capes as part of the uniform. We boarders wore them going to and from our boarding houses and going shopping in the village sometimes.

I have a proper full on hooded cloak - I wore it for my wedding.

It comes in quite handy at Halloween too

stealthsquiggle were you at Hogwarts?

I saw a woman in a short cape in a brown checked tweedy material the other day. She looked like Sherlock Holmes. The cape and the material both would have been fine in isolation, but together it just looked like it was missing a deerstalker.

what about these ones

LadyW - if only - we are talking 1981 here, just to put it into context, and I believe capes were dropped from the uniform not long after that (it was also a particuarly nasty shade of green ). It was a PITA for the part of my journey undertaken by bike, though - you just don't have the cape-getting-stuck-in-the-chain issue with a broom, do you?

I have one like the velvet one on Raven's link.
It is dark blue velvet and my mother made it in the early 1970s.
I have always admired it and have kept it hoping I'd have the guts to change the lining (from bad taste 70's paisley) and wear it myself.
Still hoping to get the right opportunity...

SWANGIRL I'm loving page 2 of your link

I'd like one, but I too wore one for school so can't quite get the idea of it being school uniform out of my head.

What line of work would you be in to have to wear your graduation gown to work sometimes?

The Next one is pretty tame. I want a full-on floor-length, swishy, concealing-stuff-inside type one...

Hmm..can look good on some maybe.

It's the old 'military jacket' syndrome for me. They look good on some people - I look like a 5'10 Timothy Mouse.

Same with capes. Gorgoeous on another woman. Nanny McPhee on me.

i had a cape when I was pregnant and I just looked like a very fat walking mushroom. I think I would still be standing at the side of the road waiting for someone to notice the zebra crossing and me waiting if I hadn't have removed the cloak and pointed to my huge prgnt belly. cue screech of brakes and me being waved across. its lived in the wardrobe ever since:)

i prefer coats still. they're like the slanket of outdoors wear.
none of that chilled arms business when i reach for a book.

I have a lovely secondhand vintage one from the 80's. It doesn't have a hood but it is mid calf length and has good coverage on the arms.

I have a floor length black hooded wool cloak. But since I'm 4ft 11in I just look like a hobbit.

I did my nurse training in the early 80's, and we had lovely capes with red lining and a hood.