Ahh, the cape. Perhaps seen as a quirkier fashion choice by many today, it has been around for centuries as both a statement piece and a functional garment. Very popular during the Medieval period in Europe, the cape made a bit of a come-back in 19th century Europe, and by extension, in North America. The cape was a popular fashion statement piece for both men and women in the 1800’s. It was considered quite elegant, perhaps because of the satisfying swish of a mid-length cape and the use of beads and satins in their creation. I don’t know about you, but I have a picture in my mind right now of a foggy London night, cool, damp cobblestones under a gentleman’s crisp footsteps as his dark figure sweeps mysteriously around a corner, his thigh-length cape fluttering behind him. This romanticized idea of the cape is not the only place it might have been found however, as the examples on our collection demonstrate. Not to mention, that during the Victorian Era, capes became much more popular among women than they were among men. And so, as I have encountered a few capes while going through the collection so far and I thought I would just share a few images and a couple details about them here for you to enjoy.
Nurses during the mid-century were often outfitted with capes as part of their uniform. The capes are made with quality wool fabric and often have a colourful lining inside. The lining on this cape from the Port Arthur General Hospital is light blue. It was worn by Helen Mary MacKenzie while she worked there.
This little shoulder cape is certainly much more about style than function. The high collar, fuller shoulders, and cording details indicate it may be an Edwardian design. It is likely that this cape is from sometime between 1890 and 1910.
This little velvet cape was worn around the shoulders and may have succeeded in retaining some warmth for the wearer. The velvet is very luxe to the touch and the beading near the collar is elaborately detailed. It is likely that this was worn by someone with a fair amount of wealth.
This black lace cape hits just around the hips and was worn by Elizabeth Dickson around 1900. Elizabeth owned the a building known as the "Belmont" where she kept boarders. Elizabeth died in 1912 at 84 in Port Arthur.
This Victorian style cape is made of a lighter fabric than may of the others. It's lack of elaborate adornment or beadwork and the fabric indicate that it may have been a more affordable garment and may have been worn by a woman from a modest background during the early 1900s.
This blue velvet cape is elaborately embroidered with beads and sequins. The beaded fringe on the belt or tie and general style of the cape indicates a late Edwardian verging on an early Art Deco influence. I would guess this cape dates to around 1920.
This cape came to the museum in 1988 just after it was found in an abandoned farmhouse in Dorion. It is one of my favorite pieces in the textile collection because of it's beautiful, bright lining. It is entirely hand-stitched and in remarkably good condition.
This elaborately beaded shoulder cape likely dates between 1900 and 1910. The full shoulders and the high, stiff collar is an indication that it has Edwardian influence. Like the other shoulder cape, this one is clearly primarily a fashion piece rather than a functional garment. It was likely worn with a specific outfit or to special events.
This cape is a nursing cape from McKellar General Hospital. It was worn by Lillian Seed (nee Ismund) who graduated from the McKellar School of Nursing in 1949
This cape is quite heavy and structurally appears to be machine stitched. All of the beads and lace however were added afterward by hand. It may have been a project that someone created at home.
My research suggests that capes (and cloaks) went more or less out of style in the 1930s (for men, anyway). They had actually been on their way out for a while by then but, from what I have read, the characterization of Bela Lugosi’s Dracula in the popular 1931 rendition of Bram Stoker’s novel didn’t help with cape popularity. Really, when you do get the chance to put on a cape these days what is your first reaction? Do you immediately draw it across your face and say “I vant to suck your blood!”? Because if you do I am sure you are not alone. The cape quickly became a representation of not only vampires but, as the English world caught up with the French one, of corrupt aristocrats (capes were shunned in France after the French Revolution because they had been typical aristocratic attire). Practically overnight the cape went from an elegant if slightly old fashioned garment to something widely associated with demonic aristocracy. This perception, bolstered of course by the recurring representations of Dracula with a cape as integral to his existence as his nighttime feasts, has still not really gone away. Over the years, popular culture and media continued to shape perceptions of the cape by outfitting superheroes (Superman, Batman, etc), sci-fi characters (Darth Vader), and others in them, which has not helped to return the garment to mainstream fashion and instead relegating it almost exclusively to October 31st. Despite all this, the cape did continue to exist in women’s fashion on and off over the 20th century. In the later 1930’s, floor-length velvet cloaks were popular, and in the 50’s the short capelet made a bit of a comeback. Perhaps this was because there was a marked distance from the media’s depiction of who wore capes and women as cape wearers. Overall, however, capes have yet to find the prominence and popularity they once had in earlier periods of history.
As a side note, I made a floor-length, heavy cloak for a special event I hosted last year and honestly, while I’m not sure I would wear that specific item out on the town on a regular day, it was one of the warmest and most practical garments I have ever worn! It’s worth noting that under a cape or a cloak all your body heat is trapped together, as opposed to in a coat where your arms are all on their own to keep themselves warm. Food for thought, anyway.
What do you think, would you wear a cape (or a cloak) as an alternative to a coat? Would you rather wear one for a statement fashion piece or for practical warmth retention in the winter?
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