Capes

Capes are going to be huge this winter and I’m not just talking about their width. I suppose we should have seen this coming really. I mean, it’s only a short step from the voluminous coats we saw last winter to doing away with the sleeves altogether and making it into a cape. I am all for this trend, especially since I have managed to ‘inherit’ two vintage capes from my mother. She has had these as long as I can remember but I don’t recall her every wearing either. I am told they both date back to the early 60s when capes were hugely fashionable. My mother, a style icon. Who knew?

She bought the green one with a matching skirt in “a very expensive shop in Harrogate. The kind of place you could only shop if there was a sale on [sounds like half the shops in Harrogate today – SG]. I queued for it and I got it”. And there was me thinking that queuing for the sales was a modern phenomenon. When she says she queued, it was only from 8am, but never the less. Both pieces were fully reversible with a blue check over laying the green on the reverse side. Sadly the skirt has been given away to charity long ago.

The red cape I can remember from my childhood. My hometown holds a Victorian Fair each year in December and all the local school children dress up in Victorian costume. I remember donning this cape to keep out the chill when singing Christmas carols in the town market place. Back then it was more of a full length cloak on me. It was less expensive than the green one, and was bought from Busby’s in Harrogate before it became Debenhams. The label says Raymond of London but extensive Googling of this name has proved fruitless.

It’s still early for the winter fashions hitting the high street but this cape coat is Oasis’s offering, however it is not yet available on their website.

And Topshop, never one to lag behind with a hot trend, have this at £75.

For a more cape-like cape, head to Warehouse where you will find this in mid-purple or black for £75.

As for what to wear with a cape: I love then over jeans or a skirt and dark tights and boots. But it’s probably best to eschew coloured tights and boots for this one; you don’t want to look like a superhero!