Fall Essential: Cape Coat
I was very happy when I visited the Naplounge website and I found this cape coat, to me, they are not only practical when the weather isn’t too cold, they are also elegant and make me feel regal.
The one shown in the picture is made of 100% merino wool.
Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. They have had periodic returns to fashion - for example, in nineteenth-century Europe. Roman Catholic clergy wear a type of cape known as a ferraiolo, which is worn for formal events outside a ritualistic context. The cope is a liturgical vestment in the form of a cape. Capes are often highly decorated with elaborate embroidery. Capes remain in regular use as rainwear in various military units and police forces, in France for example. A gas cape was a voluminous military garment designed to give rain protection to someone wearing the bulky gas masks used in twentieth-century wars.
History Of The Cape Coat
1930’s
In the 1930s, the rain cape was the preferred waterproof cover. This was largely due to the poor economy during the depression. Not needing to buy an expensive separate raincoat and only wearing a light repellent rain cape was very economical. The cape was long, worn down to the ankles, and wrapped instead of buttoned, secured with a thin rubber tie belt (optional). Some capes had attached hoods, while others had large round collars that echoed dress collars worn underneath. Most raincapes did not have sleeves or armholes as they did in the 1920s. Colors were still bright: red, brown, natural (tan), medium blue, medium green, and white.
The slip-over rain jacket did have sleeves and also came in translucent materials. This new see-through raincoat was just the thing women needed to show off the beauty of their clothing underneath. Raincapes and coats were sold with a pretty silk oiled envelope bag to fold up and stash away upon going inside. The clear coat on the right also came with a clear bag with a handle.
1940’s
New inventions during and after the war led to new treatments for waterproofing fabrics. However, most 1940s raincoats were made of cotton gabardine. They were mostly turned into rain capes or simple utility coats with padded shoulders, wide lapels/ collars, and big belts, altogether forming the typical masculine/military shape. Hemlines rose to just below the knee and colors dulled down into drab military hues. What was remarkable about the 1940s was that the new coat styles that emerged during the decade have stayed with us ever since.
1950’s
In the 1950s, the trend for raincoats in the trench style continued. The ’50s version featured more pleating at the back of the jacket to accommodate the full swing skirts and dresses of the decade. They also came with matching caps, similar to a short brim baseball cap. The material was similar to gabardine or poplin cotton, but now with new acrylics and synthetics available, there were more blended materials. The coat below is a blend of rayon and Nylon and is lined in Rayon taffeta. The tweed coat below was an elegant take on the 40s utility coat. With a high wing collar, velvet trim, and buttons on the top half only, it draped smoothly over full dresses and sheath dresses equally. Plastic rain covers were a returning style from the 1930s. Clear plastic, as well as colored plastics (red, blue, yellow), were heat-sealed into overcoats that were completely water repellent. They had attached hoods, a tie or elastic waist, and mid-shin-length. The button-down utility coat was still in style, too. Buttons were bigger and the length longer. Some were even double-breasted. The straight-fitting coat became more popular as the decade moved on. They were still cut wide enough to accommodate full skirts, but the non-belted waist repelled water better. They came in brighter colors (Hot pink! Turquoise!) and graphic patterns such as checks, houndstooth, polka dots, and small stripes. If the outside was plain, you could count on the inside lining featuring fun and cheerful prints.
Sources:
https://vintagedancer.com/vintage/womens-vintage-raincoats/