I could have used this pic a couple of months ago when I was arguing against a Lemmy who insisted that capes were a Greek/Roman invention and wearing them disappeared after the fall of the Roman Empire.
I tried to argue that capes were standard issue in the Civil War but couldn't get through.
Just look at Washington crossing the Delaware. He's wearing a cape/cloak thing there
That's the revolutionary war, but yeah.
I linked a picture of a statue of Ulysses Grant with his cape and the reply was, well that was a General, not the average soldier.
I tell ya, there are some real nut jobs around here.
Capes are authorized CURRENTLY to be worn by army officers in dress uniform. Obviously nobody does it because they're not rad enough, but they totally could. I bought myself a costume cape for funsies but haven't had the balls to wear it in public yet. My heelys grab enough attention.
Wait what? Army here I come.
Cloaks are not practical compared to a heavy coat: it doesn't keep you as warm because there are no zippers or buttons to fasten it all the way, and you can't use your arms or hand at all with a heavy cloak on because it doesn't have sleeves, and it doesn't have any pockets.
If you want to wear it for the sake of fashion, go for it, but prepared to be frustrated.
My cape-type-thing is thigh length & has little elbow height slits with flaps on them so i can reach out, up to my elbows. Also pockets.
It's awkward when i forgot I'm wearing it and try to sling something over my shoulder, but other than that rare occurrence it is excellent, daily fall wear for me.
9.8/10 seriously, my cape is great.
I wear a cape sometimes. I had to trim it because it would drag on the ground and pick up leaves, and it sheds on my other clothes because of the fabric I made it from (so I only wear it with a specific outfit,) but other than that it poses no significant inconvenience. I'm not expecting a coat, I'm expecting an accessory.
This comment is in every thread about cloaks/capes
I just think about all the automatic doors, escalators, and other mechanical things that are ubiquitous with the modern world and worry a cloak would get snagged all the time. I mean FFS, I get my pants pockets caught on doorknobs all the time, and those aren't even flapping behind me.
Yeah while the idea of a wool cloak is still cool, whenever I start breaking down the possible use-cases, I realize it tends to just be a functionally inferior and much less convenient version of modern options by nearly every metric.
For example, for staying dry, even a basic plastic poncho is superior but a wool cloak will never beat the standard outershell gear lined with stuff like goretex. Likewise, its thermal utility is mostly determined by its ability to trap layers of air, and a wool cloak can’t match the functionality and versatility of modern insulation methods. Even in the area of durability, while heavy weaves can be incredibly rugged, it tends to be at the expense of weight, and after owning a few featherlight jackets and tents made with self-healing textiles, I can’t imagine a wool cloak would ultimately be able to compete in the long term.
I’d still embrace the fashion if it made a comeback, but with full acceptance of the fact that it represents form over function.
Arm slits make a considerable difference to comfort and utility. Coats are superior, you are absolutely right there, but if you gotta cloak...
Don't let them fool you. This is not what men want!
This is what men really want:
I have worn this as a costume and while it is a lot of fun - practical everyday wear it is not.
But did you forgo material possessions while wearing it? The. You wouldn't need it for practical reasons.
Practical reasons include fighting with a lightsaber dude. I swear jedi chose this outfit solely because they could use the force to stop it from bunching in multiple locations, slipping or knocking shit over. It also must become made of science fiction materials that have you not pass out from heatstroke or freezing to death by degrees.
Like it's not the least practical convention wear I've ever had since "being able to easily fit through a single door" has tripped me up before... But that doesn't mean it's good everyday wear.
Sewing machines killed capes. Sewing jackets/coats requires a lot of very difficult stitch work. This made jackets extremely expensive, while making capes was simpler and more affordable. With the advent of the sewing machine, that stitch work became easier and cheaper to do, so capes went out of fashion and more jackets became affordable to everyone.
Cars killed the cloak. Cloaks remained popular for a long time after the invention of the sewing machine in the early 1800s, but fell out of fashion with the popularization of the automobile in the early-mid 1900s.
Can you explain the cloak-killing cars a bit further?
Sure. Cloaks are not fun to use in a car. Basically they’re just too much cloth in too little space. They get stuck in the door when you close it, tangled in the seatbelt when you exit, and they sit either under you in a big lump or wrapped around onto your lap in a big pile. And without a lot of effort to arrange them properly they go under the seatbelt and loosen the fit a lot which is fairly unsafe.
Seat belts didn't begin to become standard until 1958. And they were commonly unused until the 1990s.
Great, they still get caught in the door and get in the way, even without seat belts.
SCA member and regular cloak wearer can confirm- this is truth.
Interesting!! Thanks for sharing 👍
It's a cloak, Julia. Yes I'm going to wear it to your parents for dinner. It's the style these days.
No joke, the fact cis men dress in such boring ways is at least 50% of why I don’t date them much. Which also means it’s the easiest improvement to make !
As a man you learn quickly if you're the nail that sticks up you're the one to get hammered. We're forced to blend in.
Really this applies to everyone too.
This is not meant as personal attack on anyone, but if I can go out every day while visibly trans, ya’ll can wear something other than blue jeans and a band tee-shirt. At least for dates 😅
As an adult, I couldn't care less what people think, but growing up it mattered a lot more. We learn some bitter lessons as children.
I guess it did, although especially in middle school I took the disapproval of the some people as a sign I was probably doing something right. I was definitely not dressed like any of my peers even long before I knew I was trans.
But I was also taller than everyone until high-school (reached 5’7” some time in 6th grade) and it might have helped more than I realized back then ? It’s not easy bullying someone who’s 2 feet taller than you 😄
Lol you get downvoted but it's soooo fucking true.
As a resident bisexual man, my guys you need to put in some effort in because, to put it bluntly, half of all y'all seem like you're trying to run for "least fuckable creature of the week".
Google some shit. Figure it out. There's nowhere near as much choice for us as there is for women, but there is enough that you don't have to wear ill-fitting jeans and a loose printed t-shirt every day.
As a bi guy that has been dating mostly men recently, yeah, I hear you. It isn't quite as bad in my bubble, but still.
Even jeans and a t-shirt that are the correct size are sometimes a significant upgrade 😆
Boring is the best.
No, Italian leather is the best.
This is part of a shift based in the enlightenment era, called the Great Male Renunciation. It's really a shame imho. We need to reclaim feeling pretty. With thigh-high socks, and unix thinkpads.
Thanks for sharing that link, I had no idea about this!!
I started sweating just looking at that outfit.
I was thinking mesh shirt, shorts and cloak could be a fun outfit for winter clubbing
Those tight skinny jeans can eat a dick.
There voencom somewhere near
Accurate
Counterpoint: global warming
Is that a Carolean?
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