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Why don't people wear cloaks any more?

43 replies

BitchyFestiveFace · 04/12/2013 09:52

Just musing, really...for hundreds / thousands of years people wore cloaks when it was cold. Practical and simple. But nobody does any more unless they are either some sort of edgy high-fashion type or a historical reenactment enthusiast Hmm

I quite fancy a cloak Grin wonder why they fell so firmly and forever out of fashion?

OP posts:
BlousyMumsyTwat · 04/12/2013 13:50

Lots in continental Europe far away from primarni padded nylon!

Sonotkylie · 04/12/2013 13:54

Harry Potter?

IamInvisible · 04/12/2013 13:56

I've got this cape. It doesn't have sleeves, it has little holes a bit like pockets, you put your arms through.

It is so practical for me. I use crutches so I just keep my arms inside and put use my crutches that way. It saves the sleeves of my coats getting all scrunched up when I try to put my arms in my crutches.

I put my handbag across my body before I put the cape on.

SantasLittleLineRunner · 04/12/2013 14:06

We had to wear capes to school in the winter with pirate hats.

You'd think it would look edgy but somehow it just didn't. The capes and hats were too small.

lookatmybutt · 04/12/2013 14:09

^ Yar, that's pretty groovy. Capes were in a couple of years ago, it's just that they're hard to wear. They're a staple of Elegant Gothic Lolita for starters.

I once went to an estate clearance auction for a photographer who must have had a major fetish for cloaks and capes. There must've been about 300+ capes all in one place; nurses, policemans, opera cloaks, theatrical costume any cape or cloak you dream of.

I did have my eye on a couple of the gorgeous silk velvet opera cloaks but the price went up too high.

Dawndonnaagain · 04/12/2013 14:13

We had cloaks for school too, hated the damn things and never thought they were that warm although as Stokey said, great for spreading out and sitting on in the woods!

Aquelven · 04/12/2013 14:56

And what about bonnets?
Now they are practical, keep your ears warm & tie on so won't blow off in the wind when your hands are full. Always think they look really flattering in period dramas.

SantasLittleLineRunner · 04/12/2013 14:58

In the summer my school had straw boaters with elastic bands underneath.

Dear god.

CMOTDibbler · 04/12/2013 15:08

I've got a cape, which I am rather fond of, and over the years have had a number of capes and cloaks. They look lovely, but draughty, and you are limited to a cross body bag and not carrying anything

AuldAlliance · 04/12/2013 15:25

I had a Goth mate years ago, who had a long velvet cloak he wore to go out of an evening, to concerts, etc.
When it was chilly, he had to get into the car, wrap it round his arms and then get his GF to do up the seatbelt for him, as his arms were not free to move. He obviously couldn't drive either.
He looked a right wally little ridiculous, being strapped in by his GF.
This may be one reason why people don't wear them any more.

Naoko · 04/12/2013 16:10

Was posting in a rush this morning. Cloaks are enormously impractical. I love my larp cloak, it is a great big Game of Thrones style thing, (fake) fur mantle over the shoulder part and everything, but it is not practical. It is warm, yes (mostly courtesy of the entirely inauthentic but invisible when worn polar fleece lining), and reasonably waterproof (outer layer gets wet, inner layer doesn't, I stay dry).

However: it's made out of a good 3 to 4m of fabric. That's a lot of fabric to be flapping around your arse wherever you go. It has no arms, so you have to wrap it round yourself, and if you need your hands for something you have to let go so if there is a stiff breeze you will get cold. (It does drape well, so it more or less overlaps at the front, but the wind will make it flap open)
You have to make sure you get the length right so it doesn't trail on the floor, and even if you do, you'll kneel down/sit down/step in a puddle at some point and get the hem wet. Once you've got the hem wet, it'll start wicking water and mud up the back of your legs. If you get caught in the rain and get the whole thing wet, it'll soak up water. Last time I got properly soaked, it took me two days to get the damn thing thoroughly dry again. And that's with a modern, lightweight fabric - if I'd sprung for the nicer, heavier, organic fibers, it'd have taken longer. This leads to another point of impracticality, namely that they are very heavy - the warmer and more waterproof, the heavier the garment. Especially when wet.
And the final indignity is that I need to ask someone to come with me every time I need to go to the bathroom, because I need them to hold the cloak. You can't just hoik them up, you need to take them off and there isn't usually somewhere to hang them. This may be to do with only ever wearing the cloak at larp events which have rather limited facilities, of course, but still!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 04/12/2013 16:15

I used to have a black velvet cloak in my goth days. Bloomin' loved it, but tbh I probably looked a complete wazzack in it.

Hopefully · 04/12/2013 17:36

My sister wears a long cape as a winter coat, and looks fab. I have slight cape envy, even though it would be disastrous in my school run/toddler toting life.

beanandspud · 04/12/2013 21:01

I'd love to have a proper cloak. I have a grey wool 'wrap' at the moment which is perfect for walking from car to office, car to supermarket etc. With jeans and boots it feels a bit smarter than a coat. Saying that, in my mind I look classy but in real life I suspect I look as if I'm wearing a picnic blanket but I don't care Xmas Grin

babybarrister · 04/12/2013 21:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hermioneweasley · 04/12/2013 21:55

Right, now I have cape/cloak envy

CardiCorgi · 05/12/2013 09:15

The next time I get to leave the house without the dc, I am wearing mine again.

Snowbility · 05/12/2013 09:24

I wore a matching velvet dress and cloak as a bridemaid at my dsis wedding they were gorgeous. I haven't thought about wearing them since.

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