I understand that modern outer layers are more functional. A leather jacket, for example, can be dressed up or down so as to be worn in a variety of situations. It is also better at keeping you warm.
However, I think capes/cloaks are more aesthetically pleasing garments. It also feels good to have the fabric flowing around you as you walk. But what do you think?
University students in Portugal do when wearing traditional attire.
I wear a capelet in winter and it doesn’t work well with my backpack. I suppose I could design a front wearing pack to carry my laptop.
Damn, I didn’t think about backpacks!
I would love to but sadly people will think i am weird.
nothing’s stopping you from wearing one.
I had a fairly nice cape for halloween this year (I was the devil from The Undead) and by the end of the evening I was convinced I was a cape guy now. They hold in so much heat but that’s easily controlled by flapping the front a bit (by just swinging your arms more or less as you walk). With the right fabric, water just sheets off and generally misses your shoes in the process. And a broad collar makes for a great windbreak when turned up. It was great!
I haven’t worn it since.
Because we live in hell now and a cape would cook us.
Depends on the fabric and color. Look at arab countries, people there use tunics and loose clothing that cover most of their bodies and are mostly fine in +40°C
Poncho is cooler and you get to use your arms still
Ponchos are so great.
Unless you’re talking about wearing a plastic poncho and sandals.
Then you’re a big nerd. NERD!
Are socks included with the sandals?
I think once my kids learned how to make blanket caps a lot of things ended up broken in a very short timeframe and I banned capes.
sitting in cars with a cape sucks.
Do you know from experience or is this speculation? I believe you, I’m just curious.
yep, ive had a full length cloak since childhood and wear it when im home or in the office but i rarely travel with it on.
i got it because of lord Nikon from Hackers.
But you’d take the cape off to drive though, like any big ass winter coat
Bikes superior to cars once again.
Do you mean motorcycles or bicycles?
Yes
Understandable, have a nice day
Bram Stoker must have had somewhat of a hand in the decline in popularity of capes.
He’s the reason I want one
The fact that you don’t have one already makes me sad.
Vampires can’t even afford cloaks in this economy.
Because we don’t ride horses anymore.
How does a cape help when riding a horse?
You need to stay warm, but you can’t have your legs blocked by something like a trench coat (unbuttoned cowboy duster excluded), since you need them free to mount and sit on a horse. A cape keeps you warm, but keeps your front lower body free to ride, and lays flat against the horses back when mounted. Since we ride in cars instead of on horses now, the design isn’t very useful anymore. A long cape will get in the way when getting into a car, and when sitting down in a car seat. Jackets and coats are more practical now.
This is the real answer. For many more questions too. One day in the distant future people will ask why don’t we ---- anymore and the answer will be because we don’t drive cars anymore.
This might actually make sense!
It’s because of cars and trains
Horses and to a lesser extent bikes let you just throw the cape out behind you as you ride, but if you’re riding in a chair, you have to bunch it up as you’re getting in so you don’t accidentally auto-asphyxiate yourself with the titanic cheeks you inherited from yo mama
We should all ride broomsticks, problem solved
We actually had a champion for a while. So far he hasn’t really achieved the original goal, but that doesn’t mean that the dream is dead.
Heck, if he doesn’t do it, I will! We need capes back in fashion. Either subtle renaissance style fashionable shoulder capes or full blown cloaks that can double as blankets in a pinch.
Not very practical anymore. Would get caught in all sorts of things in cars/trains/bikes/planes or whatever mode of transportation you use. The common person in general tends to mean towards practicality > aesthetics in the long term.
Function > form
