Props & Frocks stocks a great range of capes, or cloaks to help you to complete your fancy dress
costumes. Now some costumes require a cape just to be complete (see our superhero piece a bit further down), but others can be used…
- For warmth – this is why so many Trick or Treating outfits will often have an added cape
- To cover up a bit more (if you are wearing a skimpy costume, or want to keep your arms covered up)
- For extra drama – a Dracula costume is made more dramatic with an addition of a cape
Fancy dress capes tend to come in basic colours, with the most popular being black, some are hooded and they provide a great base for a cheap costume idea. Let’s take for example The Phantom Of the Opera; this costume can easily be put together with our great bargain phantom mask and a basic black cape. Just wear a plain white shirt, black trousers and you have yourself a bargain fancy dress costume. Okay, you can always add a bow tie and our fantastic black and white cape, or whatever else you choose, but it doesn’t need to be a bank breaker.
Why not take a look at our range of fancy dress cloaks?
We start the week with a flight of fancy. What’s the point of a cape on a superhero? We know that they (capes) evolved as lightweight versions of cloaks in the 18th century when men’s fashions had come up with coats that didn’t do up. We also know that later on women adopted the accessory, adding fur and feather trimmings for extra extravagance. But if you are in skin-tight lycra (spandex for our American readers) what’s the point of the dangly fabric at the back? Legend tells how Superman, having escaped doomed planet Krypton as a baby, incorporates the red blanket he was wrapped in, into his crime-fighting costume, so we can see the sentimental angle there. We understand how Batman’s cape and cowl ensemble has its uses casting looming bat-like shadows and offering a hidden hang-gliding facility (not something we recommend you try at home) but beyond that, why?
Edna Mode, legendary costume creator to superheroes such as The Incredibles and co-presenter (with Pierce Brosnan) of the Costume Design Oscar in 2005, was firmly in the ‘no cape’ camp. She pointed out the potential safety hazards of the fashion, and, for the most part, we can see her point. That said, on some hero costumes in our collection, the cape hides the suit closure for those who do not favour the figure-hugging look, so the purpose can be more practical than presentational.
